Senate Bill 1291 Summary

• Creates legal protection for individuals who provide emergency assistance to a fallen person in good faith, shielding them from civil liability unless they acted with gross negligence.

• Protection applies when aid is provided at emergency dispatch direction, to prevent further serious injury, or when the fallen person appeared uninjured and requested help to change position.

• Requires all skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities to develop and implement training programs for staff on fall prevention and fall recovery techniques.

• Training must include both initial instruction and ongoing competency assessments in fall prevention and recovery procedures.

• Facilities may utilize materials and information from the Arizona Department of Health Services' falls prevention coalition when developing their training programs.