House passes certified recovery residence bill after sharp exchange over provider oversight

The Florida House approved CS for CS for CS for Senate Bill 954 on April 30 by a 97-10 vote, a measure authors said will expand capacity and standardize local procedures for certified recovery residences used by people in substance‑use disorder treatment.

Representative Owen, the bill sponsor, said the measure recognizes that “without a safe place to live, there can be no recovery” and requires local governments by Jan. 1, 2026, to adopt ordinances with procedures and timelines for review and approval of certified recovery residences, including reasonable accommodations. The bill also addresses staff‑to‑resident ratios for certified recovery administrators, allowing larger residences only with reduced staff-to-resident ratios and requiring staff presence while residents occupy facilities.

Debate was heated and personal. Representative Caruso described his son’s decades-long struggle with addiction and argued the bill does not go far enough to curb bad actors in the sober‑home industry; he urged members to vote against the bill. Representative Owen and supporters said the bill builds on prior legislation and creates anti‑discrimination protections rooted in the Americans with Disabilities Act, while preserving a role for local governments to set rules but preventing blanket exclusion of certified homes.

Supporters noted the concentration of certified recovery residences in certain counties and said the bill helps ensure statewide access; opponents warned it could produce litigation over reasonable accommodations and asked that policy focus first on quality and fraud enforcement. The clerk announced 97 yays and 10 nays on final passage.

Notable provision: The bill creates a statutory framework for local review timelines, reasonable accommodation processes, and staff‑to‑resident staffing standards tied to certified recovery administrator caseloads.