President Joe Biden and Gov. Andrew Cuomo are being asked to declare an overdose state of emergency.

The call for action from state Sen. Pete Harckham and 28 Democratic senators comes as New York is set to receive more than $1 billion for opioid treatment and prevention.

Four drug companies that were accused in a national lawsuit of aggressively marketing and selling highly addictive painkillers are now settling for $26 billion.

New York will see $1.1 billion from three top drug distributors: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson -- plus another $230 million from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

The settlements come after the CDC says more than half a million people died from opioid overdoses in a decade.

"The numerous companies that manufactured and distributed this poison did so without any regard for human life," says Attorney General Letitia James. "No amount of money will provide any solace to these families."

The settlement money will be funneled into communities dealing with the opioid crisis.

"These funds will go towards abatement, education, prevention, and for beds, and to hospitals and facilities that desperately need it," says James.

As part of the deal, the companies will admit to no wrongdoing, but they will be under much closer scrutiny.

"There is no perfect solution, and oftentimes we have to make concessions," says James.

New York state estimates it will receive the first payments from Johnson & Johnson in about two months.

The rest of the money will be paid out over the course of 17 years.