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King County Opioid Settlement

Learn about King County’s opioid settlement funds and how King County uses these funds to address harms related to opioids in the community.

In response to their role in fueling the opioid crisis, Washington State and local governments filed lawsuits against several companies that were involved in opioid manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. The lawsuits, filed in 2022, are being settled or finalized in bankruptcy court. Read more about the lawsuits. Visit the Healthier Here Collaboration Portal for more information about these settlements.

Most of these settlement and bankruptcy funds will be shared by Washington State and its counties and cities with populations over 10,000. The payout periods for these funds differ by case and can last between 1 year and 17 years. To learn more about how the settlement funds will be shared and distributed, read the One Washington Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

As a result of the settlements and bankruptcies known as of October, 2025, King County anticipates spending an average of $3.4 million per year between 2022 and 2038. Funds will be directed to Approved Uses to address harms related to opioids in the community. Cities within King County receive and spend their own settlement allocations.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the role of Public Health — Seattle & King County?

    Public Health — Seattle & King County serves as the administrator of King County’s opioid settlement funds. This means that Public Health receives opioid settlement payments, oversees spending, and directs funds to Approved Uses, including grants and funding opportunities for community-based organizations.

  • What can settlement funds support?

    Opioid settlement funds must be used to address harms related to opioids in the community. According to the One Washington MOU, opioid settlement funds can be used on a List of Opioid Remediation Uses (PDF) including, but not limited to the following evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies:

    • Treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
    • Support people in treatment and recovery
    • Connect people who need help to the help they need (connections to care)
    • Address the needs of criminal justice-involved persons
    • Address the needs of pregnant or parenting women and their families, including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome
    • Prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids
    • Prevent misuse of opioids
    • Prevent overdose deaths and other harms (harm reduction)
    • First responders
    • Leadership, planning, and coordination
    • Training
    • Research

  • How is Public Health using opioid settlement funds?

    The King County Council approves all opioid settlement spending. King County currently uses settlement funds to support:

    • Harm reduction supplies such as naloxone and fentanyl test strips
    • Improving treatment access and removing barriers to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
    • Grants for community-based organizations

  • Who is Public Health partnering with?

    Public Health contracts with the following organizations to provide community-based services, including overdose prevention education and outreach, distribution of naloxone and other supplies, and treatment access and referrals:

    • Catholic Community Services of Western WA
    • Center for Human Services Northwest
    • Chief Seattle Club
    • Evergreen Treatment Services
    • Fight Frostbite
    • Odessa Brown Children's Clinic
    • Praisealujah Discipleship
    • Real Escape from the Sex Trade
    • Seattle Indian Health Board
    • Utopia

  • Where can I learn about future Opioid Settlement funding opportunities?

    Public Health will post all funding opportunities.

    Sign up to get email updates about new funding opportunities.

  • How does community guide settlement spending?

    • King County worked with University of Washington's Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU) team to conduct an initial community consultation process and produce a report on recommendations for the use of the settlement funds (539 KB).
    • A community board will be formed in early 2026 to provide ongoing input.

  • How can I find out more information?

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