Authorizes patients to designate an essential visitor who may assist the patient and perform certain duties on behalf of the patient, including communicating with facility staff regarding the needs of the patient, providing emotional stability and company, and requesting additional care or a change in the care plan.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5702
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 20, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GIGLIO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing
patients to designate an essential visitor who may assist the patient
and perform certain duties on behalf of the patient
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2801 of the public health law is amended by adding
2 a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
3 15. "Essential visitor" shall mean a family member, attorney in fact,
4 health care proxy or other individual designated by a patient who has
5 been admitted to the hospital for more than two days and who provides
6 emotional and physical support and assistance to the patient. Such
7 assistance may include: help with eating and dressing when staff is
8 unavailable, providing emotional support due to lack of contact with
9 individuals outside of the hospital, and communicating patients' needs
10 to staff when necessary.
11 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 2803-c of the public health law is
12 amended by adding a new paragraph s to read as follows:
13 s. Every patient shall have the right to designate one individual as
14 an essential visitor who shall act as an advocate for the patient.
15 Duties of the essential visitor shall include, but not be limited to,
16 communicating with facility staff regarding the needs of the patient,
17 providing emotional stability and company for the patient while staff is
18 unavailable, and requesting additional care or a change in the current
19 care plan if necessary.
20 § 3. Section 2803-c of the public health law is amended by adding a
21 new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
22 7. a. Any individual designated as an essential visitor pursuant to
23 this section shall be permitted unrestricted access and visitation to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02301-01-5
A. 5702 2
1 the resident at the hospital in which such patient is residing in order
2 to provide the necessary aid described pursuant to this section.
3 b. Nothing in this section shall prevent a facility from requiring
4 precautionary measures be taken by essential visitors prior to admit-
5 tance or denying entry to an essential visitor based on non-compliance
6 with precautionary procedures. Precautionary measures may include, but
7 are not limited to, screenings for potential diseases or viruses that
8 may be brought into the facility and requiring essential visitors to
9 supply their own personal protective equipment.
10 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
