(a)  The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall allow any general acute care hospital facility that needs to relocate services on an interim basis as part of its approval plan for compliance with Article 8 (commencing with Section 130000) or Article 9 (commencing with Section 130050) in the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 129675) of Part 7 of Division 107) flexibility in achieving compliance with, or in substantial satisfaction of the objectives of, building standards adopted pursuant to Section 1276 with regard to the use of interim space for the provision of hospital services, or both, on a case-by-case basis so long as public safety is not compromised.

(b)  The state department shall allow any facility to which subdivision (a) applies flexibility in achieving compliance with, or in substantial satisfaction of, the objectives of licensing standards, or both, with regard to the use of interim space for the provision of hospital services, or both, on a case-by-case basis so long as public safety is not compromised.

(c)  Hospital licensees, upon application for program flexibility under this section, shall provide public notice of the proposed interim use of space that houses at least one of the eight basic services that are required in a general acute care hospital in a manner that is likely to reach a substantial number of residents of the community served by the facility and employees of the facility.

(d)  No request shall be approved under this section for a waiver of any primary structural system, fire and life safety requirements, or any requirement with respect to accessibility for persons with disabilities.

(e)  In approving any request pursuant to this section for flexibility, the office shall consider public comments.

(f)  The state department shall establish a unit with two statewide liaisons for the purposes of the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 129675) of Part 7 of Division 107), to do all of the following:

(1)  Serve as a central resource for hospital representatives on licensing issues relative to Article 8 or Article 9 in the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983 and provide licensing information to the public, upon request.

(2)  Serve as liaison with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the State Fire Marshal, the Seismic Safety Commission, and other entities as necessary on hospital operational issues with respect to Article 8 or Article 9 in the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983.

(3)  Ensure statewide compliance with respect to licensing issues relative to hospital buildings that are required to meet standards established by Article 8 or Article 9 in the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983.

(4)  Process requests for program flexibility under subdivision (a).

(5)  Accept and consider public comments on requests for flexibility.

(g)  Each compliance plan, in providing for an interim use of space in which flexibility is requested, shall identify the duration of time proposed for the interim use of the space. Upon any amendment of a hospital’s approved compliance plan, any hospital for which a flexibility plan has been approved pursuant to subdivision (a) shall provide a copy of the amended plan to the State Department of Health Services within 30 days.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 228, Sec. 1. Effective September 4, 2001.)