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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 17, 2014 02:07 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative James Clay, Jr. |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Request for Sponsors: Regulation of Rooming & Boarding Houses |
| In the near future, I will introduce legislation, entitled the Rooming and Boarding House Law. The primary purpose of this legislation is to establish standards to ensure that rooming and boarding houses in the Commonwealth are constructed, maintained, and operated in a manner to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of people who live in these types of establishments. With that purpose in mind, my legislation would prohibit a person from owning and operating a rooming or boarding house or holding out a building as available for rooming or boarding house occupancy without first obtaining a license from the Department of Health. The Department of Health would be tasked with developing regulations to govern the licensure, inspection, and operation of rooming and boarding houses. However, a municipality that currently license and inspects rooming and boarding houses could seek a waiver from the Department of Health that would allow it to continue such activities, if its regulations would meet or exceed the regulations promulgated by the Department. The Department of Health would be further authorized to develop criteria for the classification of rooming and boarding houses based on, among other things, size and type of construction; nature of ownership; services offered; limitation on occupancy; and the particular population proposed for occupancy. The regulations would also set forth standards designed to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of residents, including residents with special needs; such as individuals with mental and physical disabilities. The Department of Health would also be required to develop regulations to govern the use of representative payee status by an owner or operator of a rooming or boarding house. As you may know, the nature of rooming and boarding house occupancy as affordable housing for the indigent and marginalized has changed. There are some rooming and boarding houses occupied by individuals with special needs and others are occupied by individuals subject to parole supervision. Consequently, my legislation would prohibit a person from offering, advertising or holding a rooming or boarding house out as providing personal care services to individual with certain special needs, unless that person holds a license to operate an assisted living residence or personal care home from the Department of Welfare. In the case of parolees, a person would be prohibited from operating a rooming or boarding house that offers or advertises or holds itself out as offering housing, community re-entry services or social services to parole-ready or paroled offenders without first demonstrating that cooperative arrangements have been made with the appropriate probation or parole office responsible for the supervision of released offenders. Please join me as a sponsor of this legislation. However, if you have questions, please advise. |
Introduced as HB2173
Memo Updated: March 17, 2014 02:08 PM