CS/CS/CS/HB 1065 — Substance Abuse Treatment
by Health & Human Services Committee; Ways & Means Committee; Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee; and Rep. Caruso and others (CS/CS/CS/SB 1180 by Appropriations Committee; Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee; and Senator Harrell)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee (CF)
The bill amends the definition of “certified recovery residence” to include four levels and sets minimum standards for the level of care provided at those residences. The levels of care include:
- Level I: These homes house individuals in recovery who are post-treatment, with a minimum of nine months of sobriety and are run by the members who reside in them.
- Level II: These homes provide oversight from a house manager. Residents are expected to follow rules outlined in a resident handbook, pay dues, and work toward achieving milestones.
- Level III: These homes offer 24-hour supervision by formally trained staff and peer-support services for residents.
- Level IV: These homes are dwellings offered, referred to, or provided to patients by licensed service providers and are staffed 24 hours a day. The patients receive intensive outpatient care.
The bill defines “community housing” to align with a Level IV certified recovery residence to give effect to the substantive changes in the definition of certified recovery residence.
The bill makes the following changes as well to make the operation and regulation of a certified recovery residence more efficient:
- Authorizes the Department of Children and Families to issue one license for all eligible service components operated by a service provider.
- Allows certain certified recovery residences 90 days to retain another administrator, when an administrator has been removed.
- Prohibits a recovery residence from denying an individual access to the residence solely on the basis the individual has been prescribed federally approved medication for the treatment of substance use disorders.
- Prohibits a local ordinance or regulation from regulating the duration or frequency of a resident’s stay in a certified recovery residence located within a multifamily zoning district.
- Authorizes an increase in the number of residents actively managed in a recovery residence at any given time from 100 residents to 150 residents, if certain requirements are met.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, these provisions take effect July 1, 2024.
Vote: Senate 35-0; House 116-0