(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Caregiver” means a relative, legal guardian or health care agent who is responsible for the unpaid care of a mentally or physically impaired person.

(2) “Mentally or physically impaired person” means a person who requires assistance, as certified in writing by a physician licensed in this state, with two or more activities of daily living, including, but not limited to, bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, meal preparation, shopping, housekeeping, transfers, bowel and bladder care, laundry, communication, self-administration of medication and ambulation.

(3) “Temporary health care structure” means a transportable residential structure that provides an environment in which a caregiver may provide care for a mentally or physically impaired person and that (A) is primarily assembled at a location other than the site of installation, (B) has one occupant who is the mentally or physically impaired person, (C) is not larger than five hundred gross square feet, (D) is not placed on or attached to a permanent foundation, and (E) complies with the applicable provisions of the State Building Code, Fire Safety Code and Public Health Code.

(b) A temporary health care structure shall be allowed as an accessory use in any single-family residential zoning district on a lot zoned for single-family detached dwellings that is owned by a caregiver or mentally or physically impaired person and used as his or her residence. Such structures shall comply with all setback requirements, coverage limits and maximum floor area ratio limitations that apply to accessory structures in such zoning district as of October 1, 2017.

(c) No person shall install a temporary health care structure without first obtaining a permit from the municipality in which the structure will be installed, for which the municipality may charge a fee not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars and an annual permit renewal fee not to exceed one hundred dollars. The municipality shall not be required to hold a public hearing on the permit application and shall either approve or deny the permit not later than fifteen business days after the permit application is submitted to the municipality by the applicant. The municipality shall not deny the permit if the applicant provides proof of compliance with this section. The applicant shall send notice of the permit application, by certified or registered mail, to each person appearing of record as an owner of property which abuts the property upon which the temporary health care structure is proposed to be installed. The notice shall be sent not later than three business days after the permit application is submitted to the municipality by the applicant.

(d) The municipality may require a temporary health care structure installed pursuant to this section to be accessible to emergency vehicles and be connected to private water or septic systems or to water, sewer and electric utilities that serve the primary residence.

(e) Not more than one temporary health care structure shall be installed on a lot zoned for a single-family detached dwelling.

(f) No signage advertising or otherwise promoting the existence of the temporary health care structure shall be permitted either on the exterior of the structure or elsewhere on the lot.

(g) Following issuance of such permit, the municipality may require that the applicant provide written evidence of compliance with this section as long as the temporary health care structure remains on the property. Evidence of compliance may be obtained through an inspection by the municipality of the temporary health care structure at reasonable times convenient to the caregiver.

(h) Any temporary health care structure installed pursuant to this section shall be removed not later than one hundred twenty days after the mentally or physically impaired person no longer occupies the structure or no longer qualifies as a mentally or physically impaired person. Upon issuance of the permit authorizing such structure, the municipality may require the applicant to post a bond in an amount not exceeding fifty thousand dollars to ensure compliance with this subsection.

(i) The municipality may revoke a permit issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this section if the permit holder violates any provision of this section.

(j) A municipality, by vote of its legislative body or, in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting, by vote of the board of selectmen, may opt out of the provisions of this section and the provision of subsection (a) of section 8-2 regarding authorization for the installation of temporary health care structures, provided the zoning commission or combined planning and zoning commission of the municipality: (1) First holds a public hearing in accordance with the provisions of section 8-7d on such proposed opt-out, (2) affirmatively decides to opt out of the provisions of said sections within the period of time permitted under section 8-7d, (3) states upon its records the reasons for such decision, and (4) publishes notice of such decision in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the municipality not later than fifteen days after such decision has been rendered.

(P.A. 17-155, S. 1.)