1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; authorizing electronic monitoring in certain health care facilities;  
1.3 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [144.6504] ADDITIONAL ELECTRONIC MONITORING IN HEALTH 
1.6 	CARE FACILITIES.
1.7 	(a) To address and combat the occurrence of patient abuse in health care facilities, it is 
1.8 	necessary to allow electronic monitoring in patient rooms. Studies document the prevalence 
1.9 	of abusive acts against patients occurring among vulnerable patients. The vulnerable patient 
1.10 	groups include but are not limited to:
1.11 	(1) elderly patients;
1.12 	(2) young patients;
1.13 	(3) neurodivergent patients;
1.14 	(4) patients with physical or mental disabilities;
1.15 	(5) pediatric patients; and
1.16 	(6) patients with impaired cognition.
1.17 	Patients admitted to health care facilities defined in this paragraph for a continuous period 
1.18 	longer than 24 hours may conduct electronic monitoring of their rooms using electronic 
1.19 	monitoring devices placed in their rooms as provided in section 144.6502. "Health care 
1.20 	facilities" means hospitals licensed under sections 144.50 to 144.56, residential hospice 
1.21 	facilities licensed under section 144A.753, and birth centers licensed under section 144.615. 
2.1 	"Electronic monitoring device" has the meaning given in section 144.6502, subdivision 1, 
2.2 	paragraph (e).
2.3 	(b) The provisions of electronic monitoring in section 144.6502 apply to this section.