The check was presented to the Maverick County Hospital District Board of Trustees who accepted the funds and discussed certain issues related to the settlement and how the funds are disbursed on an annual basis.

The District on a yearly basis receives funds from the interest generated from a settlement of $15.5 billion dollars which the state of Texas manages and distributes to entities across the state.

The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) is an accord reached in November 1998 between the State Attorneys General of 46 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and the five largest cigarette manufacturers in America concerning the advertising, marketing, and promotion of cigarettes.

In addition to requiring the tobacco industry to pay the settling states billions of dollars annually forever, the MSA also imposed restrictions on the sale and marketing of cigarettes by participating

cigarette manufacturers. Among its many provisions, the MSA: Forbids participating cigarette manufacturers from directly or indirectly targeting youth;

Imposes significant prohibitions or restrictions on advertising, marketing and promotional programs or activities; and Bans or restricts cartoons, transit advertising, most forms of outdoor advertising, including billboards, product placement in media, branded merchandise, free product samples (except in adultonly facilities), and most sponsorships.