(a) There is established an Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.
(b) The purpose of the Commission shall be to:
(1) Ensure that the monies the District receives and deposits into the Fund are appropriately expended on evidence-based and evidence-informed harm reduction, prevention, recovery, and treatment activities, practices, programs, services, supports, and strategies for opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders;
(2) Prioritize and facilitate public involvement, accountability, and transparency in allocating and accounting for these monies; and
(3) Ensure that the monies the District receives and deposits into the Fund have the effect of preventing, treating, and reducing opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and reducing fatalities.
(c) The Commission shall be composed of 15 members as follows:
(1) The Director of the Department of Health, or their designee;
(2) The Director of the Department of Behavioral Health, or their designee;
(3) The Attorney General, or their designee;
(4) The Director of the Department of Health Care Finance, or their designee;
(5) The Chairperson of the Council committee with jurisdiction over health matters, or their designee;
(6) Three members appointed by the Mayor, with the following qualifications:
(A) One member who is a current opioid user or who has lived experience with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders and recovery;
(B) One member with expertise in either public health policy, public health research, or health equity with a demonstrated understanding of opioid use, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery systems; and
(C) One member who has provided direct treatment services related to prevention, harm reduction, substance use disorder, or recovery, with a preference for individuals who have worked with populations disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis, including Black residents, unhoused individuals, and justice-involved populations;
(7) Three members appointed by the Chairman of the Council, with the following qualifications:
(A) One member who is a current opioid user or who has lived experience with opioid use disorder and co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders and recovery;
(B) One member with expertise in addiction medicine and co-occurring substance use, and mental health disorders; and
(C) One member who has provided direct treatment services related to prevention, harm reduction, substance use disorder, or recovery, with a preference for individuals who have worked with populations disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis, including Black residents, unhoused individuals, and justice-involved populations;
(8) One representative from the District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association;
(9) One representative from the Medical Society of the District of Columbia;
(10) One representative from the District of Columbia Primary Care Association; and
(11) One representative from the District of Columbia Hospital Association.
(1) The Commission shall elect a Chair or Co-Chairs from among its members, who shall serve for a term of 2 years and may be appointed to no more than 2 consecutive terms.
(2) The Commission shall consider the following qualifications in electing a Chair or Co-Chair:
(A) Demonstrated experience leading commissions, advisory bodies, boards, task forces, or large stakeholder groups;
(B) Ability to facilitate meetings, manage group processes, and foster collaboration and consensus across sectors;
(C) Experience collaborating with District government agencies; and
(D) A preference that at least one Co-Chair, if applicable, be a person with lived experience related to substance use disorder or a representative of a non-governmental organization engaged in prevention, treatment, recovery, or harm reduction.
(1) Each member appointed pursuant to subsection (c)(6) and (7) of this section shall serve a 3-year term; except, that:
(2) Members shall serve:
(A) Following the expiration of their terms until their successors have been appointed;
(B) For a maximum of 2 full terms, with partial term service not counted toward this maximum; and
(C) Without compensation; provided, that they shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in carrying out Commission duties.
(3) Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the term.
(f) The Commission shall hold public meetings at least quarterly, with meetings called by the Chair or a majority of Commission members. All Commission meetings shall be subject to subchapter IV of Chapter 5 of Title 2 .
(g) A majority of the Commission's members shall constitute a quorum, and actions of the Commission shall be taken by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members in attendance at a meeting where a quorum is present. Members may attend in person or remotely through audio or audiovisual means.
(g-1) The Commission shall regularly engage with, and seek input from, the following agencies to support informed decision-making and to ensure that the Commission's work aligns with District-wide policies, programs, and service-delivery efforts:
(1) The Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services;
(2) The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice;
(3) The Director of the Department of Human Services; and
(4) The Chief Medical Examiner.
(h) The Commission shall have the power and duty to:
(1) Establish procedures for the Commission's operations, including establishing expert driven subcommittees; and
(2) Make recommendations to the Mayor and Council regarding:
(A) District-wide goals, objectives, and performance indicators relating to:
(i) Prevention, recovery, treatment, and harm reduction infrastructure, activities, practices, programs, services, supports, and strategies for opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders;
(ii) Reducing disparities in access to prevention, recovery, treatment, and harm reduction infrastructure, activities, practices, programs, services, supports, and strategies; and
(iii) Improving outcomes and reducing mortality in traditionally underserved populations, including for communities of color and current or formerly incarcerated individuals, with regard to prevention, recovery, treatment, and harm reduction infrastructure, activities, practices, programs, services, supports, and strategies;
(B) Governing principles, policies, and procedures for the application for and awarding of monies and grants from the Fund;
(C) Awards of monies and grants from the Fund;
(D) The performance and outcomes of Fund awardees and grantees;
(E) Management of the Fund; and
(F) Any changes to the Fund's purposes.
(i) The Commission's recommendations for the awarding of monies and grants pursuant to subsection (h)(2)(C) of this section shall include the consideration of:
(1) The number of individuals, per capita, with an opioid use disorder, and the number of overdose deaths per capita, in the area that a prospective awardee or grantee seeks to serve;
(2) Disparities in access to care and health outcomes in the area that a prospective awardee or grantee seeks to serve; and
(3) The infrastructure, activities, practices, programs, services, supports, and strategies currently available to individuals with an opioid use disorder in an area that a prospective awardee or grantee seeks to serve.