On March 1, 2021, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) submitted to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) its Final-Omitted Regulations on Standards for Drug and Alcohol Recovery House Licensure. The regulations can be found on IRRC’s website.
The updated regulations (p. 55-81) can be found in the submitted regulatory package, along with the following.
- A regulatory analysis (p. 1-11)
- A sample recovery house licensing checklist (p. 12-19)
- A sample recovery house licensing application (p. 20-21)
- A preamble the includes public comments and DDAP response to comments (p. 23-54)
Upcoming Timeline
- DDAP expects that the new regulations will be in effect by June 2021.
- DDAP expects to require compliance with the new regulations by December 2021.
Which Recovery Houses Will Need a License?
Once the new licensing program is in place, drug and alcohol recovery houses must have a license to:
- Receive referrals from state agencies or state-funded facilities; or
- Receive federal or state funding to deliver recovery house services.
In addition, the law imposes two additional requirements on referrals to recovery houses:
- People whose treatment is funded with state or federal funds shall only be referred to licensed recovery houses.
- Courts shall give first consideration to licensed recovery houses when residential recommendations are made for individuals under their supervision.