A bill going through the Maryland General Assembly is causing some to question how the state should properly use opioid restitution funding won from drug companies.
The legislation, introduced by Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles County), would give the state Attorney General’s Office $1.5 million yearly from the Maryland Opioid Restitution Fund.
That money, which came from seven settlements with opioid companies, brought more than $200 million to the state in 2024 and is legally earmarked purely for opioid recovery, treatment and education. In total, the state will receive $670 million
Ellis’ bill would make an exception, giving the AG the $1.5 million annually for opioid investigations, enforcement and personnel.
“What we're asking for is an amendment to the Opioid Restitution Fund, which already includes administrative costs as a permissible expense, and to clarify that that shall fund the Opioid Enforcement Unit in the Office of the Attorney General,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown told the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday. “Without this funding, we run the risk that we're not going to be able to continue our enforcement activities. This would reduce future recoveries and limit resources.”
The AG’s office was appropriated $1.5 million in Gov. Wes Moore’s 2026 budget from the fund, however, Brown said he did not want to have to fight yearly for the money.
Opponents of the bill fear that using the money for drug enforcement is not how the settlement money is supposed to be used.
“The AG’s office is charged with representing and defending the state and its residents, and it's the state's obligation to provide adequate funding,” said Sarah Sample, associate policy director at the Maryland Association of Counties. “Shortchanging victims by siphoning funds away from Community Restoration and remediation is a concern that we have.”
Opioid recovery advocates across the nation have had concerns about some of the ways opioid settlement funds have been spent.
In some areas settlement money has been used to buy police cars or even pay down government debts.
Maryland’s parameters around the Restitution Fund were meant to optimize the recovery, treatment and prevention of opioid use, Sample said.
