HB 432 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0536
11/06
HOUSE BILL 432
AN ACT relative to recovery houses.
SPONSORS: Rep. Gibbs, Merr. 23; Rep. Preece, Hills. 17; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Rep. Damon, Sull. 8; Rep. Proulx, Hills. 15; Rep. W. MacDonald, Rock. 16
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill changes the definition of recovery house and specifies how a recovery house ought to be treated when interpreting zoning ordinances.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0536
11/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT relative to recovery houses.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Recovery House; Definition. Amend RSA 153:10-d, II to read as follows:
II. In this section, "recovery house" means a [residence] primarily non-transient dwelling or dwelling unit that provides a [safe, healthy, family-like,] substance-free living environment that supports individuals in recovery from addiction living as a single household and is centered on peer support and a connection to services that promote long-term recovery; provided that "recovery housing" shall not include a boarding house, a rooming house, a halfway house, or any other facility requiring a license pursuant to RSA 151.
2 New Paragraph; Purposes of Zoning Ordinances; Recovery Houses. Amend RSA 674:17 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:
V. A recovery house, as defined in RSA 153:10-d, II, that is located within a single-family, 2-family, or multi-family structure shall be treated in every zoning ordinance as a single-family, 2-family, or multi-family use, respectively, and shall not be subject to permitting or approval processes that a zoning ordinance or other land use regulation adopted under this title does not similarly require of other such uses. Use of an existing multi-family structure as a recovery house under this paragraph shall not require site plan review. For purposes of this paragraph, a recovery house shall be certified pursuant to RSA 172-B:2, V(a)(2) or shall be actively pursuing certification and achieve certification within one year after beginning operations. For a recovery house to be included under this paragraph, its operator shall first provide written notification to the local governing body at least 30 days prior to beginning operations, and the local governing body may seek to ensure that the recovery house is either certified or seeking certification, as well as to ensure that the requirements of RSA 153 and RSA 155-A are met.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 30, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| March 10, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| March 10, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
March 27, 2025: Lay HB432 on Table (Rep. Sweeney): MA VV 03/27/2025 HJ 11 P. 90
March 19, 2025: Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass
March 19, 2025: Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 03/10/2025 (Vote 11-7; RC) HC 17 P. 65
March 5, 2025: Executive Session: 03/10/2025 09:30 am LOB 301-303
Feb. 20, 2025: Subcommittee Work Session: 03/04/2025 10:30 am LOB 307
Feb. 11, 2025: Subcommittee Work Session: 02/19/2025 10:00 am LOB 305
Jan. 22, 2025: Public Hearing: 01/30/2025 01:00 pm LOB 301-303
Jan. 10, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Municipal and County Government HJ 3 P. 9