INDIANAPOLIS – On Tuesday, Senate Bill (SB) 292 passed unanimously out of the Senate. Authored by State Senator Jean Breaux (D-Indianapolis), ranking minority member of the Senate Health and Provider’s Services Committee, the bill would require residential and long-term care facilities to report COVID-19 case and death data to the Indiana State Department of Health. The Department of Health would then be required to publish the information on the department’s website. Sen. Breaux had the following comments on the passage of her bill:

“Transparency is crucial when families are making decisions about where their loved ones should be living,” Sen. Breaux said. “Hoosiers care about their loved ones, and the senate is stepping up and doing its part to support families by guaranteeing transparency on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths at residential and long-term care facilities.

“Our country has been battling this pandemic for nearly one full year. We don’t know how long it may last or when the next pandemic may strike, but we must prioritize getting clear data to the people of Indiana. This legislation ensures that the important data that families need when making decisions about living facilities for their loves ones will be accessible to Hoosiers.”

SB 292 would require the Indiana State Department of Health to compile and publish all data on COVID-19 related cases in specific facilities every seven days. The bill is co-authored by Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso).

SB 292 passed unanimously out of the Senate. It will now move to the House of Representatives for further deliberation.

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