On Wednesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed into law bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. Quang Nguyen, that requires hospitals to facilitate in-person spiritual care visitations for patients during end-of-life situations.
HB 2575 ensures patients and their representatives are provided notice of the hospital’s
visitation policy, and it requires a hospital to facilitate an in-person visit by clergy for religious purposes if the hospital allows in-person visitation of any kind.
Nguyen’s bill safeguards health and safety, requiring clergy members to comply with all reasonable precautions imposed by hospitals when interacting with patients.
“Pandemic or not, people should have the right to receive in-person spiritual care, especially
when they are near the end of their life,” said Nguyen. “It’s hard to imagine,
but that isn’t always accommodated, especially during the past year. That’s why I sponsored
this bill providing a commonsense protection for patients and their families who seek
spiritual comfort and support during such a difficult time.”