Tex.
Health & Safety Code Section 260C.002
In-person Visitation with Religious Counselor
(a)
A health care facility may not prohibit a resident or patient of the facility from receiving in-person visitation with a religious counselor during a public health emergency on the request of:(1)
the patient or resident; or(2)
if the patient or resident is incapacitated, the patient’s or resident’s legally authorized representative, including a family member of the patient or resident.(b)
Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the executive commissioner by rule shall develop guidelines to assist health care facilities in establishing in-person religious counselor visitation policies and procedures. The guidelines must:(1)
establish minimum health and safety requirements for in-person visitation with religious counselors;(2)
allow health care facilities to adopt reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on in-person visitation with religious counselors to:(A)
mitigate the spread of a communicable disease; and(B)
address the patient’s or resident’s medical condition;(3)
provide special consideration to patients and residents who are receiving end-of-life care; and(4)
allow health care facilities to condition in-person visitation with religious counselors on the counselor’s compliance with guidelines, policies, and procedures established under this subsection.(c)
A health care facility may prohibit in-person visitation with a religious counselor during a public health emergency if federal law or a federal agency requires the health care facility to prohibit in-person visitation during that period.
Source:
Section 260C.002 — In-person Visitation with Religious Counselor, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.260C.htm#260C.002 (accessed Jun. 5, 2024).
