Committee sends bill to allow family-installed cameras in long-term care to the House floor

The Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 337 to the House floor with a "do pass" recommendation after debating a proposal that would allow residents or their families to install electronic-monitoring devices in private rooms at long-term care facilities.

Sponsor Representative Megan Healy, R-District 15, told the committee the bill would "enhance residential safety" and "empower family and residents" by giving loved ones a tool to oversee care when they cannot be present. "It increases accountability and transparency," Healy said, adding that the measure follows similar laws enacted in other states and that it would impose no state cost because families, not facilities, would pay for devices and connectivity.

Supporters and family members told the committee they have used cameras to document problems in care settings. Monte Morland, who said he moved his parents into a memory-care facility in 2023, described putting cameras in his parents'…