Arkansas § 20-6-402 Legislative findings

Arkansas Statutes

§ 20-6-402 — Legislative findings

Arkansas § 20-6-402

Title20

This text of Arkansas § 20-6-402 (Legislative findings) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ark. Code Ann. § 20-6-402 (2026).

Text

The General Assembly finds that:

(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;

(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);

(3)There have been unintended consequences of these preventative measures for patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19);

(4)Across the state, patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) have been prohibited from having any visitors;

(5)As a result, many patients who were not diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) ha

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

The General Assembly finds that: (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; (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); (3) There have been unintended consequences of these preventative measures for patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19); (4) Across the state, patients who have not been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) have been prohibited from having any visitors; (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; (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; (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 (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.