[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4325 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4325

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide hospitals 
         extend fair visitor privileges to non-family members.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 1996

 Mr. Schumer (for himself, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Shays) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide hospitals 
         extend fair visitor privileges to non-family members.

    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 ``Patient's Compassion and Visitation 
Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR HOSPITALS TO EXTEND FAIR VISITORS PRIVILEGES TO 
              NON-FAMILY MEMBERS.

    (a) Requirement.--Title XVIII of the Social Security Act is amended 
by inserting after section 1867 the following new section:

                        ``visitors' fair access

    ``Sec. 1867A. (a) In General.--A hospital or rural primary care 
hospital shall extend to a visitor of an inpatient who is designated by 
the inpatient but who is not a relative of the inpatient the same 
visiting privileges as apply to visitors who are relatives of the 
inpatient.
    ``(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as 
preventing a hospital from establishing rules and procedures governing 
time, duration, location, age restrictions, and other terms and 
conditions of inpatient visitation, so long as such terms and 
conditions do not treat designated visitors who are not relatives 
differently from visitors who are relatives.
    ``(c) Enforcement.--The provisions of paragraphs (1)(A) and (2) of 
subsection (d) of section 1867 (relating to civil monetary penalties 
and civil enforcement) shall apply to violations of subsection (a) in 
the same manner as they apply to violations of such section.''.
    (b) Part of Hospital Participation Agreement.--Section 1866(a)(1) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395cc(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (Q),
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (R) 
        and inserting ``; and'', and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (R) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(S) in the case of a hospital or rural primary care 
        hospital, to adopt and enforce a policy to ensure compliance 
        with the requirements of section 1867A and to meet the 
        requirements of such section.''
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to the extension of visiting privileges occurring on or after the 
first day of the first month that begins more than 45 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>