Bill Text: NJ S2109 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits patient visitation in licensed health care facilities if consistent with federal or State law.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S2109 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2109-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator HOLLY T. SCHEPISI
District 39 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Permits patient visitation in licensed health care facilities if consistent with federal or State law.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning patient visitation and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused great uncertainty and anxiety across our State and has significantly affected patients and residents in health care facilities.
b. Health care facilities have made many efforts to keep patients and employees in a safe environment and have endeavored to minimize, to the extent possible, the risk of spreading COVID-19.
c. As a result of COVID-19 prevention measures, many unintended consequences have occurred to the patients and residents of these facilities who were not diagnosed with COVID-19.
d. The Legislature has become aware of numerous patients and residents of health care facilities across our State who were not diagnosed with COVID-19 but, as a result of visitation policies, have been prohibited from having any visitors, including a spouse, parent, close family member, guardian, health care agent, or caregiver.
e. Many families have been unable to be physically present with loved ones in various health care facilities and have been limited to electronic video communications, if any, with the patient.
f. Affected patients and residents have included adults, minors, and individuals with disabilities.
g. It is in the interest of the State and its residents that patients and residents of health care facilities should not be denied visitation by visitors of their choosing throughout the period of treatment, provided that such visitation is consistent with federal and State law.
2. A health care facility licensed by the Department of Health pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) shall permit a patient or resident to receive visitors to the fullest extent permitted under any applicable federal or State law.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill permits patient visitation in licensed health care facilities if such visitation is consistent with federal or State law.
Under the bill, a health care facility licensed by the Department of Health pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) is to permit a patient or resident to receive visitors to the fullest extent permitted under any applicable federal or State law.
