‘Never Alone Act’ passes Ohio’s General Assembly, awaits governor

The “Never Alone Act,” sponsored by Ashland County State Rep. Melanie Miller and one of Knox County’s representatives, Beth Lear, passed the Ohio House of Representatives Dec. 11.According to Richland Source, that was the last step in the legislative process for the bill, which now awaits a signature from Gov. Mike DeWine before it becomes law. For more on what the bill will do, visit this story under local news at our website. 

A press release from Miller’s office outlines what the bill will do:

• Requires a congregate care setting to inform a patient or resident that the patient or resident may designate an individual to serve as an advocate and to provide the patient or resident the opportunity to make a designation.
• Prohibits a congregate care setting from 1: denying a patient or resident access to an advocate and 2: prohibiting an advocate from being physically present with a patient or resident.
• Prohibits a political subdivision, public official, or state agency from issuing an order or rule, or enforcing on behalf of the federal government a federal order or rule, that would require a care setting to violate the bill’s provisions.
• Requires the Department of Health to create a Never Alone information sheet and each congregate care setting to provide each patient or resident with a copy at the time of admission.