SB517

Senate Bill 517 amends the Arkansas 'No Patient Left Alone Act' to establish specific requirements for clergy member visitation in healthcare facilities. The bill mandates that if a facility allows any form of in-person visitation, it must permit clergy members to visit patients who request or consent to such visits, including during states of emergency. For patients whose death is imminent, facilities are required to grant clergy visitation upon the request of the patient, their healthcare agent, or their support person. The bill allows facilities to impose reasonable health and safety precautions, such as screenings and the use of personal protective equipment, provided these measures do not substantially burden the clergy member's free exercise of religion. If a precaution is deemed a substantial burden, it can only be enforced if it serves a compelling government interest using the least restrictive means. Additionally, the bill permits facilities to restrict clergy members who fail health screenings or test positive for communicable diseases, and it specifies that these protections do not preempt existing laws that provide equal or greater rights.