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Articles on HB 1645, Scalise, Legislative Session 2004
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. --
A bill that would prevent group homes for recovering addicts in subdivisions of
single-family homes has been derailed and appears unlikely to pass this session.
On Wednesday, the measure (House Bill 1645) by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie,
made it to the Senate floor, despite opposition from the governor's
administration. But opponents diverted the bill to a new committee, basically a
death sentence for the bill at this late date in the session, which ends Monday.
The measure was targeted at a group home for alcohol and drug addicts that
started in a subdivision where the zoning ordinance bars more than four
unrelated adults living together.
But the federal Fair Housing Act classifies recovering addicts as disabled,
which means they are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, trumping
the zoning ordinance.
The group home is operated by the nonprofit organization Oxford House, which
typically houses six to 15 adults in a home. Scalise's bill would have required
group homes for addicts to abide by local zoning laws.
Group home bill dead
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1087545538149320.xml
A bill that would prevent group homes for recovering addicts in subdivisions of single-family homes has been derailed and appears unlikely to pass this session. On Wednesday, House Bill 1645 by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, made it to the Senate floor, despite opposition from the governor's administration. But opponents diverted the bill to a new committee, a move that was basically a death sentence at this late date in the session, which ends Monday. The bill was targeted at a group home for alcohol and drug addicts that started in the Airline Park subdivision, where the zoning ordinance bars more than four unrelated adults living together. But the federal Fair Housing Act classifies recovering addicts as disabled, which means they are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, trumping the zoning ordinance. The group home is operated by the nonprofit organization Oxford House, which typically houses six to 15 adults in a home. Scalise's bill would have required group homes for addicts to abide by local zoning laws.
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- Despite concerns by Gov. Kathleen Blanco's administration that a House bill would restrict treatment options for recovering drug addicts, House members voted unanimously Thursday to bar group homes from operating in certain neighborhoods. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, said House Bill 1645 is aimed at Oxford House, a nonprofit company that operates 31 group homes for 221 recovering addicts and alcoholics in Louisiana. It also runs more than 1,000 facilities in other parts of the country Read the entire Story