House Bill 651 establishes comprehensive regulations for the use of electronic monitoring devices in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The bill defines "electronic monitoring device" as a fixed-position video camera that can broadcast or record movement without audio. It allows residents or their representatives to install these devices in their rooms, provided they give written notice to the facility, cover all associated costs, and obtain consent from any co-residents. The bill outlines the consent process, including the ability for co-residents to impose conditions and revoke consent. It also prohibits facilities from discriminating against residents who choose to install monitoring devices and imposes penalties for violations, including a $500 fine for facilities that deny admission or discharge residents based on their use of these devices.

Additionally, the bill restricts access to the recordings from the monitoring devices, allowing only authorized individuals—such as the resident, their representative, or law enforcement—to view them. It makes tampering with or destroying the devices or their recordings a first-degree misdemeanor and prohibits the public dissemination of images captured by these devices. The legislation clarifies that it does not apply to devices installed by law enforcement for legitimate purposes and grants the Agency for Health Care Administration the authority to adopt rules for implementation. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.