Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg is hopeful that Senate Bill 53, which would allow a patient in a hospital or nusing home to have a family member visit during a pandemic, will do well in the House because it addresses concerns raised by hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Sonnenberg’s visitation bill wins surprising victory
Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, won a surprising 23-10 vote on Senate Bill 53, which would allow a patient in a hospital or nursing home to have a family member visit during a pandemic.
The March 29 vote was bipartisan, with 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans in favor. The bill now heads to the House and an uncertain future, given that three previous House-sponsored bills on the same topic have failed to gain traction. Rep. Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, will sponsor the bill in the House.
Sonnenberg is hopeful, telling this reporter those House measures did not address the concerns raised by hospitals and long-term care facilities.
The biggest opposition is likely to come from two Democratic state representatives — Reps. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton and Kyle Mullica of Northglenn — both who are medical professionals, as well as the chair of the House Health & Insurance Committee, Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver.
However, the final vote in the Senate also included support from two senators who work in the medical profession. Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis of Longmont, a pharmacist who had voted against the bill when it was in a Senate committee, changed to a “yes” for the final vote, stating she believed families should be able to visit their loved ones. Sen. Joann Ginal of Fort Collins, who is a reproductive endocrinologist, also voted in favor of SB 53.
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