The Arkansas Long-Term Care Facility Resident Monitoring and Communications Act aims to establish resident rights regarding electronic monitoring and communication within long-term care facilities. The bill mandates the Department of Human Services to create a comprehensive framework that ensures the safety and welfare of residents while allowing for the use of electronic monitoring devices, such as cameras and microphones, in their private living quarters. The legislation emphasizes the importance of communication with loved ones for residents' overall quality of life and seeks to balance residents' rights with privacy considerations and provider responsibilities.

Key provisions of the bill include the requirement for residents or their legal representatives to notify the facility before conducting electronic monitoring, the necessity of obtaining consent from roommates in shared accommodations, and the establishment of rules to prevent retaliation against residents for utilizing monitoring systems. Additionally, the Department of Human Services is tasked with developing guidelines that address privacy, consent, and liability issues, and it must present its proposed framework to relevant legislative committees by July 1, 2026.