The New Jersey Department of Health (Department) is proposing amendments to the Hospital Licensing Standards, at N.J.A.C. 8:43G-1.2 and 4.1, establishing standards governing a hospital patient’s right to be accompanied by a “support person” while in the hospital. The proposed amendments would define the term, “support person,” and establish, as a patient right, the right of a hospital patient to be accompanied by the patient’s designated support person throughout treatment, in areas where communication between hospital staff, professionals, and patients would normally take place.

The Notice of Proposal appears in the April 7, 2025, issue of the New Jersey Register.  Persons wishing to comment on the proposal must submit written comments either electronically by June 6, 2025, to https://www.nj.gov/health/legal/rules/notice-of-rule-proposals/ecomments.shtml, or by regular mail postmarked by June 6, 2025, to Kimberly E. Jenkins, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360.

LexisNexis® provides free online access to the New Jersey Register through the website of the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law at https://www.nj.gov/oal/rules/accessp.  An unofficial copy of the Notice of Proposal is available on the Department’s website at https://www.nj.gov/health/legal/rules.