Recovery residences; regulations.

Recovery residences; regulations. Establishes certain requirements for recovery residences and directs the State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Board) to promulgate regulations to establish minimum certification standards for recovery residences. The bill also requires that the regulations promulgated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department) related to the certification of recovery residences require that no recovery residence, or operator, employee, or agent of a recovery residence, require a resident to participate in medical or psychological services, including clinical substance use treatment, that such recovery residence receives financial benefit from, either directly or indirectly, as a condition of entering or continuing residence at such recovery residence. The bill requires the Department to monitor credentialing agencies providing credentials to recovery residences to ensure criteria related to certification complies with regulations and specifies that no such credentialing agency shall provide credentials to a recovery residence that is owned or operated by an individual who is employed by or in a position of authority at such credentialing agency, or an immediate family member of any such individual. The bill also requires that referrals to recovery residences made by the Department, any agency of the Commonwealth, or by a court may only be made to recovery residences that are certified.Under the bill, the Department and the Virginia Housing Commission are directed to study and make recommendations for establishing regulations for licensed providers of clinical substance use treatment services that offer housing as a benefit for individuals participating in treatment services but are not licensed or certified as a recovery residence. The bill also directs the Board to promulgate regulations to authorize the Department to expand data reporting requirements for certified and conditionally certified recovery residences and directs the Department to promulgate regulations regarding sharing of data related to recovery residences with the public. Finally, the bill continues the work group established in 2025 by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources to make recommendations regarding oversight and transparency for recovery residences.