TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENT MONITORING AND COMMUNICATIONS ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH RESIDENT RIGHTS FOR ELECTRONIC MONITORING AND COMMUNICATION IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.

SB 616, the Arkansas Long-Term Care Facility Resident Monitoring and Communications Act, aims to establish the rights of residents in long-term care facilities to use electronic monitoring devices in their rooms. It allows residents or their legal representatives to place cameras or microphones, provided the facility is notified and, in shared rooms, the roommate consents. The bill prevents facilities from retaliating against residents for using such monitoring. It also directs the Department of Human Services to develop rules and a comprehensive framework for these monitoring systems, addressing privacy, consent, and safety.