{"data":{"id":"us-ut/utah-code-26b-2-242","jurisdiction":"us-ut","citation":"Utah Code § 26B-2-242","heading":"Visitation policy.","body":"(1) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Patient\" means an individual who receives care or services from a health care facility.\n(b) \"Personal representative\" means an individual described in 45 C.F.R. Sec. 164.502(g).\n(c) \"Primary visitor\" means an individual who a patient designates under Subsection (3).\n(2) A health care facility shall establish visitation policies and procedures that shall, at a minimum, include provisions regarding:\n(a) infection control;\n(b) infection control education for visitors;\n(c) personal protective equipment requirements when necessary for infection control;\n(d) for a visitor who is not a primary visitor:\n(i) maximum duration of visits;\n(ii) maximum number of visitors a patient may have each day;\n(iii) maximum number of visitors a patient may have at one time; and\n(e) the individual or position at the health care facility that is responsible for ensuring that staff adhere to the policies and procedures.\n(3)\n(a) A patient or the patient's personal representative may designate one individual as a primary visitor.\n(b) Except as provided in Subsection (5), a health care facility may not limit the duration or frequency of a primary visitor's visits to the designating patient.\n(4) A health care facility may not:\n(a) require a visitor or primary visitor to comply with infection control measures that are more restrictive than the infection control measures the health care facility requires of the health care facility's staff;\n(b) require a visitor or primary visitor to show proof of vaccination or immunization status;\n(c) except as provided in Subsection (5), prohibit physical contact between the visitor and the patient the visitor is visiting; or\n(d) deny a visitor or primary visitor access to the patient unless visitation is denied, modified, or limited as provided in Subsection (5).\n(5) A health care facility may:\n(a) exclude certain areas of the health care facility from visitor and primary visitor access;\n(b) require a visitor or a primary visitor to agree in writing to follow the health care facility's visitation policies and procedures before allowing access to the patient;\n(c) suspend or refuse in-person visitation for a visitor or a primary visitor if the visitor or primary visitor violates the health care facility's visitation policies and procedures;\n(d) remove a visitor or primary visitor or deny visitation, if the patient is undergoing a procedure or receiving treatment that would be impeded by visitation;\n(e) deny visitation for a visitor or primary visitor if the patient or personal representative objects to the visit; or\n(f) prohibit physical contact or visitation if:\n(i) the visit or physical contact is prohibited by law;\n(ii) the patient is in the custody of the state; or\n(iii) the health care facility determines the visit or physical contact:\n(A) creates a physical safety risk to the patient, the visitor or primary visitor, or the health care facility's staff;\n(B) is counter therapeutic to the patient's well-being; or\n(C) is disruptive to the patient's care or treatment.\n(6) A health care facility shall provide the department with a copy of the health care facility's visitation policies and procedures:\n(a) upon the department's request; and\n(b) when the health care facility:\n(i) obtains a license to operate from the department;\n(ii) renews the license from the department; and\n(iii) changes ownership.\n(7) A health care facility shall make visitation policies and procedures created in accordance with this section available on the health care facility's website.\n(8) The department shall provide:\n(a) a description of the requirements of this section on the department's website; and\n(b) a method for the public to report a violation of this section.\n(9) This section does not apply to the Utah State Hospital.","path":["Title 26B Utah Health and Human Services Code","Chapter 26B-2 Licensing and Certifications","Part 26B-2-2 Health Care Facility Licensing and Inspection"],"source_url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26B/Chapter2/26B-2-S242.html","current_through":"2026 General Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-03T11:34:33Z","sha256":"91fb0e4b53884d6e754ae2661d935c9df5516a67a122fb7ec2dc76c92911b87b","source_id":"us-ut","stale":false,"prev":"us-ut/utah-code-26b-2-241","next":"us-ut/utah-code-26b-2-243"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}