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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 406
SENATE BILL NO. 1240
By Jackson, Bailey, Bowling
Substituted for: House Bill No. 1351
By Littleton
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 33; Title 47;
Title 63 and Title 68, relative to addiction services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-2-1401, is amended by deleting
subdivisions (1) and (7) and substituting:
(1) "Alcohol and drug prevention or treatment facility" or "ADTF":
(A) Means an institution, treatment resource, rehabilitation center, hospital,
community mental health center, nonresidential office-based opiate treatment facility,
nonresidential substitution-based treatment center for opiate addiction, DUI school,
counseling center, or clinic providing alcohol and drug services; and
(B) Does not mean a DUI school operated by a state institution of higher
education or any facility otherwise licensed or certified by the department, including
certified recovery court programs, the department of health, a facility approved by the
department of education, or treatment programs operated by the department of
correction;
(7) "Recovery residence" means a residence classified as a single family residence,
as defined in § 13-24-102, or any other premise, place, or building that provides a substance-
free living environment centered on supervised, monitored, or peer-led support that assists
individuals in recovery from substance use disorder with services that promote long-term
recovery, including direct connection to other peers in recovery, mutual support groups, and
recovery support services but does not provide any medical or clinical services, treatment, or
medication administration on-site except for verification of abstinence; and
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-2-1402(a), is amended by deleting the
subsection and substituting:
(a)(1) The commissioner shall select and approve organizations meeting the
minimum standards as described in§ 33-2-1404.
(2) The department shall establish and maintain on its website a list of
organizations selected and approved by the commissioner.
(3) The department is authorized to promulgate rules to effectuate this
subsection (a). The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform
Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33, Chapter 2, Part 14, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
33-2-1404. Minimum standards for certification.
SB 1240
(a) An organization selected and approved by the commissioner and performing
certification of recovery residences in this state shall adopt the following minimum standards
as part of the certification:
(1) Consistent and fair practices for drug and alcohol testing, including
frequency of such testing, that promote recovery;
(2) Policies and procedures for the recovery residence to maintain an
environment that promotes the safety of the surrounding neighborhood and the
community at large;
(3) Policies and procedures for an exit plan for each resident living in the
recovery residence that:
(A) Respects the resident's choice;
(B) Addresses occasions where the resident must leave due to an
emergency situation or relapse;
(C) Offers relocation services to the resident; and
(D) If possible, does not negatively impact the surrounding community;
(4) A good neighbor policy to address neighborhood concerns and complaints;
(5) A requirement that the operator of each recovery residence have available
for emergency personnel an updated list of current medications and medical
conditions of each resident living in the home;
(6) A policy that ensures residents are informed of all recovery residence
rules, residency requirements, and resident agreements;
(7) Policies and procedures for the management of all monies received and
spent by the recovery residence in accordance with standard accounting practices,
including monies received from the residents of the recovery residence;
(8) Policies requiring abstinence from alcohol, illicit drugs, and certain nonillicit
drugs, including Kratom;
(9) Policies regarding the maintenance of recovery residences, including the
installation of functioning smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire
extinguishers, and compliance with local fire codes applicable to comparable
dwellings occupied by single families;
(10) Policies and procedures that:
(A) Prohibit a recovery residence owner, employee, or administrator
from requiring a resident to sign any document for the purpose of relinquishing
the resident's public assistance benefits, including medical assistance
benefits, cash assistance, and supplemental nutrition assistance program
benefits, compiled in title 71; and
(B) Define ethical financial policies for the management of resident
funds and rent payments;
(11) Requirements for the notification of a family member or other emergency
contact designated by a resident under certain circumstances, including death due to
an overdose;
(12) Policies and procedures that prohibit overnight visitors who are not bona
fide residents of the recovery residence except for the residents' children who may be
allowed overnight visits on a temporary basis when the resident is the custodial
parent or in compliance with a reunification plan;
(13) Policies and procedures providing for the safety of residents and
prohibiting violence, weapons, and other disruptive behavior, including appropriate
responses for such violations; •
(14) Requirements for sharing physical locations and addresses of recovery
residences with local governments, police departments, fire departments, emergency
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SB 1240
services officials, and health officials. Such requirements should be utilized when the
physical location and address of the recovery residence is not identifiable to the
public at large as a recovery residence irrespective of whether the physical address is
a public record; and
(15) Policies and procedures that mandate and define:
(A) An ethical code of conduct for owners, employees, and volunteers
of a recovery residence;
(8) Prohibited conflicts of interest; and
(C) A residents' rights and a grievance procedure.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), a recovery residence seeking certification
from an organization is subject to the minimum standards established in subsection (a).
(c) A recovery residence that is certified by an organization prior to January 1, 2026,
is not required to comply with the minimum standards established in this section but instead
remains subject to the certification standards in effect prior to January 1, 2026, until the
earlier of:
(1) The date of its certification renewal, if such renewal occurs on or after July
1, 2026; or
(2) January 1, 2027.
(d) Certification may be valid for no more than three (3) years.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (d), each recovery residence must undergo a physical
site inspection by the certifying organization at least annually for the recovery residence's
certification to remain in good standing.
(f) This section does not apply to any residence or facility licensed by the department.
(g) The physical address.. and location of a recovery residence is __ not subject to
disclosure under title 10, chapter 7, part 5.
SECTION 4. The heading in this act is for reference purposes only and does not constitute a
part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is requested to
include the heading in any compilation or_publi9_ation containing this act.
SECTION 5. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that can be
given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of this act are
severable.
SECTION 6. For the purposes of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect January 1, 2026, the
public welfare requiring it.
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SENATE BILL NO. 1240
PASSED: April 21, 2025
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\ RANDY McfLLY
SPEAKER OF THE S-NATE
CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
~ APPROVED this ?,-ft..day of 2025
~ _,.
BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.