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An Act Regarding the Safety of Recovery Residences
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2452, sub-§4  is enacted to read:
 
4.  Exception.     Notwithstanding chapter 314 and Title 10, chapter 1103, a recovery residence must be treated as a residence for a family if the recovery residence meets the following requirements:
 
A.  The recovery residence must be certified based on criteria developed by a nationally recognized organization that supports persons recovering from substance use disorder;
 
B.  The recovery residence must have no more than 2 residents per bedroom;
 
C.  The recovery residence must have at least one full bathroom for every 6 residents;
 
D.  The recovery residence must meet the requirements of all adopted building codes and sections 2464 and 2468 applicable to a one-family or 2-family residence with regard to smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers; and
 
E.  If the recovery residence is located in a multiunit apartment building, the recovery residence must meet all state and local code requirements for the type of building in which the recovery residence is located.
 
For the purposes of this subsection, "recovery residence" means a shared living residence for persons recovering from substance use disorder that is focused on peer support, provides to its residents an environment free of alcohol and illegal drugs and assists its residents by connecting the residents to support services or resources in the community that are available to persons recovering from substance use disorder.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.