SR311: SR311 Senate Study Committee on Recovery Residences; create

25 LC 52 0817 Senate Resolution 311 By: Senators Robertson of the 29th, Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Watson of the 1st, Tillery of the 19th and Anderson of the 24th ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Creating the Senate Study Committee on Recovery Residences; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, recovery residences provide sober housing to people in recovery and are2 generally understood to be supportive living residential environments where life skills vital3 for sustaining recovery from addiction are learned and practiced in a safe home-like setting;4 and5 WHEREAS, while recovery residences provide a useful service, th ere are concerns that,6 because of the lack of oversight, some of these facilities could prioritize financial gain over7 resident safety, costing individuals and families unnecessary expenses or providing unsafe8 environments that could lead to injury or death; and9 WHEREAS, recovery residences do not provide treatment, are not regulated, and are not10 registered with the state; and11 WHEREAS, there are an estimated 256 recovery residences located in Georgia, with the12 actual number and quality of such residences unknown; and13 S. R. 311 - 1 - 25 LC 52 0817 WHEREAS, the state has an interest in the safety of its citizen s who are recovering from14 addiction, and the Department of Community Health and the Department of Behavioral and15 Developmental Disabilities need to understand how these facilit ies work and what best16 practices are; and17 WHEREAS, it would be beneficial for policymakers to study recov ery residences,18 understand the services they provide, and recommend possible solutions for improving the19 safety at recovery residences and quality of the services they provide for citizens who are20 recovering from addiction and their families and loved ones in this state.21 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:22 (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee23 on Recovery Residences.24 (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the25 Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the c ommissioner of the26 Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities or his or her designee. 27 The President shall designate a legislative member of the committee as chairperson of the28 committee.29 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,30 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or31 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.32 (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee33 may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or34 convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and35 accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.36 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.37 S. R. 311 - 2 - 25 LC 52 0817 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided38 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.39 (B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,40 or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for th eir services on the41 committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the42 performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they43 are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.44 (C) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member45 of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds46 necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds47 appropriated to the Senate; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of48 state officials, other than legislative members, and for the re imbursement of the49 expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise50 available to their respective agencies.51 (6) Report.52 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that53 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the54 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to55 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.56 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for57 proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)58 of this paragraph.59 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of60 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 61 A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with62 the Secretary of the Senate.63 S. R. 311 - 3 - 25 LC 52 0817 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary64 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.65 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.66 S. R. 311 - 4 -