Bill Text: NY A05670 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates a recovery living task force to establish best practice guidelines for recovery living residences that illustrate the most appropriate and effective environment for persons recovering from a chemical dependency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to alcoholism and drug abuse [A05670 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A05670-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5670

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 22, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the creation of a
          recovery living task force

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
     2  19.04 to read as follows:
     3  § 19.04 Recovery living task force.
     4    1. Definitions. As used in this section:
     5    "Recovery  living  residence"  shall mean any residence located in New
     6  York state where the owner or operator of such residence holds the resi-
     7  dence out to the public as an alcohol and drug free  living  environment
     8  for  persons  recovering  from  a  chemical  dependency, where no formal
     9  treatment services are provided on-site.
    10    2. The recovery living task force is hereby created, which pursuant to
    11  the provisions of this section, shall establish best practice guidelines
    12  for recovery living residences that illustrate the most appropriate  and
    13  effective environment for persons recovering from a chemical dependency.
    14    3. The task force shall study and utilize reliable evidence and infor-
    15  mation  collected from organizations and programs both in New York state
    16  and throughout the country to:
    17    (a) Document the number of recovery residences operating in the state;
    18    (b) Issue recommendations and guidelines establishing  best  practices
    19  for  recovery  living residences in order to provide an alcohol and drug
    20  free recovery living environment, with  a  focus  on  least  restrictive
    21  means  of  benefiting  the person in recovery. In developing guidelines,
    22  the task force shall consider the role of local and state government  in
    23  oversight  and  other areas; siting challenges; geographic variations in
    24  what housing currently exists and in barriers to creating  new  suitable
    25  housing;  optimal  standards  for  living  space, privacy and nutrition;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05792-01-1
        A. 5670                             2

     1  personal financial participation by tenants; work requirements,  includ-
     2  ing  adequacy  of  compensation;  reimbursement opportunities; discharge
     3  planning, the participant's legal protections against removal  from  the
     4  residence;  what  information  must  be  provided  to the participant at
     5  admission, including due process rights of the participant  for  removal
     6  from  the  residence;  appropriate responses to relapse with the goal of
     7  protecting both the person who has relapsed and other residents  of  the
     8  residence;  how  to  ensure access to medication assisted treatment; the
     9  needs of women, and of women with children; the use of drug testing; and
    10  options and requirements for formal or self-help treatment services;
    11    (c) Study and issue findings  regarding  health  and  safety  concerns
    12  related to the occupancy and operation of recovery living residences for
    13  the person in recovery;
    14    (d)  Study  and  issue findings regarding the impacts of occupancy and
    15  operation of recovery living residences on neighborhoods and surrounding
    16  areas;
    17    (e) Issue recommendations on the feasibility of licensing, regulating,
    18  registering or certifying recovery living residences in New York  state;
    19  and
    20    (f)  Issue  recommendations for any other program or policy initiative
    21  that the task force deems relevant.
    22    4. (a) The members  of  the  task  force  shall  include  ten  members
    23  consisting  of the commissioner or his or her designee; the commissioner
    24  of the office of mental health or his or her designee; the  commissioner
    25  of  the  office  of  temporary  and  disability assistance or his or her
    26  designee; the commissioner of the office of homes and community  renewal
    27  or his or her designee; two members appointed by the temporary president
    28  of  the  senate, at least one of whom shall be a current or former resi-
    29  dent of a recovery living residence; two members appointed by the speak-
    30  er of the assembly, at least one of whom shall be a  current  or  former
    31  resident  of  a  recovery living residence; and two members appointed by
    32  the governor.  The task force shall include at least one operator  of  a
    33  recovery  living residence with at least five years of experience in the
    34  field who must demonstrate, to the extent practicable,  that  the  resi-
    35  dences  they operate have had minimal code violations within the preced-
    36  ing three years. Appointments must ensure geographic representation,  to
    37  the extent practicable.  The commissioner shall be designated the chair-
    38  person  of  such  task  force  and shall select a vice-chairperson and a
    39  secretary from the designees appointed by the legislature or the  gover-
    40  nor;
    41    (b)  The  members  of the task force shall receive no compensation for
    42  their services but shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and  neces-
    43  sarily incurred in the performance of their duties;
    44    (c)  No  civil action shall be brought in any court against any member
    45  of the recovery living task force for any act or omission  necessary  to
    46  the discharge of his or her duties as a member of the task force, except
    47  as  provided  herein.  Such member may be liable for damages in any such
    48  action if he or she failed to act in good faith and exercise  reasonable
    49  care.  Any  information  obtained  by  a  member of the task force while
    50  carrying out his or her duties as prescribed  in  subdivision  three  of
    51  this section shall only be utilized in their capacity as a member of the
    52  task force.
    53    5.  No  later  than one year after the effective date of this section,
    54  the task force shall provide a report  containing  the  results  of  the
    55  study, including evidence used as a basis in making such report, and its
    56  recommendations,  if  any, together with drafts of legislation necessary
        A. 5670                             3

     1  to carry out its recommendations by filing said  report,  documentation,
     2  and draft legislation, with the governor, the temporary president of the
     3  senate,  the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the assembly,
     4  and  the minority leader of the assembly. The task force shall also make
     5  the report, documentation, and draft legislation  public  by  posting  a
     6  copy on the website maintained by the office.
     7    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.