A new report estimates that California hospitals may need to spend between $34 billion and $143 billion statewide to meet 2030 state seismic safety standards, according to an article on the Science Daily website.
RAND Corporation researchers assessed the cost of compliance for the state's 418 general acute-care hospitals based on recent hospital data.
After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, in which 11 hospitals were damaged, and eight were evacuated, the state adopted SB1953, which aims to improve hospital resilience to seismic events.
The law requires hospitals to reduce their buildings' risk of collapse by 2020 and to remain operational after an earthquake by 2030.
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