HB 5490 — AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR SOBER LIVING HOMES OPERATING IN THE STATE.
Last action — FILE NO. 600
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✓Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed House
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4Passed Senate
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 05, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.
Odds of enactment
Low chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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In Committee
Current position in the legislative process.
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2 sponsors
2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
175 added · 11 removedPlain-language change summary
The latest version of Bill HB 5490 includes additional lines that outline the structure and purpose of the Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis, ensuring that lawmakers have a clearer understanding of the financial effects and relevant information connected to the bill. It did remove several unnecessary lines that didn't contribute to the content, streamlining the document. These changes matter because they help improve transparency and clarity for legislators when assessing budget implications, potentially leading to more informed decision-making.
House of Representatives General Assembly SubstituteFile Bill No.
5490600 February Session, 2026 ANSubstitute ACTHouse CONCERNINGBill REQUIREMENTSNo. FOR SOBER LIVING HOMES OPERATING IN THE STATE.
5490 House of Representatives, April 13, 2026 The Committee on Judiciary reported through REP.
STAFSTROM of the 129th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR SOBER LIVING HOMES OPERATING IN THE STATE.
(b) An operator of a sober living home that is certified as a recovery residencesHB5490 by/ anFile affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, or a successor organization, or another organization recognized by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as an organization responsible for certifying sober living homes in the state, [may] shall (1) report the sober living home's certified status to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, [provided such LCO 1 of 5 Substitute Bill No.
5490600 operator1 maintainssHB5490 atFile least]No. (2) provide the department with the name and contact information for any individual who is responsible for oversight of the daily operations of the sober living home, (3) maintain not less than two doses of opioid antagonists, as defined in section 17a- 714a, on the premises [and provides] for each individual residing at the sober living home, (4) provide annual training to all of its residents in the administration of an opioid antagonist when such home is occupied by at least one resident who has been diagnosed with opioid use disorder, [.
600 residence by an affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, or a successor organization, or another organization recognized by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as an organization responsible for certifying sober living homes in the state, [may] shall (1) report the sober living home's certified status to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, [provided such operator maintains at least] (2) provide the department with the name and contact information for any individual who is responsible for oversight of the daily operations of the sober living home, (3) maintain not less than two doses of opioid antagonists, as defined in section 17a- 714a, on the premises [and provides] for each individual residing at the sober living home, (4) provide annual training to all of its residents in the administration of an opioid antagonist when such home is occupied by at least one resident who has been diagnosed with opioid use disorder, [.
(2)sHB5490 The/ averageFile numberNo. of individuals residing at the sober living home on a daily basis during the prior calendar year;
600 2 sHB5490 File No.
600 (2) The average number of individuals residing at the sober living home on a daily basis during the prior calendar year;
(4) The professional licensure or certification credentials of any staff LCOemployed 2at ofthe 5sober Substituteliving Billhome; No.
5490 employed at the sober living home;
[(c)]sHB5490 (e)/ NoFile operator of a sober living home shall (1) advertise or represent that a sober living home is a facility that is certified or licensed to provide substance use disorder treatment services, [or] (2) publish any claims of particular outcomes for individuals residing in such homes, or (3) without the consent of an individual residing at a sober living home, disclose personally identifiable information to any other LCO 3 of 5 Substitute Bill No.
5490600 person3 ifsHB5490 suchFile disclosureNo. would constitute a violation of federal law, including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (P.L.
600 [(c)] (e) No operator of a sober living home shall (1) advertise or represent that a sober living home is a facility that is certified or licensed to provide substance use disorder treatment services, [or] (2) publish any claims of particular outcomes for individuals residing in such homes, or (3) without the consent of an individual residing at a sober living home, disclose personally identifiable information to any other person if such disclosure would constitute a violation of federal law, including, but not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (P.L.
ThissHB5490 act/ shallFile takeNo. effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
600 4 sHB5490 File No.
600 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
LCOJUD 4Joint ofFavorable 5Subst. Substitute Bill No.
5490-LCO JUDsHB5490 Joint/ FavorableFile Subst.No.
-LCO600 LCO 5 ofsHB5490 5File No.
600 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Mental Health & Addiction GF - Cost at least at least Serv., Dept.
$100,000 $100,000 Note:
GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill results in a cost of at least $100,000 to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) associated with reporting requirements for sober living homes.
Costs reflect increased contract coststo expandthecurrent work done by AdvancedBehavioral Health around the sober house network.
Under current law, certified sober living homes are allowed but not required to report their certified status to DMHAS, provided such homes maintain at least two doses of an opioid antagonist and train all residents when at least one resident has an opioid use disorder.
The bill requires all homes to report on their certified status, name and contact information for anyone responsible for daily oversight and provide a weekly report on bed availability.
The bill also requires homes to annually report to DMHAS, beginning by 1/1/27, various information including the average daily number of residents and staff, professional or certification credentials of staff and any training provided throughout the year, the quantity of opioid antagonists maintained and 1As under current law, DMHAS must post and update the list of reported sober living homes and associated bed availability on their website on a weekly basis.
sHB5490 / File No.
600 6 sHB5490 File No.
600 available on a daily basis, the number of sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtubs available to residents, and copies of any citations related to public health, building, fire, or municipal code violations.
To the extent DMHAS is required to verify that sober living homes are meeting the requirements of the bill, the agency will incur additional staffing and contract costs.
