Provides for notification to hospital patients upon intake of reports of hospital-acquired infections

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Lanza

Hospitals must notify patients at intake about reports of hospital-acquired infections, informing them early when HAI data related to their admission is available.

REFERRED TO HEALTH

Overview

S 7102, introduced on April 1, 2025 and sponsored by Andrew J. Lanza (primary), is currently referred to the Health Committee. The bill would require hospitals to notify patients at intake of reports concerning hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The aim appears to be increasing transparency and patient awareness regarding HAIs.

What the bill would do

Establish a requirement for hospital notification to patients at the time of intake (admission) regarding reports of hospital-acquired infections.

Center the act on communicating to patients when information about HAIs is available, with the goal of informing patients about potential infection-related findings tied to their hospitalization.

Key provisions and changes (as described)

Notification obligation: Hospitals would be required to notify patients upon intake when there are reports of hospital-acquired infections.

Content and delivery: The provided information does not specify exact content, language requirements, or notification methods. Details on how the notification must be delivered (e.g., written, electronic, interpreter services) and what information must be included would be defined in the full text.

Privacy and compliance: The bill’s summary does not outline privacy safeguards or regulatory penalties, though those issues would typically be addressed in the final language.

Scope and standards: The bill would set standards for when and how hospitals must disclose HAI-related reports to patients, potentially including definitions of what constitutes an HAI report and who qualifies as a patient recipient.

Who would be affected

Hospitals and health systems: Primary entities responsible for implementing the notification requirement.

Hospital patients: Recipients of the notifications, who would receive information about HAIs at intake.

Healthcare staff and administration: Responsible for disseminating notifications and ensuring compliance with the new requirement.

Implementation timeline and process

Introduction date: April 1, 2025.

Status: Referred to Health (as of the provided information). No enacted date or phase-in schedule is available in the summary.

Additional steps: If advanced, the bill would likely proceed to committee hearings, potential amendments, and floor votes, with implementation details established in the final enacted text.

Legislative context

Related bills from prior sessions (e.g., S 4572, S 2143, S 5283, S 496, S 6187, S 6193, S 3276, S 6179, S 5047) suggest ongoing legislative interest in hospital infection transparency and patient notification.

This bill adds to that thread by formalizing a notification obligation at the point of hospital intake.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to emphasize potential regulatory, privacy, or implementation questions once the full text becomes available.

Bill