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S2575ALand Use

Towns and Cities - Zoning Ordinances

This bill requires homes for people recovering from substance addiction to be treated as residential, not commercial, properties.

Introduced48 Yea8 Nay19 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Housing & Municipal Government

Plain-English Summary

This bill establishes rules for zoning and regulating NARR-certified recovery residences, which are homes providing support services for people recovering from substance use addiction. It requires that these homes be treated as residential properties for zoning purposes, giving them the same rights and responsibilities as other homes. The bill also prevents these recovery homes from being subjected to extra building or fire code restrictions beyond specific state life safety codes, and explicitly states they cannot be classified as commercial structures for building or fire codes.

For younger readers

This bill changes the rules for special houses where people live together while they get better from drug or alcohol problems. The bill says these houses must be treated just like regular family homes by the town's rules, not like a business. It also says they only have to follow the same safety and fire rules as regular houses, so they won't be forced to follow the stricter rules that big stores or businesses have to follow.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
People recovering from substance use addictionRecovery residence owners and operatorsLocal zoning and planning boardsNeighborhood residentsMunicipal fire and building code inspectors
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill regulates local zoning authority and building codes, which are traditionally within the state's police power to preempt. It does not appear to infringe on free speech, due process, or protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects vulnerable individuals recovering from addiction by preventing discriminatory local zoning practices that attempt to ban recovery homes from neighborhoods.
  • Ensures more affordable and accessible housing for those in recovery by preventing municipalities from imposing costly commercial building and fire code upgrades.
  • Promotes social integration and community support by guaranteeing that people in recovery can live in standard residential neighborhoods.
  • Restricts the ability of local governments to impose stricter fire and life safety codes, potentially putting vulnerable residents living in group settings at risk.
  • Relies on a private organization (NARR) for certification rather than state-run health and safety oversight, which could lead to gaps in accountability.
  • Overrides local democratic processes and community planning, preventing neighborhoods from having a say in how residential properties are utilized.
For Conservatives
  • Reduces heavy-handed government red tape and burdensome zoning regulations for private property owners who operate recovery residences.
  • Prevents local governments from overreaching and imposing expensive commercial building codes on private residential properties.
  • Empowers a private, non-governmental certification body (NARR) to set standards rather than relying on state bureaucratic licensing and oversight.
  • Strips local municipalities of their right to self-govern and control their own local zoning ordinances regarding group homes.
  • Forces neighborhoods to accept group living arrangements that could alter the traditional single-family character and property values of a community.
  • Mandates special government protections for a specific class of property use, overriding local property rights and neighborhood preferences.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 13 additions

`SECTION 1. Chapter 45-24 of the General Laws entitled "Zoning Ordinances" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 45-24-33.1. Recovery houses.

(a) For purposes of this section, a NARR-certified recovery residence means a residential structure that provides recovery support services for those people recovering from substance use addiction and that complies with standards established by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).

(b) Except as otherwise provided within the general laws, any law, regulation or ordinance regulating the zoning and use of a residential NARR certified recovery residence:

(1) Shall treat a NARR-certified recovery residence as a residential use of property which shall have all the rights and responsibilities afforded to a residential use of property.

(2) Shall not subject the recovery residence to any restrictions, prohibitions or other provisions, including provisions related to the state building or fire codes that are not contained in the Rhode Island life safety code § 26.1.1.1.8.3. At no time shall a recovery residence house under this chapter be given the designation of a commercial structure for fire and or building codes.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.