Bill > HB1350

This bill introduces a comprehensive framework for electronic monitoring devices in long-term care nursing facilities, allowing residents or their guardians to install video or audio recording devices in residents' rooms under specific conditions. The bill establishes detailed requirements for obtaining consent, including that all residents sharing a room must agree to the monitoring, with options to adjust camera positioning or revoke consent. Facilities must post notices about potential electronic monitoring, and devices must be placed in fixed, conspicuous locations (but not in bathrooms) and be capable of being temporarily turned off. The legislation prohibits discrimination against residents who choose to use electronic monitoring and protects residents' privacy by restricting who can view or listen to recordings. Individuals who obstruct or tamper with these devices can be fined ($100 for first offense, $500 for subsequent offenses) and potentially face misdemeanor charges. The bill also ensures that residents and their guardians can access recordings and provides exceptions to existing wiretapping laws to allow this monitoring. The Department of Health is authorized to develop regulations implementing these provisions, and the law will take effect 60 days after passage, offering a new layer of transparency and protection for residents in long-term care facilities.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1350