Recovery houses.

Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensing and regulation of community care facilities, as defined, by the State Department of Social Services. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Existing law exempts recovery houses providing group living arrangements for persons recovering from alcoholism or drug addiction from the act. This bill would require a recovery house that is owned or operated, as defined, by a community care facility licensed pursuant to the act and that functions as an integral component of that community care facility to be deemed a facility that provides treatment or services under the license of the community care facility. The bill would subject a facility under that license to the inspection and enforcement provisions of the act. Because this bill would extend the application of a crime under these provisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.