Each hospital shall do all of the following:

(a) By July 1, 1995, reaffirm its mission statement that requires its policies integrate and reflect the public interest in meeting its responsibilities as a not-for-profit organization.

(b) By January 1, 1996, complete, either alone, in conjunction with other health care providers, or through other organizational arrangements, a community needs assessment evaluating the health needs of the community serviced by the hospital, that includes, but is not limited to, a process for consulting with community groups and local government officials in the identification and prioritization of community needs that the hospital can address directly, in collaboration with others, or through other organizational arrangement. The community needs assessment shall be updated at least once every three years.

(c) By April 1, 1996, and annually thereafter adopt and update a community benefits plan for providing community benefits either alone, in conjunction with other health care providers, or through other organizational arrangements.

(d) (1) Annually submit its community benefits plan, including, but not limited to, the activities that the hospital has undertaken in order to address community needs within its mission and financial capacity to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The hospital shall assign and report the economic value of community benefits provided in furtherance of its plan, and include a description of how needs identified in the assessment are being addressed and which needs are not being addressed, and why. Effective with hospital fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 1996, each hospital shall file a copy of the plan with the office not later than 150 days after the hospital’s fiscal year ends.

(2) Hospitals under the common control of a single corporation or another entity may file a consolidated report if the report includes each hospital’s community benefit financial data and describes the benefits provided to the communities in the hospitals’ geographic area. Hospitals on a consolidated license may file a consolidated community benefit plan report if they serve the same geographic area.

(3) Each hospital’s community benefit report shall contain an explanation of the methodology used to determine the hospital’s costs, written in plain English.

(e) Annually post its community benefits plan on its internet website.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 535, Sec. 3. (AB 204) Effective January 1, 2020.)