(a) (1) Hospitals shall file the reports required by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Section 128735 with the office within four months after the close of the hospital’s fiscal year except as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) If a licensee relinquishes the facility license or puts the facility license in suspense, the last day of active licensure shall be deemed a fiscal year end.

(3) The office shall make the reports filed pursuant to this subdivision available no later than three months after they were filed.

(b) (1) Skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, intermediate care facilities/developmentally disabled, hospice facilities, and congregate living facilities, including nursing facilities certified by the department to participate in the Medi-Cal program, shall file the reports required by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Section 128735 with the office within four months after the close of the facility’s fiscal year, except as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) (A) If a licensee relinquishes the facility license or puts the facility licensure in suspense, the last day of active licensure shall be deemed a fiscal year end.

(B) If a fiscal year end is created because the facility license is relinquished or put in suspense, the facility shall file the reports required by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Section 128735 within two months after the last day of active licensure.

(3) The office shall make the reports filed pursuant to paragraph (1) available not later than three months after they are filed.

(4) (A) Effective for fiscal years ending on or after December 31, 1991, the reports required by subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d) of Section 128735 shall be filed with the office by electronic media, as determined by the office.

(B) Congregate living health facilities are exempt from the electronic media reporting requirements of subparagraph (A).

(c) A hospital shall file the reports required by subdivision (g) of Section 128735 as follows:

(1) For patient discharges on or after January 1, 1999, through December 31, 1999, the reports shall be filed semiannually by each hospital or its designee not later than six months after the end of each semiannual period, and shall be available from the office no later than six months after the date that the report was filed.

(2) For patient discharges on or after January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2000, the reports shall be filed semiannually by each hospital or its designee not later than three months after the end of each semiannual period. The reports shall be filed by electronic tape, diskette, or similar medium as approved by the office. The office shall approve or reject each report within 15 days of receiving it. If a report does not meet the standards established by the office, it shall not be approved as filed and shall be rejected. The report shall be considered not filed as of the date the facility is notified that the report is rejected. A report shall be available from the office no later than 15 days after the date that the report is approved.

(3) For patient discharges on or after January 1, 2001, the reports shall be filed by each hospital or its designee for report periods and at times determined by the office. The reports shall be filed by online transmission in formats consistent with national standards for the exchange of electronic information. The office shall approve or reject each report within 15 days of receiving it. If a report does not meet the standards established by the office, it shall not be approved as filed and shall be rejected. The report shall be considered not filed as of the date the facility is notified that the report is rejected. A report shall be available from the office no later than 15 days after the date that the report is approved.

(d) The reports required by subdivision (a) of Section 128736 shall be filed by each hospital for report periods and at times determined by the office. The reports shall be filed by online transmission in formats consistent with national standards for the exchange of electronic information. The office shall approve or reject each report within 15 days of receiving it. If a report does not meet the standards established by the office, it shall not be approved as filed and shall be rejected. The report shall be considered not filed as of the date the facility is notified that the report is rejected. A report shall be available from the office no later than 15 days after the report is approved.

(e) The reports required by subdivision (a) of Section 128737 shall be filed by each hospital or freestanding ambulatory surgery clinic for report periods and at times determined by the office. The reports shall be filed by online transmission in formats consistent with national standards for the exchange of electronic information. The office shall approve or reject each report within 15 days of receiving it. If a report does not meet the standards established by the office, it shall not be approved as filed and shall be rejected. The report shall be considered not filed as of the date the facility is notified that the report is rejected. A report shall be available from the office no later than 15 days after the report is approved.

(f) Facilities shall not be required to maintain a full-time electronic connection to the office for the purposes of online transmission of reports as specified in subdivisions (c), (d), and (e). The office may grant exemptions to the online transmission of data requirements for limited periods to facilities. An exemption may be granted only to a facility that submits a written request and documents or demonstrates a specific need for an exemption. Exemptions shall be granted for no more than one year at a time, and for no more than a total of five consecutive years.

(g) The reports referred to in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 128730 shall be filed with the office on the dates required by applicable law and shall be available from the office no later than six months after the date that the report was filed.

(h) The office shall post on its Internet Web site and make available to any person a copy of any report referred to in subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), or (g) of Section 128735, subdivision (a) of Section 128736, subdivision (a) of Section 128737, Section 128740, and, in addition, shall make available in electronic formats reports referred to in subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), or (g) of Section 128735, subdivision (a) of Section 128736, subdivision (a) of Section 128737, Section 128740, and subdivisions (a) and (c) of Section 128745, unless the office determines that an individual patient’s rights of confidentiality would be violated. The office shall make the reports available at cost.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 673, Sec. 11. (SB 135) Effective January 1, 2013.)