Griffin: ‘With This Year’s Disbursement, Arkansas Has Now Received A Total Of More Than $1.4 Billion’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing Arkansas’s annual disbursement of tobacco settlement funds:
“The State of Arkansas has received $47,044,772.69 as its annual proceeds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). The annual disbursement of settlement funds, which is received by the State Treasurer’s office, supports key programs in Arkansas that improve health outcomes. With this year’s disbursement, Arkansas has now received a total of more than $1.4 billion. My office enforces the MSA and various tobacco statutes enacted pursuant to the MSA.”
Background
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In 2000, Arkansas voters created the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, which governs how the MSA funds are used. Tobacco settlement moneys are received by the State Treasurer’s office and are used to fund numerous health-related programs in Arkansas, including the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, an agricultural and medical research consortium; the Medicaid Expansion Program, which provides Medicaid coverage for underserved populations; the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, which aims to reduce tobacco use; and the Targeted State Needs Program, which includes support for public health programs for minorities, older Arkansans, and residents of rural areas and the Delta.
In addition to enforcing the terms of the MSA, Arkansas law also requires the Office of Attorney General to operate a certification process for tobacco manufacturers; manage ongoing quarterly and annual reporting; maintain an Approved-For-Sale Directory for cigarettes; and conduct audits, investigations, or litigation if violations of the tobacco statutes occur.
To download a PDF of this release, click here.