Hospitals: community benefits plans.

Existing law requires each hospital to annually adopt and update a community benefits plan for providing community benefits either alone, in conjunction with other health care providers, or through other organizational arrangements. Each hospital is also required to annually submit its community benefits plan, including a description of the activities that the hospital has undertaken in order to address community needs within its mission and financial capacity, to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Existing law provides that these requirements are not to be construed to authorize or require specific formats for hospital needs assessments, community benefit plans, or reports until specified recommendations are considered and enacted by the Legislature. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.