{"data":{"id":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-20-6-402","jurisdiction":"us-ar","citation":"Ark. Code Ann. § 20-6-402","heading":"Legislative findings","body":"The General Assembly finds that:\n\n(1) The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused great uncertainty and anxiety across the state and has significantly affected the medical community, including hospitals;\n\n(2) Healthcare facilities have made many efforts to maintain a safe environment for patients and employees and have worked to minimize, to the extent possible, the risk of spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19);\n\n(3) There have been unintended consequences of these preventative measures for patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19);\n\n(4) Across the state, patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) have been prohibited from having any visitors;\n\n(5) As a result, many patients who were not diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) have been required to be alone during their treatment for serious conditions, traumas, illnesses, and routine and emergency surgeries;\n\n(6) Some of these patients have been required to be alone for the entire course of their treatment and in some cases have died alone;\n\n(7) Many families have been unable to be physically present with their loved ones who are being treated in a healthcare facility and have been limited to electronic video communications, if any, with their loved ones; and\n\n(8) It is in the interest of the state and its citizens that a patient be allowed at least one (1) support person who is permitted to be physically present with the patient on a daily basis at reasonable times throughout his or her hospitalization, visit to the office of a healthcare professional, or institutionalization.","path":["AR Code","Title 20","Chapter 6","Subchapter 4"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_ar_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:41Z","sha256":"fe7a93d81292b46659578777adf5423dfb24c9681b4e2efd96effa7d923138ac","source_id":"us-ar","stale":false,"prev":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-20-6-401","next":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-20-6-403"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}