SB 22-053

Senate Bill 22-053, also known as the Health Facility Visitation During Pandemic bill, ensures that patients and residents in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and assisted living residences can have at least one visitor of their choice during their stay. The bill requires health-care facilities to establish clear policies about visitation rights while considering public health safety measures like mask-wearing and screening for diseases. It also provides funding from the general fund to help enforce these rules. The bill has been signed into law, meaning its provisions are now in effect and healthcare facilities must comply with the new requirements regarding patient visits during a pandemic or similar health crisis.

Official Summary

Subject to the limitations in state and federal law and state or local public health orders, the act specifies that a patient or resident of a hospital, a nursing care facility, or an assisted living residence (collectively referred to as "health-care facility") may have at least one visitor of the patient's or resident's choosing during the stay or residency. A health-care facility is required to have written policies and procedures that are consistent with state and federal law regarding the visitation rights of patients and residents, including policies and procedures setting forth any necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation to ensure the health and safety of patients, staff, or visitors that the health-care facility may need to place on patient and resident visitation rights and the reasons for the restriction or limitation. The act allows a health-care facility to impose specific requirements on visitors during a period when the risk of transmission of a communicable disease is heightened, including the requirement to wear medical masks or other protective equipment and be screened or tested for a communicable disease. A health-care facility may impose visitation restrictions for a patient or resident with a communicable disease who is isolated. $45,409 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public health and environment for use by the health facilities and emergency medical services division for the nursing and acute care facility survey. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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