SB526: SB526 Mental Health; the licensing and regulation of recovery residences; provide

Georgia currently has no dedicated licensing framework specifically for recovery residences, the peer-support housing programs that help people recovering from substance use disorders. This bill creates a new chapter of law, the 'Recovery Residences Licensing Act,' that puts the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities in charge of licensing and regulating these homes. The department must write minimum standards covering things like admission criteria, safe buildings, staff training, medication storage, resident rights, and incident reporting, with rules finalized by January 1, 2028. Starting January 1, 2029, operating a recovery residence without a license becomes illegal, and unlicensed operators can face civil penalties of $100 per bed per day, doubled if they keep operating after being warned. The bill also sets up provisional licenses, confidentiality protections for resident records, and required on-site inspections, and it folds recovery residences into the existing licensing fee schedule under Title 37.

• Creates a new licensing chapter (Chapter 14 of Title 37) requiring the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to license and regulate recovery residences.
• Directs the department to write minimum standards by January 1, 2028 covering safety, staffing, medication handling, resident rights, and incident reporting.
• Makes it illegal to operate an unlicensed recovery residence starting January 1, 2029, with civil penalties of $100 per bed per day, doubled for continued violations after notice.
• Sets up a provisional license option, lasting up to 90 days, for applicants who substantially comply with licensing requirements.
• Adds recovery residences to the existing fee schedule for licensing adult residential mental health programs under O.C.G.A. § 37-2-71.
• Establishes confidentiality protections for resident records and requires periodic on-site inspections of licensed recovery residences.

The bill affects operators and owners of recovery residences (peer-support sober living homes), residents recovering from substance use disorders who live in them, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which gains new licensing, inspection, and enforcement responsibilities.

Recovery residences currently operate without a specific state licensing structure. Once the rules take effect, operators would need a license to legally run one, face inspections and possible penalties if unlicensed, and residents would gain formal protections around safety standards, staff training, and record confidentiality that do not currently exist under this framework.

• Section 1 adds 'recovery residence' as a defined term in O.C.G.A. § 37-2-70, tying it to licensure under the new Chapter 14.
• Section 2 revises the licensing fee schedule statute (O.C.G.A. § 37-2-71) to include recovery residences among facilities the department can charge licensing fees to, capped at cost recovery and inflation-adjusted increases.
• Section 3 creates Chapter 14 of Title 37, the 'Recovery Residences Licensing Act,' defining key terms like 'recovery residence,' 'licensee,' and 'substance use disorder' (excluding tobacco or caffeine use).
• Code Section 37-14-4 requires the department to set minimum standards on admission, safety, staffing, medication storage, resident rights, grievance procedures, and incident reporting.
• Code Section 37-14-5 sets a January 1, 2028 deadline for the department to finalize rules and regulations.
• Code Section 37-14-6 makes unlicensed operation illegal starting January 1, 2029.
• Code Section 37-14-14 sets civil penalties of $100 per bed per day for unlicensed operation, doubled for continued violations, appealable to superior court.
• Code Section 37-14-12 establishes confidentiality rules for resident treatment records, with exceptions for court orders and licensing reviews.

1. 2026-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-18Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)Primary sponsor
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)

• recovery residences
• substance abuse treatment
• mental health licensing
• sober living homes
• state regulation