The California Hospital Association’s (CHA) bill to provide relief from the 2030 seismic construction mandate passed the Senate Health Committee last week on an 11-0 vote. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee where a hearing is set for May 6.
Key amendments were made to the initial proposal in the first committee, with the bill now providing:
- A three-year extension for all hospitals, as well as the potential for an additional five years based on financial capacity, the impact of construction on patient access to care, or concerns such as delays in the construction approval process
- A reporting requirement to the Legislature by government agencies to analyze the cost of seismic compliance, and the impact on access to health care services
- For rural and critical access hospitals, a grace period from compliance until funding is available and hospitals can demonstrate that they lack the financial capacity to fund the seismic work
As this bill heads to the next phase, it’s critical that hospital and community partner voices remain at the forefront. Information and resources are available on CHA’s seismic information page. If you have questions, please contact Kat Scott, CHA senior vice president, advocacy, at kscott@calhospital.org or Trina Gonzalez, CHA vice president, policy, at tgonzalez@calhospital.org.