Bill > SB1356

Introduced Session

Hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities, hospices, and assisted living facilities; visits by clergy; public health emergency. Requires the Board of Health to include in regulations governing hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities, and hospices and the Board of Social Services to include in regulations governing assisted living facilities a requirement that, during a public health emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat, each hospital, nursing home, certified nursing facility, hospice, and assisted living facility establish a protocol to allow patients to receive visits from a rabbi, priest, minister, or clergy of any religious denomination or sect consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and subject to compliance with any executive order, order of public health, Department of Health guidance, or any other applicable federal or state guidance having the effect of limiting visitation. The bill provides that such protocol may restrict the frequency and duration of visits and may require visits to be conducted virtually using interactive audio or video technology when use of interactive audio or video technology is determined to be necessary to comply with any applicable federal or state guidance or to protect the health and safety of the person, patients, or staff. Additionally, the protocol may require the person visiting a patient to comply with all reasonable requirements of the facility adopted to protect the health and safety of the person, patients, and staff. Hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities, hospices, and assisted living facilities; visits by clergy; public health emergency. Requires the Board of Health to include in regulations governing hospitals, nursing homes, certified nursing facilities, and hospices and the Board of Social Services to include in regulations governing assisted living facilities a requirement that, during a public health emergency related to a communicable disease of public health threat, each hospital, nursing home, certified nursing facility, hospice, and assisted living facility establish a protocol to allow patients to receive visits from a rabbi, priest, minister, or clergy of any religious denomination or sect consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and subject to compliance with any executive order, order of public health, Department of Health guidance, or any other applicable federal or state guidance having the effect of limiting visitation. The bill provides that such protocol may restrict the frequency and duration of visits and may require visits to be conducted virtually using interactive audio or video technology when use of interactive audio or video technology is determined to be necessary to comply with any applicable federal or state guidance or to protect the health and safety of the person, patients, or staff. Additionally, the protocol may require the person visiting a patient to comply with all reasonable requirements of the facility adopted to protect the health and safety of the person, patients, and staff.

Committee Categories

Jen Kiggans (R)*,  David Suetterlein (R), 

Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0525) (on 04/07/2021)

Official Document