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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 219 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 219

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to codify patients' 
         rights to hospital visitation, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2023

     Mr. Van Drew (for himself, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, and Mr. Harris) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
    Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to codify patients' 
         rights to hospital visitation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``No Patient Left Alone Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PATIENT VISITATION RIGHTS.

    Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph 
                (10);
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(9) has written policies and procedures regarding the 
        visitation rights of individuals receiving items and services 
        at the institution, which shall include a description of any 
        clinically necessary or reasonable restriction or limitation 
        that such institution may need to place on such rights and the 
        reasons for the clinical restriction or limitation, and a 
        requirement that such institution--
                    ``(A) inform each such individual of his or her 
                visitation rights, including any clinical restriction 
                or limitation on such rights;
                    ``(B) inform each such individual of the right, 
                subject to the individual's consent, to receive the 
                visitors whom the individual designates, including a 
                spouse, another family member, or a friend, and the 
                individual's right to withdraw or deny such consent at 
                any time;
                    ``(C) may not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny 
                visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, 
                national origin, religion, sex, or disability; and
                    ``(D) ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal 
                visitation privileges consistent with this paragraph; 
                and''; and
                    (D) in the matter following paragraph (10), as 
                redesignated, by striking ``paragraph (9)'' each place 
                it appears and inserting ``paragraph (10)'' in each 
                such place; and
            (2) in subsection (f), by striking ``(9)'' and inserting 
        ``(10)''.
                                 <all>
```