Relating to health care facilities; to add Section 22-21-437 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to require health care facilities to adopt certain visitation policies; to provide that patients have a right to certain visitation; to allow patients to designate an essential caregiver and to guarantee that caregiver certain visitation rights; to prohibit a health care facility from adopting a visitation policy that is more stringent than certain employee policies; to prohibit a health care facility from requiring visitors to show proof of vaccination or from prohibiting consensual physical contact between visitors and patients; to provide for the circumstances in which patients may not be denied visitors who are not essential caregivers; to require health care facilities to provide visitation policies to the Department of Public Health; to require the Department of Public Health to develop a mechanism for complaints; to provide certain immunity from liability in certain circumstances; to exempt certain psychiatric care facilities from the provisions of this bill; and to repeal Sections 22-21-430 through 22-21-436, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to hospital visitation during a public health emergency.
Summary
Health care facilities, patient right to visitors and essential caregiver, provided; adoption of certain visitation standards, required; submission of visitation policies to Department of Public Health, required for licensure; certain immunity from liability, provided
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2023
Committee Review
Apr 2023
Senate Passage
Mar 2023
House Passage
Apr 2023
Signed into Law
Apr 2023
Introduced Mar 21, 2023
Signed Apr 18, 2023
Floor votes · Senate Mar 23, 2023 · House Apr 6, 2023
How they voted
32–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 34
Mar 23, 2023
D
Democratic8
75% Yea
R
Republican26
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
19
Key actions
6
Committee
5
Apr 6, 2023
Lower · Passed
Read a Third Time and Pass
lower
Apr 5, 2023
Lower · Passed
Reported Out of Committee in Second House
lower
Apr 5, 2023
Lower · Passed
Reported Favorably (Health)
lower
Mar 23, 2023
Committee
Referred to Committee (Health)
lower
Mar 23, 2023
Upper · Passed
Read A Third Time And Passed As Amended
upper
Mar 22, 2023
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee in House of Origin
upper
Mar 22, 2023
Upper · Passed
Reported Favorably (Healthcare)
upper
Mar 21, 2023
Introduced
Introduced and Referred (Healthcare)
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Garlan Gudger
RRepublican
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