H.R. 10487House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Recovery First Housing Act

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Updated September 24, 2026 at 5:21 AM UTC

The Recovery First Housing Act amends the McKinney‑Vento Homeless Assistance Act to make substance‑use disorder treatment a required part of any federally funded emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent housing program. Sponsors must offer evidence‑based treatment to every resident who has a substance‑use disorder, with the only exemption for unaccompanied minors. The bill also defines what counts as appropriate treatment and introduces a “step‑down” approach to move people from intensive care to community‑based services.

Key Provisions

Project sponsors receiving federal funds for shelter or housing must offer substance‑use disorder treatment to each resident identified as having a disorder.
The requirement does not apply when the resident is an unaccompanied minor.
Treatment must be evidence‑based, delivered by a licensed provider, and can include medically supervised withdrawal, residential or outpatient care, medication‑assisted treatment, recovery housing with clinical support, or step‑down treatment.
Step‑down treatment is defined as a structured, phased transition from intensive care to less intensive, community‑based outpatient services to support recovery and stability.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

September 17, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 17, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

September 17, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 17, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10487

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 17, 2026

Mr. Burchett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To amend title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to require project sponsors to offer substance use disorder treatment to persons admitted to emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent housing, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Recovery First Housing Act.

Drug and alcohol treatment requirement

Title IV, subtitle A, of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is amending by adding at the end the following:

409.

Drug and alcohol treatment requirement

(a)

In general

Any project sponsor receiving funds under this title to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent housing shall offer substance use disorder treatment, including step-down treatment, to each person with a substance use disorder as determined by the project sponsor that such project sponsor admits to such emergency shelter, transitional housing, or permanent housing.

(b)

Exception

Subsection (a) shall not apply to a project sponsor who admits a person who is an unaccompanied minor.

(c)

Definitions

(1)

Substance use disorder treatment

The term substance use disorder treatment means an evidence-based substance use disorder intervention that—

(A)

is delivered by a licensed provider; and

(B)

provides an appropriate level of care consisting of medically supervised withdrawal management, residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment where clinically indicated, recovery housing with clinical support, or step-down treatment.

(2)

Step-down treatment

The term step-down treatment means a structured, phased approach designed to transition unhoused individuals or individuals requiring medical intervention from intensive care to less intensive, community-based, outpatient services to promote recovery, stability, and self-sufficiency.