Senate Passes “No Patient Left Alone Act”

Measure requires healthcare facilities to follow federal visitation guidelines, creates patient visitation rights

Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate today passed Senate Bill 191, “The No Patient Left Alone Act,” which ensures that ailing loved ones in healthcare facilities can have a visitor present in their most trying moments.

During the most stringent phase of COVID-19 restrictions, spouses and family members were denied compassionate care visits, and many died alone.

The No Patient Left Alone Act creates mandatory visitation rights for patients, including in nursing homes and hospice care facilities, and requires those facilities to follow federal guidelines for visitation.

Facilities found violating visitation rights would be subject to a $500 fine per day for each incident.

Sen. Warren Daniel (R-Burke), who sponsored the bill, said, “No human being should be left to die alone, forcibly separated from a loved one.”

Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth), who also sponsored the bill, said, “The fact that so many families were forced apart during a critical time is heartbreaking. We must prevent this tragedy from happening again.”

The bill passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 49–0. It now goes to Gov. Roy Cooper for signature.