Bill Text: CA AB960 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Patient visitation.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2025-10-01 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 172, Statutes of 2025. [AB960 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB960-Chaptered.html
Assembly Bill
No. 960
CHAPTER 172
An act to add Section 1261.1 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health facilities.
[
Approved by
Governor
October 01, 2025.
Filed with
Secretary of State
October 01, 2025.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 960, Garcia.
Patient visitation.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Public Health of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, as defined. Existing law requires a health facility to allow a patient’s domestic partner, the children of the patient’s domestic partner, and the domestic partner of the patient’s parent or child to visit unless no visitors are allowed, the facility reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, a member of the health facility staff, or other visitor to the health facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of a facility, or the patient has indicated to the health facility staff that the patient does not want this person to visit. A violation of this provision is a misdemeanor.
This bill would require a
general acute care hospital to allow a patient with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, a patient with cognitive impairment, including dementia, and a patient with another disability, as specified, to have a family or friend caregiver with them as needed, including outside standard visiting hours, unless specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the hospital reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of the visitor, a patient, a member of the staff, or other visitor to the hospital, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the hospital. The bill would not prohibit a hospital from otherwise establishing reasonable restrictions upon visitation. The bill would authorize the hospital to impose legitimate health and safety requirements on visitors, as specified. The bill would specify that its provisions do not prohibit
restrictions to patient visitation policies implemented during a state of emergency declared by the Governor, a health emergency declared by the State Public Health Officer, or a local health emergency declared by a local health officer, as specified. The bill would specify that its provisions do not create any new civil or criminal liability, including, but not limited to, liability for any illness, infection, or injury experienced by a patient or visitor on the part of a hospital that complies with its requirements. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act
for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1261.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:1261.1.
(a) (1) A general acute care hospital, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1250, shall allow a patient with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, a patient with cognitive impairment, including dementia, and a patient with another disability, as necessary to allow the patient to fully and equally benefit from any goods, services, or facilities offered by the hospital, to have a family or friend caregiver with them as needed, including outside standard visiting hours, unless any of the following conditions apply:(A) The
hospital reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of the visitor, a patient, a member of the staff, or other visitor to the hospital, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the hospital.
(B) This section does not require a hospital to permit a visitor who is violent or potentially violent to enter the facility or visit a patient.
(C) The delivery of medical care would be impeded by the presence of the family or friend caregiver.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that this subdivision ensures liberal visitation rights for patients with disabilities or cognitive impairment while at the same time recognizing hospitals’ obligations to provide a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors.
(b) This section does not prohibit a hospital from otherwise establishing reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including age of visitors,
supervision of minor visitors, and number of visitors.
(c) The hospital may impose legitimate health and safety requirements on visitors, including, but not limited to, requiring masking, excluding sick visitors, limiting access to certain areas of the facility, and prohibiting the visitor from bringing in prohibited items.
(d) If circumstances require restricted visitor access, the hospital shall allow visitation by family members or caregivers to the greatest extent possible to allow the patient to fully and equally benefit from any goods, services, or facilities offered by the hospital while maintaining patient, visitor, and staff health and safety.
(e) This section does not prohibit restrictions to visitation policies implemented during a state of emergency
declared by the Governor, a health emergency declared by the State Public Health Officer, or a local health emergency declared by a local health officer to limit contact with patients or staff at a general acute care hospital in order to prevent or limit the spread of a contagious, infectious, or communicable disease.
(f) This section does not create any new civil or criminal liability, including, but not limited to, liability for any illness, infection, or injury experienced by a patient or visitor on the part of a hospital that complies with its requirements.
