I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2159

To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the participation 

of the public in governmental decisions regarding the location of group 

homes established pursuant to the program of block grants for the 

prevention and treatment of substance abuse. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2003

Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to 

the participation of the public in governmental decisions 

regarding the location of group homes established pursuant to the program of block grants for the prevention 

and treatment of substance abuse.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Substance Abuse 

5 Group Homes Amendments of 2003’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF PUBLIC IN GOVERNMENTAL DE2 CISIONS REGARDING LOCATION OF CERTAIN 

3 GROUP HOMES. 

4 Section 1925 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 300x–25) is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing subsection: 

7 ‘‘(d) LOCATION OF HOMES; MONITORING.—

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A funding agreement for a 

9 grant under section 1921 is that the State involved, 

10 in providing for the establishment and operation of 

11 housing pursuant to the revolving fund under sub12 section (a), will ensure that the State or local offi13 cials involved comply with the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) In developing and administering gov15 ernmental policies for the location of such hous16 ing (referred to in this subsection as ‘des17 ignated group homes’), the officials provide the 

18 public with opportunities to consult with the of19 ficials on proposed and existing policies. 

20 ‘‘(B) Before making a decision to permit 

21 the establishment of a designated group home 

22 in a community: 

23 ‘‘(i) The officials notify members of 

24 the community that the community is 

25 under consideration as a proposed site for 

26 such a home. 
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1 ‘‘(ii) The officials provide to the mem2 bers an opportunity to consult with the of3 ficials on the proposal. 

4 ‘‘(C) After the establishment of a des5 ignated group home in a community: 

6 ‘‘(i) The officials monitor the group 

7 home in order to determine whether the 

8 residents of the home are in compliance 

9 with the conditions upon which the permis10 sion to establish the home was granted. 

11 ‘‘(ii) The officials provide to the mem12 bers of the community, including the resi13 dents of the group home, opportunities to 

14 consult with the officials on the effects of 

15 the group home on the community. 

16 ‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub17 section: 

18 ‘‘(A) The term ‘community’, with respect 

19 to a designated group home, means all areas 

20 that are 10 miles or less from such home. 

21 ‘‘(B) The term ‘member’, with respect to a 

22 community, means an individual who resides in 

23 the community or is an owner of a business in 

24 the community, and an individual any of whose 
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1 children attends an elementary or secondary 

2 school in the community.’’.

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