SB 1356

Abstract

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. 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 nursingfacilities, hospices, and assisted living facilities; visits by clergy; public health emergency. Requires the Board of Healthto include in regulations governing hospitals, nursing homes, certifiednursing facilities and hospices and the Board of Social Servicesto include in regulations governing assisted living facilities arequirement that each hospital, nursing home, certified nursing facility,hospice, and assisted living facility allows patients or residentsto receive visits from a rabbi, priest, minister, or clergyman ofany religious denomination or sect upon request during a declaredpublic health emergency related to a communicable disease of publichealth threat. The bill provides that any person visiting a patientor resident pursuant to this act shall comply with all reasonablerequirements of the hospital, nursing home, certified nursing facility,hospice, or assisted living facility adopted to protect the healthand safety of residents, patients, and staff.