Commission will manage distribution of settlement funds for opioid abatement programs in communities across the Commonwealth
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 6, 2022) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron today underscored his commitment to fighting back against the opioid epidemic by announcing the membership of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, which will administer the Commonwealth’s portion of an historic $483 million settlement with opioid companies.
“We are on the cusp of providing communities across the Commonwealth with the resources they need to address the opioid epidemic and its effects,” said Attorney General Cameron. “The Commission is an important part of this process and will ensure that the funds are put toward—among other things—treatment, recovery, housing, transportation, education, and wrap-around services. The Commission members represent a broad and bipartisan coalition of stakeholders who are committed to addressing this crisis, and I appreciate their willingness to serve.”
Established through the General Assembly’s unanimous passage of House Bill 427, the Commission is comprised of nine voting and two non-voting members. The members include stakeholders from the prevention and treatment community, law enforcement, and victims of the opioid crisis.
The following individuals will serve on the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission:
- Allison Ball, State Treasurer
- Danny Bentley, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Vic Brown, representing law enforcement
- Karen Butcher, representing citizens at-large
- Eric Friedlander, representing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Bryan Hubbard, representing the Attorney General
- Van Ingram, representing the drug treatment and prevention community
- Karen Kelly, appointed by the President of the Senate
- Von Purdy, representing citizens at-large
- Dr. Jason Roop, representing victims of the opioid crisis
- Dr. Sharon Walsh, representing the HEALing Communities Study Team at the University of Kentucky
During today’s announcement, Attorney General Cameron named W. Bryan Hubbard as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission. In this position, Hubbard will oversee and administer the Commission on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
Hubbard has spent years working with families and children across Kentucky. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control. He formerly served in the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services as the Commissioner for the Department for Income Support, where he was responsible for leading and managing the Commonwealth’s Social Security Disability and Child Support Enforcement programs. He also practiced workers’ compensation law for 16 years and examined first-hand the relationship between joblessness, poverty, disability, and drug dependence.
“Bryan has dedicated his career to the welfare of Kentucky families and children, and he intimately understands the ripple effects of the opioid crisis in the Commonwealth,” said Attorney General Cameron. “I know that he will guide the work of the Commission with a steady hand and ensure that the settlement funds are distributed to meaningful opioid abatement initiatives.”
In the coming days, the Commission will hold its first meeting and establish a framework for distributing the opioid settlement funds. To learn more about Kentucky’s historic settlement with the opioid companies, click here.
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