SR 311: Senate Study Committee on Recovery Residences; create

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.

WHEREAS, recovery residences provide sober housing to people in recovery and are generally understood to be supportive living residential environments where life skills vital for sustaining recovery from addiction are learned and practiced in a safe home-like setting; and

WHEREAS, while recovery residences provide a useful service, there are concerns that, because of the lack of oversight, some of these facilities could prioritize financial gain over resident safety, costing individuals and families unnecessary expenses or providing unsafe environments that could lead to injury or death; and

WHEREAS, recovery residences do not provide treatment, are not regulated, and are not registered with the state; and

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 256 recovery residences located in Georgia, with the actual number and quality of such residences unknown; and

WHEREAS, the state has an interest in the safety of its citizens who are recovering from addiction, and the Department of Community Health and the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Disabilities need to understand how these facilities work and what best practices are; and

WHEREAS, it would be beneficial for policymakers to study recovery residences, understand the services they provide, and recommend possible solutions for improving the safety at recovery residences and quality of the services they provide for citizens who are recovering from addiction and their families and loved ones in this state.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:

(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee on Recovery Residences.

(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities or his or her designee. The President shall designate a legislative member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.

(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.

(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.

(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.

(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members, or who are state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee, but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.

(C) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the Senate; except that funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.

(6) Report.

(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.

(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.

(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.