§ 63-1-1919. Person authorized to have access to facilities - Violations - Exemptions.

A.  Any employee or agent of a public agency or any representative of a community legal services program or any member of a nonprofit community supported agency which provides health or social services to the elderly, or any member of a church group, association of older persons or community service club which provides volunteers for service to nursing home residents shall be permitted access at reasonable hours, which shall be 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., to any individual resident of any facility, if the purpose of such agency, program or organization includes rendering assistance to residents without charge, but only if there is neither a commercial purpose nor affect to such access and if the purpose is to do any of the following:

1.  Visit, talk with and make personal, social and legal services available to all residents;

2.  Inform residents of their rights and entitlements and their corresponding obligations, under federal and state laws, by means of educational materials and discussions in groups and with individual residents;

3.  Assist residents in asserting their legal rights regarding claims for public assistance, medical assistance and Social Security benefits, as well as in all other matters in which residents are aggrieved.  Assistance may include counseling and litigation; or

4.  Engage in other methods of asserting, advising and representing residents so as to extend to them full enjoyment of their rights.

B.  All persons entering a facility under this section shall promptly notify appropriate facility personnel of their presence. They shall, upon request, produce identification to establish their identity.  No such person shall enter the immediate living area of any resident without first identifying himself and then receiving permission from the resident to enter.  The rights of other residents present in the room shall be respected.  A resident may terminate at any time a visit by a person having access to the resident's living area under this section.

C.  This section shall not limit the power of the Department or other public agency otherwise permitted or required by law to enter and inspect a facility.

D.  Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the administrator of a facility may refuse access to the facility to any person if the presence of that person in the facility would be injurious to the health and safety of a resident or would threaten the security of the property of a resident or the facility, or if the person seeks access to the facility for commercial purposes. Any person refused access to a facility may within ten (10) days request a hearing.  In that proceeding, the burden of proof as to the right of the facility to refuse access under this section shall be on the facility.

E.  This section shall not apply to any inspection team of the Department or any other agency.

Laws 1980, c. 241, § 19, eff. Oct. 1, 1980.