CHAPTER 378
H.P. 1160 - L.D. 1560
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1711-D is enacted to read:
§1711-D. Designation of visitors in hospital settings
1. Designation of visitors. A patient in a hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 405 may designate persons to be considered as immediate family members for the purpose of granting visitation rights. The following provisions apply to the designation of visitors under this section.
A. The patient must be 18 years of age or older or a minor who is authorized by law to consent to health care.
B. The patient must be a patient in a critical care unit that restricts visitors to immediate family members, or emergency room that restricts visitors to immediate family members.
C. The patient may designate visitors under this section by communicating the designation to a health care provider at the hospital orally or in writing. The patient may designate visitors, change the designation or revoke the designation at any time.
D. A hospital shall provide to patients in the hospital a process by which to designate visitors under this section and shall note in the patient's medical record the names of designated visitors, the date of the designation and any changes in the designation.
E. Except as provided in subsection 2, a hospital may not deny visitation to the patient by a designated visitor during hospital visiting hours.
2. Exceptions. A hospital may deny visitation with a patient to any visitor designated under this section if:
A. The hospital denies all visitors;
B. The hospital determines that the presence of the visitor might endanger the health or safety of the patient or interfere with the primary operations of the hospital; or
C. The patient has communicated orally or in writing the choice not to visit with the visitor.
3. Rulemaking. By March 1, 2002, the department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.
Effective September 21, 2001, unless otherwise indicated.
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