California’s Hospital Seismic Safety Act has been on the books since the 1970s. With an original compliance date of 2008 but pushed back to 2020, hospitals must be structurally fit enough to remain standing after an earthquake. Most hospitals have met these standards, with a few asking for an extension until 2025.

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the state required a second set of earthquake infrastructure standards and set a completion deadline of 2030 with the goal of hospital buildings maintaining fully functioning healthcare services during and after earthquakes.

The issue is not that hospitals haven’t been given enough time but that they have squandered that time, complaining about construction costs and the need for these improvements based on geographical location and non-existent seismic activity while simultaneously not saving funds or preparing a contingency plan in case the 2030 deadline is not extended.

So, what happens if the deadline is not extended? Smaller hospitals will go out of business, and larger ones will lose access to those facilities and services, resulting in a catastrophic healthcare system collapse. This affects us all, but the actual victims are California’s most vulnerable populations that currently have trouble accessing and receiving quality healthcare.