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CHA-sponsored seismic legislation, SB 289 (Ducheny, D-San Diego), has become a two-year bill. Proponents and other key players are willing to move the bill early next year.
SB 289 was held up due to the Legislature’s need to have data from the SB 1661 reports that hospitals submitted to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). At this late date, some data is missing, incomplete or inaccurate.
SB 289 also was held up because organized labor and the policy committee chairs do not support legislation that would grant blanket delays without more information.
In the meantime, Sen. Ducheny has placed language in SB 499 that would allow OSHPD to develop emergency regulations to expand the use of HAZUS in conformance with the new, updated requirements of the International Building Code. The bill also would reopen SB 1661 deadlines to allow hospitals that do not pass HAZUS to retrofit by 2015. SB 499 is expected to be enacted this year.
