Title
Consideration and Possible Approval of the Janssen Settlement Agreement
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve the Janssen Settlement Agreement, and I further move that the County Manager or the County Attorney are authorized to execute the agreement and any related documents necessary to effectuate the terms of the Janssen Settlement Agreement.
County Manager's and County Attorney's Recommendation
The County Manager and the County Attorney recommend that Council approve the Janssen Settlement Agreement.
Body
The New Mexico Attorney General has requested that the County participate in this settlement agreement which resolves any claims the County may or could have against this manufacturer due to their role in the opioid epidemic. The settlement is with Johnson & Johnson and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc. (collectively referred to in the settlement agreement as "Janssen."). Although the County is a non-litigating entity in this opioid litigation, the County agreeing to this settlement will increase the amount of settlement funds distributed from this settlement to the State of New Mexico which will keep a percentage of the settlement and distribute a majority portion to local governments in the state. The distribution to the local governments will not be based on population but rather will be proportional to the financial impact of the opioid crises on the particular local government. The County does not expect to receive much, if any, of these settlement funds, but by agreeing to this settlement the overall amount of funds the State and neighboring local governments will receive will be greater.
Alternatives
If the County Council does not sign this settlement agreement, the overall amount of funds received by the State of New Mexico and our neighboring local governments will be reduced. By not signing the settlement agreement the County could bring its own indivi...
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