(a) With regard to a general acute care hospital building located in Seismic Zone 3 as indicated in the 1995 edition of the California Building Standards Code, any hospital may request an exemption from Non-Structural Performance Category-3 requirements in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations if the hospital building complies with the year 2002 nonstructural requirements.
(b) The office shall determine the maximum allowable level of earthquake ground shaking potential for purposes of this section.
(c) To qualify for an exemption under this section, a hospital shall provide a site-specific engineering geologic report that demonstrates an earthquake ground shaking potential below the maximum allowable level of earthquake ground shaking potential determined by the office pursuant to subdivision (b).
(d) (1) To demonstrate an earthquake ground shaking potential as provided in subdivision (c), a hospital shall submit a site-specific engineering geologic report to the office.
(2) The office shall forward the report received from a hospital to the Division of Mines and Geology in the Department of Conservation for purposes of a review.
(3) If, after review of the analysis, the Division of Mines and Geology concurs with the findings of the report, it shall return the report with a statement of concurrence to the office. Upon the receipt of the statement, if the ground shaking potential is below that established pursuant to subdivision (b), the office shall grant the exemption requested.
(e) A hospital building that is eligible for an exemption under this section shall meet the January 1, 2030, nonstructural requirement deadline if the building is to be used for general acute care inpatient services after January 1, 2030.
(f) A hospital requesting an exemption pursuant to this section shall pay the actual expenses incurred by the office and the Division of Mines and Geology.
(g) All regulatory submissions to the California Building Standards Commission made by the office for purposes of this section shall be deemed to be emergency regulations and shall be adopted as emergency regulations. This emergency regulation authority shall remain in effect until January 1, 2004.
(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 851, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.)