(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that hospital buildings that house patients who have less than the capacity of normally healthy persons to protect themselves, and that must be reasonably capable of providing services to the public after a disaster, shall be designed and constructed to resist, insofar as practical, the forces generated by earthquakes, gravity, and winds. In order to accomplish this purpose, the department shall propose proper building standards for earthquake resistance based upon current knowledge, and provide an independent review of the design and construction of hospital buildings.
(b) Local jurisdictions are preempted from the enforcement of all building standards published in the California Building Standards Code relating to the regulation of hospital buildings and the enforcement of other regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter, and all other applicable state laws, including plan checking and inspection of the design and details of the architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and fire and panic safety systems, and the observation of construction. The department shall assume these responsibilities.
(c) Where local jurisdictions have more restrictive requirements for the enforcement of building standards, other building regulations, and construction supervision, these requirements shall be enforced by the department.
(d) Each local jurisdiction shall keep the department advised as to the existence of any more restrictive local requirements. Where a reasonable doubt exists as to whether the requirements of the local jurisdiction are more restrictive, the effect of these requirements shall be determined by the Hospital Building Safety Board.
It is further the intent of the Legislature that the department, with the advice of the Hospital Building Safety Board, may conduct or enter into contracts for research regarding the reduction or elimination of seismic or other safety hazards in hospital buildings or research regarding hospital building standards.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 278. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)