A state lawmaker representing Greater Williamsport will be helping to fight against opioid misuse and addiction.
State Rep. Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, representing Lycoming County and two communities in northern Union County, was appointed to the state Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust.
He is one of only 13 members selected statewide.
“I’m deeply honored to be chosen by Gov. Josh Shapiro to serve on this distinguished board of trustees,” Flick said.
Flick joins fellow Lycoming County member Shea Madden, executive director of West Branch Drug and Alcohol, as one of two representatives from the county.
The trust, established by order of the Hon. Lori Dumas of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania on July 12, 2022, is tasked with overseeing funds received through settlements from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains.
“There’s perhaps no one more qualified than Rep. Flick to be named as a member of this trust,” Madden said. “His background working in nearly every county’s human services agency plays perfectly into the trust’s goals of disbursing settlement funds to address the opioid crisis,” she said.
The trust’s primary responsibility is to manage and allocate these settlement funds to the Commonwealth, its counties, and subdivisions, ensuring they are used exclusively for efforts to abate the opioid crisis.
This includes receiving, investing, and disbursing settlement funds; reviewing county and subdivision certifications and annual reports on spending, and preparing a comprehensive annual report to the authorizing court.
Additionally, Flick will serve as secretary of the House Children and Youth Committee and minority chair of the Human Services subcommittee on drugs and alcohol.
“I look forward to serve as we are living in a crucial time as Pennsylvania continues to combat the opioid epidemic,” he said.
