On Tuesday, the Assembly Health Committee fell one vote short of passing SB 196, which would require longer notice and more public hearings before an emergency department can shut down, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-Oakland) authored the bill, which was sparked by an effort to keep San Leandro Hospital's ED open by requiring greater public oversight for negotiations about the hospital's future.
Although Eden Township Healthcare District currently owns San Leandro Hospital, it has granted much of its authority to Sutter Health, which has an agreement allowing hospital operations to close with 90 days notice.
Co-Authors in Conflict
Assembly member Mary Hayashi (D-Castro Valley), who co-authored SB 196 with Corbett, abstained from voting on the measure.
Hayashi praised the bill as a "valuable work-in-progress," but said it "does not address the immediate situation and does not provide for any stops to the closure" of San Leandro Hospital's ED.
Hayashi said strengthening the bill would require major amendments, such as two other bills she has introduced, AB 1235 and AB 1427.
Corbett replied that SB 196 is sufficient because it would provide officials with more time to effectively forestall the closure of the hospital's ED (Richman, Oakland Tribune, 7/1).
The measure is slated for reconsideration before the Assembly Health Committee (Bill status, 7/1).