APPROVED CHAPTER
JUNE 11, 2021 46
BY GOVERNOR RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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S.P. 195 - L.D. 488
Resolve, To Expand Recovery Community Organizations throughout Maine
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, recovery community centers are a critical component of services for
individuals with substance use disorder in recovery; and
Whereas, recovery community centers provide hope and connection to individuals in
recovery and counter the effects of isolation; and
Whereas, the State is in the process of establishing new recovery community centers
and those new centers should be prioritized in counties that do not have centers; and
Whereas, this legislation must take effect immediately upon enactment in order to
promote as soon as possible the establishment of recovery community centers in counties
without centers; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore, be it
Sec. 1. Department of Health and Human Services to prioritize new
recovery community center contracts. Resolved: That, in the process of awarding
contract funding to establish or develop new recovery community centers to serve
individuals with substance use disorder, the Department of Health and Human Services
shall give preference in awarding contracts that establish or develop new recovery
community centers in counties that have no state-funded recovery community centers or
no other recovery community centers until every county has a center. For purposes of this
resolve, "recovery community center" means a peer-operated organization whose primary
purpose is to provide the community-based connections necessary for a person to enter and
sustain recovery from substance use disorder by serving as a source of information on
recovery, making referrals to local resources and providing or referring an individual to
mutual-help or peer-support organization meetings or social activities.
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 Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services
shall appear periodically before the joint standing committee of the Legislature having
jurisdiction over health and human services matters to report on the geographical
distribution of recovery community centers across the State and progress in establishing a
center in every county in the State.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.
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