New laws, rules and federal actions affecting boarding homes — each linked to its official source.
Under 2025 amendments to Minn. Stat. ch. 144G, starting January 1, 2027 only facilities holding an MDH assisted living license may describe their services as "assisted living."
Official sourceThe Indiana Department of Health has proposed amendments to 410 IAC 16.2-5 (LSA #26-149) adding involuntary transfer and discharge protections for residential care facility residents. A second public hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2026.
Official sourceRevised 651 CMR 12.00 took effect July 31, 2026. Under M.G.L. c. 19D, assisted living residences may now provide certain basic health services such as injections, simple dressings and oxygen management.
Official sourceFollowing the April 2025 rewrite of COMAR 10.07.14, assisted living program managers in Maryland must hold a state license as of July 1, 2026. Maryland's definition of an assisted living program has no minimum resident count, so small group homes are covered.
Official sourceHB 2520, signed April 6, 2026, raises the resident cap for home plus adult care homes to 16. Homes serving more than 12 residents must have written plans showing they can serve the larger group safely.
Official sourceA CMS informational bulletin gives states until December 31, 2027 to meet the fee-for-service HCBS grievance-system requirements in the 2024 Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services rule. Other provisions of that rule, including HCBS incident-management requirements, were not changed.
Official sourceTo meet federal home and community-based settings rules, Washington assisted living facilities must give Medicaid residents a residency agreement with tenant-like protections.
Official sourceThe Department of Health readopted its licensing standards for residential health care facilities located with, and operated by, licensed health care facilities. Free-standing RHCFs remain licensed by the Department of Community Affairs under N.J.A.C. 5:27A.
Official sourceP.L.2025, c.60 amends the Rooming and Boarding House Act. Civil penalties for operating without a valid license rise from $5,000 to up to $25,000 per building, and new cooperative sober living residences face twice-yearly unannounced inspections.
Official sourceOhioMHAS became the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health on October 1, 2025. DBH now licenses Class 2 residential facilities, Ohio's main small board-and-care category.
Official sourceA new 10-144 CMR Chapter 113 replaced the former Level I–IV residential care and PNMI categories with two parts: Part A (assisted living) and Part B (residential care facilities).
Official sourceA statutory moratorium bars new basic care beds from August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2029, with limited exceptions.
Official sourceHB 2764 (2024) created a memory care designation for assisted living facilities with required dementia training, effective July 1, 2025. The law also raised civil penalty caps.
Official sourceA single set of licensing regulations for residential care homes (Levels III and IV) and assisted living residences took effect April 1, 2025, replacing separate rules from 2000 and 2003.
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