BILL NUMBER: AB 2720	CHAPTERED  07/23/04

	CHAPTER  192
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 23, 2004
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  JULY 23, 2004
	PASSED THE SENATE  JULY 12, 2004
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  MAY 20, 2004
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 11, 2004
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 26, 2004

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Laird

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2004

   An act to amend Section 129805 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to health facilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2720, Laird.  Health facilities:  seismic safety.
   The Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of
1983, administered by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development, provides for the establishment and enforcement of
hospital building standards for earthquake resistance.  The act
requires that all plans and specifications for the alteration or
construction of hospital buildings be prepared under the responsible
charge of an architect or structural engineer, or both.  The act
requires that the administration of the work of construction be under
the responsible charge of the architect and structural engineer.
However, when plans and specifications for alterations or repairs do
not affect architectural or structural conditions, existing law
authorizes the plans and specifications to be prepared by, and the
work of construction administered by, a duly qualified professional
engineer.
   When plans and specifications for alterations or repairs do not
affect architectural or structural conditions, this bill would,
rather than authorizing a qualified professional engineer to prepare
the plans and specifications, authorize a qualified professional
engineer to responsibly charge the preparation of the plans and
specifications.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 129805 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   129805.  (a) All plans and specifications shall be prepared under
the responsible charge of an architect or a structural engineer, or
both.  A structural engineer shall prepare the structural design and
shall sign plans and specifications related thereto.  Administration
of the work of construction shall be under the responsible charge of
the architect and structural engineer, except that where plans and
specifications for alterations or repairs do not affect architectural
or structural conditions, the plans and specifications may be
prepared under the responsible charge of, and work of construction
may be administered by, a professional engineer duly qualified to
perform the services and holding a valid certificate under Chapter 7
(commencing with Section 6700) of Division 3 of the Business and
Professions Code for performance of services in that branch of
engineering in which the plans, specifications, and estimates and
work of construction are applicable.
   (b) The office may exempt projects from the requirements of
subdivision (a) where the plans and specifications are not
ordinarily, in the standard practice of architecture and engineering,
prepared by licensed architects or registered engineers, or both,
and are not a component of a project prepared under the responsible
charge of a licensed architect or registered engineer, or both.  To
implement this authority, the office shall adopt regulations,
consistent with this section, that specify which projects may be
exempted from the requirements of subdivision (a).