Hays County Commissioners Take No Action On Opioid Litigation

Staff Reports

The Hays County Commissioners chose to take no action on an executive session item regarding Opioid litigation on Tuesday.

Commissioners adjourned to executive session to consult with counsel regarding RFQ #OGC-2019-001 for special counsel to Hays County for Opioid Litigation.

The RFQ was posted on April 15 and asked for a law firm to provide special counsel “to evaluate the merits of, and to the extent desired by the county, pursue litigation against opioid manufacturers, distributors and others related to the impact of opioid manufacturing, marketing, distribution and use in Hays County.”

Upon returning to open court, Commissioner Lon Shell said the court would not be taking any action that day. No further discussion regarding the subject was presented in open court.

Cities, counties and states around the U.S. have begun to take a stand against opioid abuse and addiction; several lawsuits have been filed across the U.S. against pharmaceutical companies and distributors as well as drugstores including Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and CVS, according to NPR. 

In other news, Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a grant application to the U.S. Department of Jusice, Bureau of Justice Assistance for the FY 2019 funding under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP).

According to the agenda, the county receives funding from SCAAP to offset jail operations expenses associated with the incarceration of undocumented criminal aliens. The amount awarded by the grant is determined based on the inmate data submitted with the application.

The application had to be submitted no later than Thursday, May 23. The Hays County Commissioners Court will not convene on May 28 in observance of Memorial Day.