Senate committee advances bill allowing in-room cameras in residential care when authorized by resident or guardian

BOISE — The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 337 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation after a nearly hourlong discussion over whether residents or their authorized representatives should be allowed to install electronic monitoring devices in residential care settings.

Representative Dory Healy, R-District 15, told the committee the bill responds to constituent requests and emerging national practice. “This allows loved ones or the resident to put a camera in their room so that families can help check in on them,” Healy said, adding the measure is optional and the resident or a resident’s guardian or health care agent may authorize installation.

Supporters said in-room cameras can help detect abuse and provide families with reassurance when they cannot visit frequently. Healy noted other states have adopted similar laws and that the bill requires cameras to be placed so facilities can assist residents “while maintaining the privacy of the residents’ sensitive and intimate body areas.”

Industry witnesses and…