Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council Selects Texas A&M University Health Science Center to Provide K-12 Opioid Prevention Education Statewide
(AUSTIN) — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC or the Council) unanimously voted to award Texas A&M University Health Science Center a grant of up to $25 million to provide tailored opioid prevention services and implement a comprehensive educational program for Texas schoolchildren.
“As a member of the Council, we recognized the importance of taking action to ensure Texans receive the necessary support they deserve,” said Dr. Carrie de Moor, who was appointed to the Council by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This grant helps address the critical need to equip Texas schoolchildren and families with the skills and knowledge required to make informed choices and respond effectively in crisis. I want to thank all applicants for their hard work and encourage them to continue to apply for future grants.”
The grant agreement, once finalized by both parties, covers the costs of providing statewide opioid prevention programming to Texas students in kindergarten through 12th grade, including student education, upstream interventions, and community engagement and public awareness activities. The goal of the grant is to enhance opioid prevention efforts in Texas schools. The grant agreement provides for an initial three-year term with an optional renewal. Program services must meet the fentanyl education requirements of House Bill 3908, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, also known as Tucker’s Law, and be aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for school health programs so that they may be offered in Texas public schools.
The grant funding consists of regional funding allocations of $18.75 million and targeted allocations of $6.25 million to counties with a population of fewer than 100,000 residents. The grant recipient will receive funds on a reimbursement basis.
“Like millions of Texas parents with school-aged children, I am acutely aware of the need for our kids to have the tools and resources necessary to avoid the dangers of fentanyl and other opioids,” said Hegar, who chairs the Council. “With this most recent grant award, the OAFC continues to strike back against this crisis by focusing on evidence-based abatement efforts that will provide a safer, healthier future for all Texas children, their parents and their communities.”
The Texas Legislature formed the OAFC in 2021 to ensure money recovered through the joint efforts of the state and its political subdivisions from statewide opioid settlement agreements is allocated fairly and spent to remediate the opioid crisis using efficient, cost-effective methods. The OAFC is made up of 13 appointed experts and administered by Hegar, who serves as the non-voting presiding officer.
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