This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Action needed:
Meet with or write to your state senator and ask them to support, if amended, Senate Bill (SB) 1339 (Pan, D-Sacramento) on the Senate floor. SB 1339 identifies some key considerations that could advance and enhance the policy discussion on updating the 2030 hospital seismic requirements. However, California can’t wait for the bill’s report to be completed in 2024 — a resolution must be reached sooner, or communities throughout the state will begin to see unnecessary negative impacts. CHA requests amendments to the bill that include a policy solution for the looming 2030 building standards mandate. CHA has developed a template letter for your use; please use this opportunity to tell your senator how these outdated requirements will affect your hospital and why they must be updated. Find contact information for your senator on the state Legislature’s site. Please send your letters to Emily Schroeder at eschroeder@calhospital.org.
Timing:
Resources:
Please send your letters by May 20.
Background:
Prior to the pandemic, the staggering cost statewide of the 2030 seismic requirements was challenging for most hospitals. Today, after two years of a pandemic that has pushed hospitals to the financial brink, meeting these requirements will be more than challenging — it will be impossible. As a result, most find themselves in a position where high-quality, equitable care for all within their communities is in real jeopardy. This author-sponsored bill is an important platform where we can engage in a serious and meaningful dialogue with the author’s office and stakeholders. CHA has asked that its proposal for modernizing these disaster preparedness requirements be fully considered by Sen. Pan as the bill proceeds. Specifically, CHA has proposed a change in the 2030 standards to require all hospitals to ensure emergency services are fully functional after a major earthquake. Refocusing the 2030 standards on emergency services (and excluding, for example, buildings that house dietary services) will preserve health care services that would be in jeopardy if the law is not modified. As California’s hospitals recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, CHA has also proposed an additional seven years for hospitals to meet these requirements.