University of California hospitals: staffing.

Existing law provides for the inspection, licensure, and regulation of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health, including, among other facilities, general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals. A violation of the provisions regulating health facilities is a crime. Pursuant to the above authority, the department has adopted regulations that require hospitals to develop a written staffing plan that implement patient care requirements and staffing levels for registered nurses and other licensed and unlicensed personnel contained in those regulations. This bill would require the department to establish a procedure for collection and review of the written staffing plans and other related information, as specified, from University of California hospitals, with the exception of documentation relating only to registered nurses. This bill would require University of California hospitals to cooperate with the department in providing the above information. This bill would make its provisions inoperative on July 1, 2013, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2014. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.