Public Health Committee advances bill to extend virtual visitation protections to residential care homes

The Public Health Committee met to consider House Bill 5142, which would extend protections for virtual visitation and monitoring from nursing homes to residential care homes and make it a class B violation for a facility to hinder a resident’s lawful use of such technology. Senator Ammoir moved the bill out of committee and Representative Belton seconded the motion.

The committee’s chair said the bill largely extends existing rules in nursing homes to residential care homes but noted the text was still being revised by the Aging Committee. "My understanding is that this bill will continue to change as it moves through the process," the chair said, and members were told amendments remained under negotiation.

Senator Amar raised operational and privacy concerns during discussion, saying the committee should not advance the measure without addressing the privacy risks it could create. "We obviously want people to have the visitation, but we also want to make sure that their privacy is protected at all times," Senator Amar said.

Clerks called the roll after discussion. Several members recorded votes and the chair announced that votes would be held open until 4:30 p.m. to accommodate members not present during the roll call. The committee did not record a final, closed tally during the meeting; leadership said further amendment work is expected in the Aging Committee before the bill reaches the floor.

What’s next: HB5142 remains pending. Committee members signaled that they expect amendment language from the Aging Committee; the roll call was left open until 4:30 for any additional votes to be submitted.