BILL NUMBER: AB 510	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 31, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal

                        FEBRUARY 15, 2011

    An act relating to health facilities.   An
act to amend Section 130070 of the Health and Safety Code, relating
to health facilities. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 510, as amended, Bonnie Lowenthal. Hospitals: seismic safety.

   Existing law provides for the licensure of health facilities,
including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of
Public Health.  
   Existing law, the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic
Safety Act of 1983, establishes, under the jurisdiction of the Office
of Statewide Health Planning and Development, a program of seismic
safety building standards for certain hospitals constructed on and
after March 7, 1973. Existing law requires that, after January 1,
2008, any general acute care hospital building that is determined to
be a potential risk of collapse or pose significant loss of life be
used only for nonacute care hospital purposes, except that the office
may grant specified extensions of that deadline, under prescribed
circumstances.  
   Existing law requires, no later than January 1, 2030, owners of
all acute care inpatient hospitals to either demolish, replace, or
change to nonacute care use all hospital buildings not in substantial
compliance with the regulations and standards developed by the
office pursuant to existing seismic safety laws or seismically
retrofit all acute care inpatient hospital buildings so that they are
in substantial compliance. The office is required to notify the
department of hospital owners that have been notified of a failure to
comply with the above-described deadlines. Unless the notified
hospital places its license in voluntary suspense, the department is
required to suspend or refuse to renew the hospital's license. 

   This bill would, instead, prohibit a hospital that receives the
above-described notice from providing general acute care inpatient
services in the noncompliant building. It would also require the
department to suspend or refuse to renew the license of a hospital
that does not provide basic general acute care services because of
this bill's requirements.  
   The Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of
1983 establishes, under the jurisdiction of the Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development, a program of seismic safety building
standards for certain hospitals constructed on and after March 7,
1973.  
   This bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would amend the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic
Safety Act of 1983. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Section 130070 of the   Health
and Safety Code   is amended to read: 
   130070.  The office shall notify the State Department of 
Public  Health  Services  of the hospital
owners that have received a written notice of violation for failure
to comply with either Section 130060 or 130065.  Unless the
hospital places its license in voluntary suspense, the state
department shall suspend or refuse to renew the license of a hospital
that has received   Notwithstanding Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2, upon receipt of  a
notice of violation from the office because of its failure to comply
with either Section 130060 or 130065  , a hospital shall not
provide general acute care inpatient services in the building that is
the subject of the notice of violation. The department shall suspend
or refuse to renew the license of a hospital that does not provide
basic general acute care services because of this section  . The
license shall be reinstated or renewed upon presentation to the
 state  department of a written notice of compliance
issued by the office. 
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would amend the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital
Seismic Safety Act of 1983 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
129675) of Part 7 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code).