HB 5490

General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 5490
 February Session, 2026
 AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR SOBER LIVING
 HOMES OPERATING IN THE STATE.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1Section 1. Section 17a-716 of the general statutes is repealed and the
2     following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
3(a) As used in this section:
4(1) "Sober living home" means an alcohol-free and drug-free
5     residence where (A) unrelated adults who are recovering from a
6     substance use disorder choose to live together in a supportive
7     environment during their recovery, and (B) no formal substance use
8     disorder treatment services are provided; and
9(2) "Operator" means the lawful owner of a sober living home or a
10    person designated by such lawful owner to have primary responsibility
11    for the daily operation of such sober living home.
12(b) An operator of a sober living home that is certified as a recovery
13    residence by an affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery
14    Residences, or a successor organization, or another organization
15    recognized by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
16    as an organization responsible for certifying sober living homes in the
17    state, [may] shall (1) report the sober living home's certified status to the
18    Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, [provided such
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19 operator maintains at least] (2) provide the department with the name
20 and contact information for any individual who is responsible for
21 oversight of the daily operations of the sober living home, (3) maintain
22 not less than two doses of opioid antagonists, as defined in section 17a-
23 714a, on the premises [and provides] for each individual residing at the
24 sober living home, (4) provide annual training to all of its residents in
25 the administration of an opioid antagonist when such home is occupied
26 by at least one resident who has been diagnosed with opioid use
27 disorder, [. An operator of a sober living home that reports its certified
28 status to the department shall] and (5) provide the department with the
29 number of beds available in the sober living home at the time of its
30 report and weekly thereafter. [The department shall post on its Internet
31 web site a list of the sober living homes that have reported their certified
32 status pursuant to this section and the number of beds available at each
33 such sober living home. The department shall update the list of sober
34 living homes and the bed availability at each sober living home on a
35 weekly basis.]
36    (c) In addition, on or before January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter,
37 the operator of a sober living home that is certified as a recovery
38 residence by an affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery
39 Residences, or a successor organization, or another organization
40 recognized by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
41 as an organization responsible for certifying sober living homes in the
42 state, shall report to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction
43 Services and the chief elected official of the municipality in which the
44 sober living house is located on the following:
45   (1) The total bed capacity of the sober living home;
46   (2) The average number of individuals residing at the sober living
47 home on a daily basis during the prior calendar year;
48   (3) The average number of staff employed by the sober living home
49 on a daily basis during the prior calendar year;
50   (4) The professional licensure or certification credentials of any staff
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51 employed at the sober living home;
52   (5) The type of professional training provided to staff on an annual
53 basis, including, but not limited to, training on the administration of
54 opioid antagonists, as defined in section 17a-714a;
55    (6) Whether criminal history records checks are required of the staff
56 at the sober living home;
57   (7) The quantity of opioid antagonists maintained and available on a
58 daily basis for use at the sober living home;
59   (8) The name of the individual or entity that owns the sober living
60 home;
61    (9) The level of professional liability insurance maintained by the
62 individual or entity that owns the sober living home;
63    (10) The number of sinks, toilets, showers and bathtubs available to
64 individuals residing at the sober living home; and
65    (11) Copies of any citations alleging a violation of the Public Health
66 Code, the State Building Code, the Fire Safety Code or a municipal code,
67 as defined in section 8-169aa, received by the sober living home during
68 the time period covered by the report.
69    (d) The department shall post on its Internet web site a list of the sober
70 living homes that have reported their certified status pursuant to this
71 section and the number of beds available at each such sober living home.
72 The department shall update the list of sober living homes and the bed
73 availability at each sober living home on a weekly basis.
74    [(c)] (e) No operator of a sober living home shall (1) advertise or
75 represent that a sober living home is a facility that is certified or licensed
76 to provide substance use disorder treatment services, [or] (2) publish
77 any claims of particular outcomes for individuals residing in such
78 homes, or (3) without the consent of an individual residing at a sober
79 living home, disclose personally identifiable information to any other
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80 person if such disclosure would constitute a violation of federal law,
81 including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and
82 Accountability Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-191) (HIPAA), as amended from
83 time to time. Any Internet web site or publication maintained by a sober
84 living home shall include a clear and conspicuous statement in bold
85 typeface that the sober living home (A) is not licensed or certified to
86 provide substance use disorder treatment services, and (B) is a type of
87 housing in which individuals recovering from a substance use disorder
88 voluntarily choose to live together in a supportive environment during
89 their recovery. Any violation of the provisions of this subsection shall
90 constitute an unfair trade practice pursuant to section 42-110b.
91    [(d) On or before August 1, 2018, the] (f) The commissioner shall
92 create a printable one-page disclosure form for distribution to
93 prospective sober living home residents. Such disclosure form shall (1)
94 be written in plain language and in an easily readable format, (2) state
95 that sober living homes are not licensed or certified to provide substance
96 use disorder treatment services, (3) provide information on sober living
97 homes and resources for individuals recovering from a substance use
98 disorder, and (4) contain a signature line on which a prospective
99 resident may sign the form. Such disclosure form shall be made
100 available to the public on the department's Internet web site. The
101 commissioner shall review and update such disclosure form as
102 necessary.
103    [(e)] (g) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
104 may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54,
105 to implement the provisions of this section.
  This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
  sections:
  Section 1     July 1, 2026  17a-716
 Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
 In Section 1(c)(11), commas were added for proper form.
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JUD   Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
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