SB 1953 is Looming for Healthcare Seismic Upgrades

Amy Pultz says it is not too late for organizations that don’t have final plans in place for the 2030 deadline.

SACRAMENTO—Senate Bill 1953 has been on the minds of healthcare organization administrators in California since it came into law in 1994. The intent of the bill is for hospitals’ structural designs to withstand major seismic events in order to protect patient and staff lives while ultimately remaining in operation to serve the community after an earthquake.

There have been several adjustments to required deadlines through the years, but the final target date remains set at January 1, 2030, says Amy Pultz, an associate and senior architect with architecture and planning firm Dahlin Group, in this exclusive. By now, critical decisions have been made by healthcare organizations providing acute care services in California and each have had to painstakingly evaluate options with millions to billions of dollars at stake.