SB 289 Summary

• Requires applicants seeking to operate general acute care hospitals to file seismic safety compliance statements describing plans to meet the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983, including financial capacity and timelines for compliance.

• Mandates that new hospital operators provide seismic compliance plans to multiple stakeholders including investors, insurance companies, medical staff, local planning departments, and health insurers.

• Revises conditions for granting extensions beyond January 1, 2008 deadline for hospitals with potential collapse risk, including allowance for up to 3-year extensions for local planning delays and revocation authority if construction is abandoned for 6+ months.

• Requires hospitals with SPC-1 (Structural Performance Category-1) buildings to post warning signs at public entrances informing public of collapse risk and certify compliance by February 1, 2011, with civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day for non-compliance.

• Establishes reporting requirements for hospitals to submit master plans by January 1, 2020 detailing building compliance status, construction timelines, and costs, with civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day for non-compliance.