2025 California Code
Health and Safety Code - HSC
DIVISION 20 - MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 2 - Patient Access and Protection
Section 24251.
24251. (a) To enhance privacy available to facility users and promote a safe environment conducive to the facility’s mission and patient care, a health care provider entity shall designate areas where patients are receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic. The facility is encouraged to designate these areas through mapping, signage, key entry, policy, or a combination of those.
(b) Unless required by state or federal law, a health care provider entity and its personnel shall not allow any person access to the nonpublic areas of the facility, as described in subdivision (a), for immigration enforcement purposes, unless that person has a valid judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility.
(c) A health care provider entity and its personnel shall, to the extent possible, have the denial of permission for access to nonpublic areas of the facility pursuant to subdivision (b) witnessed and documented by at least one health care provider entity personnel.
(d) Health care provider entities shall inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients.
(Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 123, Sec. 3. (SB 81) Effective September 20, 2025.)
