S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5106
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 19, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Educa-
   tion
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law  and  the mental hygiene law, in
   relation to requiring certain  SUNY  and  CUNY  schools  to  establish
   substance use recovery housing programs

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   22. THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL  ADOPT  RULES  REQUIRING  THAT
 EACH  INSTITUTION  OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK IN WHICH AT LEAST
 TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE  UNDERGRADUATE  STUDENTS  LIVE  IN  ON-CAMPUS
 HOUSING  ESTABLISH A SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE A
 SUPPORTIVE SUBSTANCE-FREE ON-CAMPUS HOUSING ENVIRONMENT THAT  RECOGNIZES
 THE  UNIQUE RISKS AND CHALLENGES THAT RECOVERING STUDENTS FACE, AND THAT
 PROVIDES SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO  RECOVERING  STUDENTS  WHO  RESIDE  IN  THE
 RECOVERY HOUSING TO ASSIST THEIR EFFORTS TO REMAIN SUBSTANCE-FREE.  SUCH
 PROGRAM  SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, ON-SITE COUNSELING, MENTORING, AND
 PEER SUPPORT. AN INSTITUTION MAY  DESIGNATE  A  FLOOR,  WING,  OR  OTHER
 DESIGNATED  AREA WITHIN AN ON-CAMPUS HOUSING BUILDING FOR SUCH SUBSTANCE
 USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM, AND SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO DESIGNATE  AN
 ENTIRE  DORMITORY  BUILDING FOR THE PROGRAM. THE INSTITUTION SHALL APPLY
 FOR ANY FEDERAL, STATE, CORPORATE, OR OTHER GRANT FUNDING  THAT  MAY  BE
 AVAILABLE  TO  IMPLEMENT  SUCH  SUBSTANCE  USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM.
 EACH INSTITUTION SHALL SUBMIT A PLAN FOR  SUCH  SUBSTANCE  USE  RECOVERY
 HOUSING  PROGRAM  TO  THE  OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE REVIEWED AND
 APPROVED BY THE OFFICE OF HIGHER  EDUCATION,  THE  OFFICE  OF  ADDICTION
 SERVICES  AND SUPPORTS, AND THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH. SUCH PLAN SHALL
 BE SUBMITTED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS  SUBDIVISION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09764-01-5
 S. 5106                             2
              

 
 EACH  INSTITUTION  SHALL  IMPLEMENT  SUCH SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING
 PROGRAM WITHIN FOUR YEARS AFTER SUCH PLAN IS APPROVED.
   §  2.  Section  6206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 24 to read as follows:
   24. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL ADOPT RULES REQUIRING THAT EACH INSTI-
 TUTION OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK IN WHICH AT LEAST  TWENTY-FIVE
 PERCENT  OF  THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS LIVE IN ON-CAMPUS HOUSING ESTAB-
 LISH A SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM TO  PROVIDE  A  SUPPORTIVE
 SUBSTANCE-FREE  ON-CAMPUS HOUSING ENVIRONMENT THAT RECOGNIZES THE UNIQUE
 RISKS AND CHALLENGES THAT RECOVERING STUDENTS FACE,  AND  THAT  PROVIDES
 SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO RECOVERING STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THE RECOVERY HOUS-
 ING  TO  ASSIST  THEIR  EFFORTS TO REMAIN SUBSTANCE-FREE.   SUCH PROGRAM
 SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, ON-SITE  COUNSELING,  MENTORING,  AND  PEER
 SUPPORT. AN INSTITUTION MAY DESIGNATE A FLOOR, WING, OR OTHER DESIGNATED
 AREA  WITHIN AN ON-CAMPUS HOUSING BUILDING FOR SUCH SUBSTANCE USE RECOV-
 ERY HOUSING PROGRAM, AND SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO  DESIGNATE  AN  ENTIRE
 DORMITORY  BUILDING FOR THE PROGRAM. THE INSTITUTION SHALL APPLY FOR ANY
 FEDERAL, STATE, CORPORATE, OR OTHER GRANT FUNDING THAT MAY BE  AVAILABLE
 TO IMPLEMENT SUCH SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM.  EACH INSTITU-
 TION SHALL SUBMIT A PLAN FOR SUCH SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM
 TO  THE  OFFICE  OF  HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE
 OFFICE OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION,  THE  OFFICE  OF  ADDICTION  SERVICES  AND
 SUPPORTS,  AND THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH. SUCH PLAN SHALL BE SUBMITTED
 WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.  EACH  INSTI-
 TUTION SHALL IMPLEMENT SUCH SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM WITH-
 IN FOUR YEARS AFTER SUCH PLAN IS APPROVED.
   § 3. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision (i) to read as follows:
   (I)  THE OFFICE SHALL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCA-
 TION AND THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, REVIEW PLANS FOR
 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM  SUBMITTED
 BY  EACH  INSTITUTION  OF  THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND ESTABLISH PROCEDURES  FOR  THE  APPROVAL  AND
 DENIAL OF SUCH PLANS.
   §  4.  Section  19.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision (o) to read as follows:
   (O) THE OFFICE SHALL, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF HIGHER  EDUCA-
 TION AND THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, REVIEW PLANS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT
 OF  A  SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAM SUBMITTED BY EACH INSTITU-
 TION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF  NEW
 YORK AND ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR THE APPROVAL AND DENIAL OF SUCH PLANS.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.