Many nursing homes and assisted living residents rely on family members, friends, or other caregivers to provide hands-on care and social and emotional support to supplement the care provided by staff. State policies enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency restricted long-term care residents' access to such essential caregivers. These restrictions had a significant impact on the physical and mental well-being of many residents, especially those with memory or cognitive challenges.

In September 2020, the Health and Human Services Commission updated the emergency rules to allow residents to designate up to two essential caregivers. These caregivers are provided with training to allow them to safely go inside a facility for scheduled visits to help ensure their loved one's physical, social, and emotional needs are being met. This resolution creates a constitutional amendment to codify a nursing home or assisted living resident's right to designate an essential caregiver.

S.J.R. 19 proposes a constitutional amendment establishing a right for residents of certain facilities to designate an essential caregiver for in-person visitation.