HB1249 • 2026

Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment - Prohibition

Housing

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Delegate Hill
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 793
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment

This law requires certified recovery residences to accept individuals receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and prohibits them from requiring these individuals to stop or change their treatment as a condition of admission.

What This Bill Does

Requires credentialing entities to prohibit certified recovery residences from refusing services to people who are taking medicine to treat opioid addiction.
Prohibits certified recovery residences from making medication-assisted treatment changes or stopping the treatment as a requirement for receiving residence services.

Who It Names or Affects

Individuals with opioid use disorder who are in need of housing support from certified recovery residences.
Certified recovery residences that provide housing for individuals recovering from substance abuse.
Credentialing entities responsible for certifying recovery residences.

Terms To Know

Recovery residence: A place providing drug-free and alcohol-free living to people with substance-related disorders, without offering clinical treatment services.
Credentialing entity: A nonprofit organization that sets standards for certifying recovery residences according to national guidelines.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify penalties for non-compliance by certified recovery residences.
It is unclear how the enforcement of this requirement will be carried out.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 793
2026-04-13 Senate
Favorable Report by Finance
2026-04-02 House
Returned Passed
2026-03-27 Senate
Third Reading Passed (36-10)
2026-03-25 Senate
Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-25 Senate
Favorable Adopted
2026-03-25 Senate
Second Reading Passed
2026-03-21 House
Favorable Report by Health
2026-03-11 House
Hearing canceled
2026-03-11 House
Hearing 3/11 at 2:15 p.m.
2026-03-11 House
Hearing canceled
2026-03-11 House
Hearing 3/11 at 2:40 p.m.
2026-03-11 House
Hearing canceled
2026-03-11 House
Hearing 3/11 at 3:10 p.m.
2026-03-10 House
Third Reading Passed (102-33)
2026-03-09 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-07 Senate
Referred Finance
2026-02-13 House
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-12 House
First Reading Health
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment - Prohibition
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Health
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment - Prohibition
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Finance
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Certified Recovery Residences - Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment - Prohibition

Official Summary Text

Requiring that the requirements for the certification of recovery residences established by a credentialing entity prohibit a certified recovery residence from refusing services to an individual receiving medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder or requiring an individual to cease receiving or modify how the individual receives medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder as a condition to receive services from a certified recovery residence.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1249*

HOUSE BILL 1249
J3, J1 6lr2814

By: Delegate Hill
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Certified Recovery Residences – Refusing Services to Individuals Receiving 2
Medication–Assisted Treatment – Prohibition 3

FOR the purpose of requiring that the requirements for the certification of recovery 4
residences established by a credentialing entity prohibit a certified recovery 5
residence from refusing services to an individual receiving medication –assisted 6
treatment or requiring an individual to cease receiving or modify how the individual 7
receives medication–assisted treatment as a condition to receive services from a 8
certified recovery residence; and generally relating to medication–assisted treatment 9
and certified recovery residences. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Health – General 12
Section 7.5–101(a) and (o) and 19–2501 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Health – General 17
Section 19–2502 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
2 HOUSE BILL 1249

Article – Health – General 1

7.5–101. 2

(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 3

(o) “Recovery residence” means a service that: 4

(1) Provides alcohol–free and illicit–drug–free housing to individuals with 5
substance–related disorders or addictive disorders or co –occurring mental disorders and 6
substance–related disorders or addictive disorders; and 7

(2) Does not include clinical treatment services. 8

19–2501. 9

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 10

(b) “Certificate of compliance” means a cer tificate that is issued to a recovery 11
residence by a credentialing entity. 12

(c) “Certified recovery residence” means a recovery residence that holds a 13
certificate of compliance. 14

(d) “Credentialing entity” means a nonprofit organization that develops and 15
administers professional certification programs according to nationally recognized 16
certification standards. 17

(e) “Recovery residence” has the meaning stated in § 7.5–101 of this article. 18

19–2502. 19

(a) The Department shall approve a credentialing entity to develop and 20
administer a certification process for recovery residences. 21

(b) The credentialing entity shall: 22

(1) [Establish] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , 23
ESTABLISH recovery residence certification requirements; 24

(2) Establish processes to administer the application, certification, and 25
recertification process; 26

(3) Establish processes to monitor and inspect a recovery residence; 27

(4) Conduct an on–site inspection of a recovery residence: 28
HOUSE BILL 1249 3

(i) Before issuing a certificate of compliance; and 1

(ii) At least once during each certification renewal period; and 2

(5) Issue a certificate of compliance on approval of the application process 3
and the inspection of the recovery residence. 4

(c) THE REQUIREMENTS ESTA BLISHED BY A CREDENTIALING ENTITY 5
UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(1) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L PROHIBIT A CERTIFI ED 6
RECOVERY RESIDENCE FROM: 7

(1) REFUSING SERVICES TO AN INDIVIDUAL BASED ON THE 8
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING MEDICATION–ASSISTED TREATMENT F OR OPIOID USE 9
DISORDER; AND 10

(2) REQUIRING AN INDIVIDUAL TO CEASE RECEIVING OR MODIFY 11
HOW THE INDIVIDUAL R ECEIVES MEDICATION–ASSISTED TREATMENT F OR OPIOID 12
USE DISORDER BEFORE THE INDIVIDUAL MAY RECEIVE SERVICES AT THE RECOVERY 13
RESIDENCE. 14

(D) A certificate of compliance issued by the credentialing entity is valid for 1 year 15
from the date of issuance. 16

[(d)] (E) The credentialing entity may revoke the certificate of compliance of a 17
certified recovery residence if the credentialing entity finds that the recovery residence is 18
not in compliance with the requirements established by the credentialing entity. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 20
October 1, 2026. 21

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.