California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development

Seismic Compliance SB 1953 and SB1661

Senate Bill 1953

Senate Bill 1953 (SB 1953) requires hospitals that have Structural Performance Category 1 (SPC-1) buildings (those that are considered hazardous and at risk of collapse or significant loss of life in the event of an earthquake) must be replaced or retrofitted to higher seismic safety standards by 2013, or later with an approved extension.  Otherwise, acute care services may no longer be allowed to be provided in the building(s). 

SB 1953 was introduced on February 25, 1994. It was signed into law on September 21, 1994 and filed by the Secretary of State on September 22, 1994. The bill was an amendment to and furtherance of the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Seismic Safety Act of 1983 (Alquist Act). SB 1953 (Chapter 740, 1994), is now chaptered into statute in Sections 130000 through 130070 of the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act, and part of the California Health and Safety Code. The regulations developed as a result of this statute are deemed to be emergency regulations and became effective upon approval by the California Building Standards Commission and filing with the Secretary of State on March 18, 1998.

Extended information about SB 1953 is available on the following page.

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Senate Bill 1661

Senate Bill 1661 (SB 1661) (Chapter 679, Statutes of 2006): Amends Section 130060 & 130061 of the Health and Safety Code.

Senate Bill 1661 required all general acute care hospitals that have SPC-1 buildings to report to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development by June 30, 2009, on the status of their compliance with the seismic safety deadlines.  This information is necessary for the legislature to understand the level of compliance being achieved by California’s hospitals, the potential impact to Californian’s access to health care and whether a need exists to address the issues, if any, with a statewide policy solution.  The ultimate goal being that Californian’s will have safer hospital buildings without jeopardizing their access to health care.

Per SB 1661 Health and Safety Code Section 130061: (Existing Report # 1)

(a) An owner of a general acute care hospital building that is classified as a nonconforming Structural Performance Category-1 (SPC-1) building, who has not requested an extension of the deadline described in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 130060, shall submit a report to the office no later than April 15, 2007, describing the status of each building in complying with the requirements of Section 130060. The report shall identify at least all of the following:

1. Each building that is subject to subdivision (a) of Section 130060.
2. The project number or numbers for retrofit or replacement of each building.
3. The projected construction start date or dates and projected construction completion date or dates.
4. The building or buildings to be removed from acute care service and the projected date or dates of this action.

Per SB 1661 Health and Safety Code Section 130061: (New Report # 2)

(b) An owner of a general acute care hospital building that is classified as a nonconforming Structural Performance Category-1 (SPC-1) building, who has requested an extension of the deadline described in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 130060, shall submit a report to the office no later than June 30, 2009, describing the status of each building in complying with the requirements of Section 130060. The report shall identify at least all of the following:

1. Each building that is subject to subdivision (a) of Section 130060
2. The project number or numbers for retrofit or replacement of each building.
3. The projected construction start date or dates and projected construction completion date or dates.
4. The building or buildings to be removed from acute care service and the projected date or dates of this action.

Report 3 - Future Report