Sober home bill gets committee nod

TORRINGTON >> A bill requiring potential sober homes to register with the state or be barred from being advertised themselves as such an institution was approved by the Public Health Committee of the state legislature Friday, ans local legislators continued to demonstrate their attentiveness to the issue.

The committee-drafted version of 5741, originally introduced by Rep. Michelle Cook (D-Torrington), would require sober homes to register with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which would be tasked with creating “criteria for the acceptance and revocation of a sober living home registration.”

If a resident of the home had “been diagnosed with opioid use disorder by a licensed health care professional,” the home would be required to have and provide training in “opioid antagonists,” a class of medication called naloxone, used to revive an overdose victim.

Potential sober homes that do not register with the state, according to the proposed bill, would not be allowed to be advertised as a sober home.

“Sober homes can be a great resource for people on the path to recovery from drug addiction, but we know that some homes are not providing a safe environment. This legislation will protect individuals struggling with addiction who are seeking help and give peace of mind to communities with a sober home in their neighborhood,” said Cook in a statement after the committee vote. “Torrington has dozens of sober living homes, and a registration system will allow us to distinguish legitimate businesses from fraudulent operations promising services they don’t offer. I’m pleased that the committee voted in favor of the bill, and I will continue to fight to advance this legislation.”

Cook’s original proposal would have mandated that sober home register with the city or town in which they are located, and also would have mandated that Narcan, or a similar medication, be kept at the home if required.

Rep. Jay Case (R-Winchester), who also previously introduced a bill that would also have required sober homes to register with their local municipality, and Rep. Brian Ohler (R-North Caanan), that bill’s co-sponsor, applauded the committee vote in a separate statement.

“Many stakeholders contributed to the crafting of this piece of legislation, which will be extremely beneficial for our communities in the Northwest Corner,” said Case. “For residents, this sets up a level of protection that will preserve their path to sobriety through increased regulation of sober home operations.”

“It is critical that this piece of legislation is now passed through both chambers in the legislature, and I am confident that it will pass, based on the bi-partisan support it has received through the committee process,” said Ohler. “The registration process will cut down on the public safety risks associated with the fast growth of sober homes, such as overcrowding.”

The bill now moves to a vote by the state House of Representatives.

There are slightly fewer than 50 sober homes in the city of Torrington, according to testimony from Mayor Elinor Carbone.

Case and Ohler said that “(three) people have died in Torrington within the walls of a sober home as a result of an overdose” since Jan. 1 as part of a past release. Torrington police responded to four suspected overdoses, including three deaths, in early January.