ST. LOUIS — A Board of Aldermen committee is scheduled to consider legislation Thursday morning that would appropriate $953,899.06 in national opioid settlement funds to the St. Louis Department of Health.
Board Bill 94 was introduced October 16 by Alderwoman Pamela Boyd after a recommendation from the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The city’s official bill summary says the proposal would authorize the Health Department to spend settlement money to the extent the funds have been received. It also includes an emergency clause.
The Health and Human Development Committee is scheduled to meet from 9 to 10 a.m. by Zoom webinar. Public comment is listed for the bill. The city says viewers can follow the meeting through STL TV or the City of St. Louis YouTube channel, and written testimony may be submitted to the Board of Aldermen’s chief clerk before the hearing concludes.
Committee consideration does not make the proposal law. The bill would still have to proceed through the aldermanic process and receive required approvals before taking effect.
The city’s public bill summary identifies the proposed appropriation amount and the Health Department as recipient, but it does not provide program-by-program allocations. If the proposal advances, later legislative and spending records should provide more detail on how the money is authorized and used.
Sources: St. Louis Board Bill 94 and the city’s committee meeting notice.
