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SB2196 • 2026

No Patient Left Alone Act; enact.

AN ACT TO ENACT THE NO PATIENT LEFT ALONE ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHALL ALLOW CLIENTS TO RECEIVE VISITORS DURING THEIR ADMISSION TO, OR RESIDENCY AT, THE PROVIDER'S FACILITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; TO REQUIRE A PROVIDER TO ALLOW IN-PERSON VISITS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO PROVIDE THAT IF CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE A PROVIDER TO RESTRICT PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE FACILITY DUE TO HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERNS, THE PROVIDER SHALL DEVELOP ALTERNATE VISITATION PROTOCOLS THAT ALLOW VISITATION TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE WHILE MAINTAINING CLIENT HEALTH AND SAFETY; TO PROVIDE THAT IF A PROVIDER DOES NOT CORRECT A VIOLATION IN THE TIME SPECIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR REPEATS A VIOLATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL IMPOSE AN ADMINISTRATIVE FINE OF AT LEAST $500.00 PER VIOLATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Chism
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so its provisions are no longer relevant or enforceable.

No Patient Left Alone Act

This act requires health care providers to allow visitors for patients during their stay or residency at the facility under certain conditions and rules set by the Department of Health.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires health care providers to let clients have visitors while they are in the hospital or living there, according to rules made by the Department of Health.
  • Allows in-person visits when a client is near death, struggling with being away from family, grieving, needing help eating or drinking, showing signs of emotional distress, or other circumstances deemed appropriate by the Department of Health.
  • Requires health care providers to develop alternate visitation protocols if public access must be restricted due to health or safety concerns.
  • Health care providers must submit their visitation policies to the Department of Health annually for approval and update them as needed within 30 days if deficiencies are found.
  • Providers must inform clients about their visitation rights and provide contact information for reporting violations on a dedicated webpage maintained by the Department of Health.
  • The Department of Health can impose an administrative fine of at least $500 per violation if providers do not correct issues within 30 days or repeat violations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health care providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
  • Patients in health care facilities.
  • Visitors of patients in health care facilities.

Terms To Know

Provider
A hospital or other place where people get medical care.
Client
Someone who is getting treatment at a healthcare facility, like a patient in the hospital.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
  • It would have taken effect on July 1, 2026, but since it did not pass, this date is no longer relevant.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (S) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-13 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/13 (S) Referred To Public Health and Welfare

Official Summary Text

No Patient Left Alone Act; enact.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2196 *SS08/R504* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R504
PAGE 1 (baf\kr)

To: Public Health and
Welfare
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Chism

SENATE BILL NO. 2196

AN ACT TO ENACT THE NO PATIENT LEFT ALONE ACT; TO PROVIDE 1
THAT A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHALL ALLOW CLIENTS TO RECEIVE 2
VISITORS DURING THEIR ADMISSION TO, OR RESIDENCY AT, THE 3
PROVIDER'S FACILITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES PROMULGATED BY THE 4
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; TO REQUIRE A PROVIDER TO ALLOW IN-PERSON 5
VISITS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO PROVIDE THAT IF CIRCUMSTANCES 6
REQUIRE A PROVIDER TO RESTRICT PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE FACILITY DUE 7
TO HEALTH OR SAFETY CONCERNS, THE PROVIDER SHALL DEVELOP ALTERNATE 8
VISITATION PROTOCOLS THAT ALLOW VISITATION TO THE GREATEST EXTENT 9
POSSIBLE WHILE MAINTAINING CLIENT HEALTH AND SAFETY; TO PROVIDE 10
THAT IF A PROVIDER DOES NOT CORRECT A VIOLATION IN THE TIME 11
SPECIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR REPEATS A VIOLATION, THE 12
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL IMPOSE AN ADMINISTRATIVE FINE OF AT 13
LEAST $500.00 PER VIOLATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 15
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 16
"No Patient Left Alone Act." 17
SECTION 2. (1) A health care provider shall allow clients 18
to receive visitors during their admission to, or residency at, 19
the provider's facility in accordance with rules promulgated by 20
the Department of Health. 21
(2) If circumstances require a provider to restrict public 22
access to the facility due to health or safety concerns, the 23
provider shall develop alternate visitation protocols that allow 24
S. B. No. 2196 *SS08/R504* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R504
PAGE 2 (baf\kr)

visitation to the greatest extent possible while maintaining 25
client health and safety. 26
(3) A provider that admits clients to its facility or serves 27
clients who are residents in the provider's facility must allow 28
in-person visits in all of the following circumstances: 29
(a) End-of-life situations; 30
(b) A client who was living with his or her family 31
before recently being admitted to the provider's facility and who 32
is struggling with the change in environment and lack of physical 33
family support; 34
(c) A client who is grieving the loss of a friend or 35
family member who recently died; 36
(d) A client who needs cueing or encouragement to eat 37
or drink and was previously provided such cueing or encouragement 38
by a family member or caregiver, and the client is experiencing 39
weight loss or dehydration; 40
(e) A client who previously talked and interacted with 41
others and is experiencing emotional distress, is seldom speaking 42
or is crying more frequently than he or she did previously; and 43
(f) Any other circumstance the Department of Health 44
deems appropriate. 45
(4) To ensure the health and safety of clients, a provider 46
may require visitors to adhere to infection control protocols, 47
including passing a health screening and wearing personal 48
protective equipment while on the premises of the provider's 49
S. B. No. 2196 *SS08/R504* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R504
PAGE 3 (baf\kr)

facility. A provider may refuse visitation if the visitor does 50
not pass a health screening or refuses to comply with the 51
provider's infection control protocols. 52
(5) Providers shall submit their visitation policies to the 53
Department of Health by January 1 each year for approval. If the 54
department finds any provision of a provider's visitation policy 55
deficient or not in compliance with this section or the 56
department's rules, the provider must submit an updated policy 57
conforming such provision within thirty (30) days after the 58
department's notice. 59
(6) Providers must notify clients and, if possible, their 60
family members or caregivers of their visitation rights under this 61
section and provide them with the contact information for the 62
Department of Health and the link to the dedicated webpage on the 63
department's website specified in subsection (7) of this section. 64
(7) The Department of Health must dedicate a webpage on its 65
website to explain visitation rights authorized under this section 66
and provide a method for individuals to report violations of this 67
section to the department. The department shall investigate a 68
report of a violation within thirty (30) days after receiving the 69
report. 70
(8) If a provider does not correct a violation in the time 71
specified by the Department of Health or repeats a violation, the 72
department shall impose an administrative fine of at least Five 73
Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per violation. Each occurrence and each 74
S. B. No. 2196 *SS08/R504* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: No Patient Left Alone Act; enact.
day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate 75
violation. 76
(9) The Department of Health shall adopt rules to implement 77
this section. 78
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 79
and after July 1, 2026. 80