Alameda Hospital: seismic safety compliance deadline: extension.

The Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983 establishes, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health Care Access and Information, a program of seismic safety building standards for certain hospitals constructed on and after March 7, 1973. The act requires an owner of a general acute care inpatient hospital, no later than January 1, 2030, to either demolish, replace, or change to nonacute care use all hospital buildings not in substantial compliance with the standards established pursuant to the act or seismically retrofit all acute care inpatient hospital buildings so that they are in substantial compliance with those standards. A violation of any provision of the act is a misdemeanor. This bill would require the department to grant Alameda Hospital an extension to January 1, 2032, to substantially comply with those provisions. The bill would require the hospital to submit to the department, on or before January 1, 2024, a plan for compliance with the applicable seismic safety standards and regulations by January 1, 2032. The bill would require the department to accept the plan submitted by the hospital based on it being feasible to complete, as specified. If the department approves the plan, the bill would require the hospital to report biannually to the department on the hospital's progress to timely complete its plan to achieve substantial seismic compliance by January 1, 2032, as prescribed. By expanding the duties of Alameda Hospital under those provisions, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Alameda Hospital. 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.