S 785 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes "New Jersey No Patient Left Alone Act"; requires certain facilities to establish policies guaranteeing visitation rights for facility residents.

S 785, the "New Jersey No Patient Left Alone Act," requires community residences for the developmentally disabled, hospices, long-term care facilities, and veterans' homes to establish visitation policies within 30 days of the law taking effect. These policies must guarantee residents daily in-person visitation (at least two hours for most residents, unlimited for terminally ill patients) and prohibit facilities from asking visitors about vaccination status or requiring proof of immunization. The bill also mandates facilities to post policies online and ensures residents can receive visits from family, caregivers, friends, and spiritual advisors without restrictions during emergencies. This directly affects residents of these facilities by legally guaranteeing consistent visitation rights previously subject to facility discretion or emergency closures.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
upper
2 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors