Prohibits any city or town from enacting any zoning ordinance that would place restrictions on residential recovery houses that are not applicable to other residential homes.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would prevent cities and towns in Rhode Island from creating special zoning rules that single out recovery houses — homes where people recovering from addiction live together in a supportive environment. Under this bill, local governments could not impose extra restrictions or requirements on these homes simply because they are recovery houses, if those same restrictions don't also apply to regular residential homes in the same area.

In practical terms, this means a city or town could not, for example, limit how many recovery houses can exist in a neighborhood, require special permits, or set different occupancy rules specifically for recovery houses, unless those same rules apply to all other homes on the block. The idea is that recovery houses would be treated the same as any other home under local zoning law.

This bill primarily affects people in addiction recovery who live in or seek housing in these shared homes, as well as the organizations that operate recovery houses across Rhode Island. It would also affect local city and town governments, limiting their ability to regulate where and how these homes are established within their communities.

As of now, the bill has been referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee and has been held for further study, meaning it has not yet advanced toward a vote.