Comment on Bill to regulate recovery homes moves forward in Legislature

AUGUSTA — Top leaders at the State House agreed to allow a bill to move forward Thursday that would set standards for residential treatment programs meant to help those recovering from opioid addiction. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, will be taken up when the Legislature convenes again in January. “An Act to Ensure Quality and Increase Access to Recovery Residences,” is meant to establish standards for residential programs, that are currently unregulated beyond local zoning ordinances. Bellows said the lack of any defined standards for recovery residences in Maine makes it difficult for patients and families to determine whether a particular residence will aid their recovery. “It takes courage and determination for a person to say goodbye to their former lives and get on the path to recovery,” Bellows said in a prepared statement.