The bill also adds a provision to an existing unfair trade practice violation concerning sober living homes resulting in no fiscal impact to the state.
The Department of Consumer Protection investigates these violations and has the resources and expertise to meet the requirements of the bill.
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The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation.
sHB5490 / File No.
600 7 sHB5490 File No.
600 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5490 AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR SOBER LIVING HOMES OPERATING IN THE STATE.
SUMMARY This bill makes several changes regarding the oversight of sober living homes.
By law, these are alcohol- and drug-free residences where (1) unrelated adults who are recovering from substance use disorder choose to live together in a supportive environment during their recoveryand(2)no formalsubstanceusedisordertreatmentservicesare provided.
First, the bill increases reporting requirements for the operators of sober living homes that are certified as recovery residences by an affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (see BACKGROUND) or a successor organization, or another organization the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) recognizes as certifying sober living homes in the state.
It does this by requiring operators to:
1.
report the home’s certified status to DMHAS, instead of allowing them to do this;
2.
give DHMAS (a) the name and contact information of anyone who oversees daily operations and (b) weekly information on the number of available beds;
and 3.
beginning by January 1, 2027, annually report certain operational information to DMHAS and the municipality where the home is located.
The bill also requires these operators to (1) keep on the home’s premises at least two doses of opioid antagonists (Narcan, for example) sHB5490 / File No.
600 8 sHB5490 File No.
600 for each resident and (2) annually train all residents on how to administer it when at least one resident has a diagnosed opioid use disorder.
Additionally, it prohibits all sober living home operators from disclosing personally identifiable information, without the resident’s consent, to another person if doing so would violate federal law, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Protection Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
It makes doing this an unfair trade practice (see BACKGROUND).
Existing law, unchanged by the bill, authorizes DMHAS to adopt regulations to implement these oversight requirements.
Lastly, the bill makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1, 2026 CERTIFIED SOBER LIVING HOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Reporting Certified Status Current law allows the operators of certified sober living homes to report a home’s certified to status to DMHAS as long as the home keeps at least two dosesofanopioidantagonist andtrainsallresidentsonhow to administer it if at least one resident has an opioid use disorder.
By law, the operator is the owner or other designated person who manages the home’s daily operations.
The bill makes reporting the certified status mandatory, and not only for homes that meet the opioid antagonist requirements.
Additionally, the homes must give DMHAS:
1.
the name and contact information for anyone who is responsible for the home’s daily operations and 2.
weekly information on the number of beds available, which, under current law, is only required for the homes that opt to report their certified status.
Annual Reporting to DMHAS and Municipalities sHB5490 / File No.
600 9 sHB5490 File No.
600 Under the bill, a certified sober living home operator must annually report the following information to DMHAS and the chief elected official of the municipality where the home is located:
1.
name of the individual or entity that owns the home;
2.
total bed capacity of the home;
3.
how many sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtubs are available to the home’s residents;
4.
for the previous calendar year, the average daily number of (a) residents living at the home and (b) staff employed by the home;
and 5.
quantity of opioid antagonists that are maintained and available for use at the home on a daily basis.
Additionally, the operator must include information on (1) professional licensure or certification held by any staff of the home;
(2) the types of professional training that staff receive each year, including on how to administer opioid antagonists;
(3) whether criminal background checks are required of staff;
and (4) the level of professional liability insurance the home’s owner maintains.
It must also provide copies of any citations the home received during the reporting period that allege a violation of the state’s public health, building, or fire safety codes, or a violation of certain municipal codes (for example, building, blight, fire, or health ordinances).
BACKGROUND Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) By law, CUTPA prohibits businesses from engaging in unfair and deceptive acts or practices.
It allows the consumer protection commissioner, under specifiedprocedures,to issueregulationsdefining an unfair trade practice, investigate complaints, issue cease and desist orders, order restitution in cases involving less than $10,000, impose civil penalties of up to $5,000, enter into consent agreements, ask the sHB5490 / File No.
600 10 sHB5490 File No.
600 attorney general to seek injunctive relief, and accept voluntary statements of compliance.
It also allows individuals to sue.
Courts may issue restraining orders;
award actual and punitive damages, costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees;
and impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 for willful violations and up to $25,000 for a restraining order violation.
National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) NARR is a nonprofit recovery community organization.
It has national standards for recovery residences that categorize four types of housing and services (known as levels or levels of support).
The most recent standards were released in 2018.
NARR does not directly certify recovery residences.
However, it licenses its national certification program to affiliated organizations that provide certification.
COMMITTEE ACTION Judiciary Committee Joint Favorable Yea 37 Nay 0 (03/24/2026) sHB5490 / File No.
600 11
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Action History
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FILE NO. 600
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HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 403
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FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR
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RPTD. OUT OF LCO
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REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/13/26
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FILED WITH LCO
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Joint Favorable
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PUBLIC HEARING 0316
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REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Judiciary
Sponsors
- Gary A. Winfield · Primary
- Patricia A. Dillon · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 185 not signed on
Sponsors (2)
- Gary A. Winfield Democratic
- Patricia A. Dillon Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (185)
185 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 185 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- Who sponsors HB 5490?
- HB 5490 is sponsored by Gary A. Winfield (Democratic) and Patricia A. Dillon (Democratic).
- What is the current status of HB 5490?
- This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 05, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
- Where can I track HB 5490?
- Track HB 5490 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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