Hearing on resident-rights bill surfaces privacy, liability and operational questions; Department seeks more stakeholder work

The Senate Human Services Committee opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 2070, a Department of Health and Human Services request bill that would revise the statutory resident-rights chapter for long-term care facilities to reflect new technology and clarify transfer, discharge and billing procedures.

Carla Bachman, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, presented the changes as an effort to update statutory language, protect resident privacy and reduce recurring complaints the ombudsman's office receives about transfers and discharge notices. The bill would rename and expand definitions (for example, distinguishing "authorized electronic recording" from "technology device" and "virtual visitation"), shorten the window for the initial oral statement of resident rights from 30 to 14 days, set more detailed content requirements for transfer and discharge notices, require facilities to make copies of transfer/discharge notices to the ombudsman's office, strengthen anti-retaliation language, and add timeframes for payout of resident personal funds and refunds.

Bachman said stakeholder meetings were held with…