Tennessee Senator Proposes Bill To Prohibit Hospitals From Restricting In-Person Visitation Of Patients (Update 1.29.24)

****Update 1.29.24 – Last Week, A Tennessee Senate Bill That Would Require Hospitals To Allow In-Person Visitation For The Entirety Of A Patient’s Hospital Stay Was Deferred. The Bill Now Appears On The Schedule To Be Heard In The Senate Health And Welfare Committee On 1.31.24. The contact information for the committee members has been added at the end of the article.***

Image Credit: Nick Kenrick /CC

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17) has introduced a bill that would require hospitals to allow in-person visitation for the entirety of a patient’s hospital stay.

Senate Bill 1641 (SB1641) stipulates that an individual who is “designated to make healthcare decisions” has the right to visit at least once per day with the patient.

The hospital will be allowed to require the designee to submit to “non-invasive health and safety protocols” in order to enter the hospital.

The bill also prohibits hospitals, the governor or governor’s designee, or any individual or entity acting on behalf of the state or a political subdivision of the state from terminating, suspending, waiving, or limiting the visitation, even in the case of the declaration of a disaster or emergency.

State-run hospitals that are designated for mental health treatment are excluded from the legislation.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee was scheduled to hear the bill in their January 24 meeting; action on the bill was deferred, however, and it is now set on the committee’s January 31 calendar.

The House version of the bill, HB1883, is sponsored by Representative Kip Capley (R-Summertown-District 71). It has not yet been scheduled on a committee calendar.

To voice your support or opposition to SB1641, use the information below to contact the committee members prior to their scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 31^st, 2024.

Senator Rusty Crowe (R) – Chair – sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2468

Senator Ferrell Haile (R) – Vice Chair – sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1999

Senator Shane Reeves (R) – 2nd Vice Chair – sen.shane.reeves@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1066

Senator Joey Hensley (R) – sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3100

Senator Ed Jackson (R) – sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1810

Senator Becky Massey (R) – sen.becky.massey@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1648

Senator Art Swann (R) – sen.art.swann@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-0981

Senator Bo Watson (R) – sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3227

Senator Jeff Yarbro (D) – sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3291