I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6070 
To amend the Fair Housing Act to better protect persons with disabilities 
and communities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 
Mr. ISSA (for himself, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. CALVERT, and Mrs. MIMI 
WALTERS of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend the Fair Housing Act to better protect persons 
with disabilities and communities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Recovery and 
Community Empowerment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ZONING AND LICENSING OF RESIDENTIAL RECOV-
ERY FACILITIES. 
The Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 807 (42 U.S.C. 3607) 
the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:21 Sep 21, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6070.IH
H6070
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 807A. Nothing in this title, or other Federal 
law, relating to protections for persons with disabilities, 
prohibits any local, State, or Federal government body 
from— 
‘‘(1) limiting by law, regulation, or ordinance 
the number of residential recovery facilities within a 
particular area zoned for residential housing, pro-
vided that the limitation— 
‘‘(A) is necessary to preserve the residen-
tial character of the zoned area; 
‘‘(B) allows for a reasonable number of 
residential recovery facilities to be located with-
in the zoned area; and 
‘‘(C) does not place an overall cap on the 
number of residential recovery facilities located 
within a municipality or State; and 
‘‘(2) requiring that a residential recovery facil-
ity and its owner or operator— 
‘‘(A) obtain an operating license or use 
permit; or 
‘‘(B) satisfies a set of consumer protection 
standards.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:21 Sep 21, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6070.IH
H6070
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. RESIDENTIAL RECOVERY FACILITY RESIDENTS’ 
BILL OF RIGHTS. 
Residential recovery facilities receiving direct or indi-
rect payments or reimbursements or other remunerations 
from Medicare, Medicaid, or any other Federal healthcare 
program, or via private insurance purchased on a Federal 
exchange or subsidized by the Federal Government, for ei-
ther housing, recovery services, or testing or monitoring 
for drugs or alcohol, shall ensure the following: 
(1) Each residential recovery facility resident 
residing in the home or receiving addiction treat-
ment services be provided a safe living environment 
completely free from illicit drugs, alcohol, firearms, 
harassment, abuse, or harm. 
(2) Residential recovery facility residents live in 
a licensed, or registered residence that has com-
mitted to following standards approved by States 
and localities, if such standards are in place. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 802 of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
3602) is amended by adding to the end the following: 
‘‘(p) ‘Current, illegal use of a controlled substance’ 
means the discrete, occasional, frequent, or ongoing illegal 
use of a controlled substance at the present time or in 
the reasonably recent past. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:21 Sep 21, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6070.IH
H6070
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
‘‘(q) ‘Residential recovery facility’ means a residence 
that provides housing to individuals in recovery from drug 
or alcohol addiction with the promise of providing a clean 
and sober environment in return for direct or indirect pay-
ment to an owner, operator, or compensated staff person, 
including payment to a third party, a portion of which is 
then provided to the residential recovery facility owner or 
operator for their services.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:21 Sep 21, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6070.IH
H6070
smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS