NJ A6188

Licensed hospitals must install and operate video surveillance cameras, video telephones, or Internet video surveillance devices in the rooms of incapacitated patients (unconscious, immobile, or unable to verbally communicate) when requested by the patient or their legal representative

Hospitals must cover all costs for purchasing, installing, and operating the monitoring devices, and must inform patients of this right during admission

Video footage must be stored and made accessible to the patient or legal representative until 60 days after discharge from the hospital

Shared room monitoring requires written consent from the roommate or their legal representative, and hospitals may post notices on doors indicating a room is being monitored

Willfully tampering with, obstructing, or destroying a monitoring device or its footage without consent constitutes a third-degree crime, punishable by 3-5 years imprisonment, fines up to $15,000, or both