S. 2678 – Ensuring Access to Quality Recovery Living Act of 2018

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 9:16 PM UTC

The Ensuring Access to Quality Recovery Living Act of 2018 requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to develop and share best‑practice guidelines for operating recovery housing. The guidelines must be based on national standards and stakeholder input, and states must follow them to receive federal funding for recovery‑housing programs. The bill also calls for patient‑focused information and technical assistance to help states adopt the practices.

Key Provisions

The HHS Secretary, via the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, must publish best‑practice standards for recovery housing, drawing on the National Alliance for Recovery Residences and other accredited sources.
Guidance based on these standards must be created to inform patients about what to expect from quality recovery homes.
The best‑practice guidelines must be distributed to all states.
States can only receive SAMHSA grants or contracts for recovery housing if they agree to follow the published best practices.
The department may offer technical assistance to states that need help implementing the guidelines.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2142)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

April 16, 2018

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 16, 2018

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2142)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

April 16, 2018

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 2678 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · Apr 16, 2018

Mr. President. As the opioid epidemic continues to challenge the Nation, the statistics on this public health crisis show the toll it is taking on communities across the country. In Virginia in 2016,…

Mr. President. As the opioid epidemic continues to challenge the Nation, the statistics on this public health crisis show the toll it is taking on communities across the country. In Virginia in 2016, there were over 1,400 deaths from overdoses, a 38 percent increase over 2015. Eighty percent of these deaths involved opioid use. Opioid overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in Virginia, surpassing car accidents and gun violence.

While we must focus on prevention and treatment to stem the tide of addiction and overdose deaths, it is also critical that our efforts include helping people recover from addiction and return to their families, the workforce, and their lives. That includes improved access and oversight Medication Assisted Treatment, wraparound services like peer recovery supports, and ensuring that ``recovery residences'' are safe.

After treatment, many people in the early recovery stages choose to enter recovery residences. These facilities give people a stable and sober environment as they transition back into society. While these residences are growing in number due to the epidemic, we are learning that these facilities often lack oversight or regulation. There have been deaths at recovery residences due to the lack of trained professionals and standards.

Currently, no national standards or guidelines are in place to ensure that recovery homes are providing a safe environment. This situation leaves families and victims in the dark about whether the facility that is looking after their loved one is qualified. The bill I am introducing today would authorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop best practices for recovery living facilities. It would also authorize SAMHSA to provide technical assistance and support to States willing to adopt best practices. Additionally, the bill would require States that use SAMHSA grants for recovery residences to meet established best practices, direct SAMHSA to provide best practice information directly to patients and ensure that SAMHSA consults with other relevant Federal agencies on drafting guidelines.

I would like to thank Senator Warren and our other cosponsors for working on this legislation, and Congresswoman Chu for championing legislation on this topic in the House.

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · Apr 16, 2018

Mr. President. As the opioid epidemic continues to challenge the Nation, the statistics on this public health crisis show the toll it is taking on communities across the country. In Virginia in 2016,…

Mr. President. As the opioid epidemic continues to challenge the Nation, the statistics on this public health crisis show the toll it is taking on communities across the country. In Virginia in 2016, there were over 1,400 deaths from overdoses, a 38 percent increase over 2015. Eighty percent of these deaths involved opioid use. Opioid overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in Virginia, surpassing car accidents and gun violence.

While we must focus on prevention and treatment to stem the tide of addiction and overdose deaths, it is also critical that our efforts include helping people recover from addiction and return to their families, the workforce, and their lives. That includes improved access and oversight Medication Assisted Treatment, wraparound services like peer recovery supports, and ensuring that ``recovery residences'' are safe.

After treatment, many people in the early recovery stages choose to enter recovery residences. These facilities give people a stable and sober environment as they transition back into society. While these residences are growing in number due to the epidemic, we are learning that these facilities often lack oversight or regulation. There have been deaths at recovery residences due to the lack of trained professionals and standards.

Currently, no national standards or guidelines are in place to ensure that recovery homes are providing a safe environment. This situation leaves families and victims in the dark about whether the facility that is looking after their loved one is qualified. The bill I am introducing today would authorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop best practices for recovery living facilities. It would also authorize SAMHSA to provide technical assistance and support to States willing to adopt best practices. Additionally, the bill would require States that use SAMHSA grants for recovery residences to meet established best practices, direct SAMHSA to provide best practice information directly to patients and ensure that SAMHSA consults with other relevant Federal agencies on drafting guidelines.

I would like to thank Senator Warren and our other cosponsors for working on this legislation, and Congresswoman Chu for championing legislation on this topic in the House.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 16, 2018

II

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 2678

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 16, 2018

Mr. Kaine (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Hatch, Ms. Hassan, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to publish and disseminate best practices for operating recovery housing, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Access to Quality Recovery Living Act of 2018.

2.

Best practices for operating recovery housing

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—

(1)

shall publish best practices for operating recovery housing that are based on—

(A)

the applicable domains, core principles, and standards of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences;

(B)

input from other nationally accredited recovery housing entities and from stakeholders; and

(C)

input from relevant Federal agencies;

(2)

shall publish guidance, based on the best practices under paragraph (1), to provide patients with information on recovery home best practices;

(3)

shall disseminate such best practices to the State;

(4)

shall require States, as a condition for receiving any grant or contract through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that supports recovery housing, to follow such best practices for such recovery housing; and

(5)

may provide technical assistance to States seeking to adopt or implement such best practices.

(b)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term recovery housing means a family-like, shared living environment free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered on peer support and connection to services that promote sustained recovery from substance use disorders.

(2)

The term State includes any of the several States, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States.