Health Facilities - Certified Recovery Residences - Unannounced Inspections

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0448*

HOUSE BILL 448
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By: Delegates Rosenberg, Ruff, and Stinnett
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Health Facilities – Certified Recovery Residences – Unannounced Inspections 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to conduct at least a 3
certain number of unannounced on –site inspections of eac h certified recovery 4
residence annually; requiring the Department to allow a certified recovery residence 5
that is found after an inspection to be noncompliant with statutory or regulatory 6
requirements a certain remediation period to correct the deficiencies; authorizing the 7
Department to direct the recovery residence credentialing entity to revoke the 8
certification of a certified recovery residence that fails to correct a deficiency within 9
a certain period of time; and generally relating to certified recovery residences. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Health – General 12
Section 19–2502 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY adding to 16
Article – Health – General 17
Section 19–2502.1 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22

Article – Health – General 23

19–2502. 24

2 HOUSE BILL 448

(a) The Department shall approve a credential ing entity to develop and 1
administer a certification process for recovery residences. 2

(b) The credentialing entity shall: 3

(1) Establish recovery residence certification requirements; 4

(2) Establish processes to administer the application, certificat ion, and 5
recertification process; 6

(3) Establish processes to monitor and inspect a recovery residence; 7

(4) Conduct an on–site inspection of a recovery residence: 8

(i) Before issuing a certificate of compliance; and 9

(ii) At least once during each certification renewal period; and 10

(5) Issue a certificate of compliance on approval of the application process 11
and the inspection of the recovery residence. 12

(c) A certificate of compliance issued by the credentialing entity is valid for 1 year 13
from the date of issuance. 14

(d) The credentialing entity may revoke the certificate of compliance of a certified 15
recovery residence if [the]: 16

(1) THE credentialing entity finds that the recovery residence is not in 17
compliance with the requirements established by the credentialing entity; OR 18

(2) INSTRUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER § 19–2502.1(B)(2) OF 19
THIS SUBTITLE. 20

19–2502.1. 21

(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COND UCT AT LEAST TWO 22
UNANNOUNCED ON–SITE INSPECTIONS OF EACH CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCE 23
EACH YEAR TO ENSURE THE CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCE’S COMPLIANCE WITH 24
STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. 25

(2) THE UNANNOUNCED ON –SITE INSPECTIONS REQ UIRED UNDER 26
THIS SUBSECTION ARE IN ADDITION TO THE O N–SITE INSPECTION CONDUCTED BY 27
THE CREDENTIALING EN TITY FOR THE PURPOSE O F RECERTIFICATION UN DER § 28
19–2502(B)(4)(II) OF THIS SUBTITLE. 29

HOUSE BILL 448 3

(B) (1) IF, AFTER AN INSPECTION IS CONDUCTED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) 1
OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT A CERTIFIED REC OVERY 2
RESIDENCE IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY OR REGULAT ORY 3
REQUIREMENTS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 4

(I) PROVIDE NOTICE TO THE CERTIFIED RECOVERY 5
RESIDENCE OF THE DEFICIENCIES IDENTIFIED; AND 6

(II) ALLOW THE CERTIFIED R ECOVERY RESIDENCE 1 MONTH 7
AFTER THE NOTICE IS PROVIDED TO ADDRESS THE DEFICIENCIES. 8

(2) IF THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES A DEFICIENCY EXISTS AND, 9
AFTER THE 1–MONTH PERIOD , THE CERTIFIED RECOVE RY RESIDENCE FAILS T O 10
TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION, THE DEPARTMENT MAY INSTRUCT THE CREDENTIALING 11
ENTITY TO REVOKE THE CERTIFICATION OF THE CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCE. 12

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14