Board of DirectorsPowers
Section § 32121
This law outlines the various powers and responsibilities of local health care districts. They can hold and manage property, use eminent domain to acquire property, establish trusts, and hire legal and professional staff. Districts can also operate health facilities, provide ambulance services, and support free clinics and other healthcare services. Additionally, they can partner with corporations or nonprofits to manage assets, with detailed rules about asset transfers to ensure community benefits. Districts must follow specific procedures for transferring significant assets, including community input and voter approval for large transfers.
The district can also engage in healthcare finance activities like managing insurance and credit arrangements, establish and participate in health plans, and offer self-pay healthcare coverage to staff and dependents. All activities must comply with existing legal regulations and restrictions.
Section § 32121.1
This law says that the board of directors of a local hospital district can give the authority to their administrator to hire and fire staff needed to run the hospital. However, this power is always subject to the board's control and approval.
Section § 32121.2
This section allows the board of directors of a local hospital district to decide how to sell or donate any extra property the district no longer needs. They can sell it at fair market value or give it away or sell it for less to another local hospital district in California.
Section § 32121.3
This law allows hospital districts and related nonprofits to create incentives for doctors to practice in their communities, which can include guaranteeing a minimum income, assisting with equipment purchasing, offering reduced office rent, and other incentives. These incentives are meant to support community health but must be fair and agreed upon. However, contracts cannot require doctors to admit a certain number of patients to specific hospitals or limit their ability to work with other entities. Additionally, doctors can't be paid for patient referrals to these hospitals. Any inducement offered must be repaid with interest, as stated in the contract, and cannot involve patient referral incentives.
Lastly, if there's a conflict with another specific law (Section 650 of the Business and Professions Code), that law will take precedence. The Legislature emphasizes the need for these measures to ensure community health and access to qualified medical professionals.
Section § 32121.4
This law allows a hospital district in California to lease and operate the facilities of another hospital district, or vice versa, to improve their offerings. However, there are specific conditions: the lease cannot last more than 30 years, the lessee can't use the lessor's credit for improvements, and the lessor must ensure its financial stability isn't threatened by the deal. The law also clarifies that these lease deals don't affect contracts for inpatient services under the Medi-Cal program. Additionally, if a lease involves transferring 50% or more of the district's assets to a nonprofit, it must follow further requirements outlined in a different section.
Section § 32121.5
This law allows health care districts to hire hospital administrators with contracts lasting up to four years. These contracts can be renewed for additional terms of up to four years. However, for contracts made or renewed after January 1, 2014, hospital administrators, including those serving as CEOs, cannot receive retirement benefits until they actually retire.
Section § 32121.6
If a healthcare district in California hires a hospital administrator or CEO, their job contract must clearly detail all important terms. This includes salary, retirement plans, any pay after leaving, vacation and sick leave, and any other benefits that are different from those offered to other full-time employees.
Section § 32121.7
This section is about rules for transferring assets from El Camino Hospital, a nonprofit corporation. If El Camino Hospital wants to transfer 50% or more of its assets, the decision must be approved by voters in a special election. Transfers of smaller percentages of assets have specific conditions and require public board meetings before approval. A unique rule applies if transferring assets to entities controlled by religious organizations; it must be done for fair value. Public hearings are also required if the board plans multiple transfers that total 50% or more of the hospital's assets.
A "transfer" refers to changing ownership of the hospital's assets, not leasing property. Certain legal processes remain unchanged by this section, such as duties under the Corporations Code and compliance with nonprofit rules. The community served by the hospital must benefit from any asset transfers, and several conditions must be met to ensure this.
Section § 32121.8
El Camino Hospital-Corporation can lease out parts or all of El Camino Hospital to tenants to help run and maintain it, as long as these leases benefit the hospital district. If a lease involves running 50% or more of the hospital or includes transferring a significant portion of the corporation's assets, it must follow specific regulations. All leases must ensure tenants follow particular compliance rules, and such contracts cannot exceed 30 years if they cover the entire hospital or 10 years if they involve less than the entire hospital.
Section § 32121.9
If a health district in California leases or transfers its assets to a corporation, it has to represent and support community interests. It must also report each year on how well the corporation is meeting the community's health needs.
Section § 32122
This law allows the board of directors to buy all the necessary surgical tools, hospital equipment, and supplies for nurses' homes, as well as any other items needed to fully equip a hospital and nurses' home.
Section § 32123
The board of directors for a hospital can buy land, and then either build or rent buildings or rooms, and equip them as needed to support the hospital's operations.
Section § 32124
This law allows the board of directors of a hospital to set up a nursing school. They can design the curriculum and, once students finish the program, award them diplomas as graduate nurses.
Section § 32125
In this section, the board of directors is responsible for running health care facilities owned or leased by the district to ensure public health. They set and enforce rules and regulations needed for managing these facilities and can decide on the conditions for patient admissions. They need to maintain minimum operational standards.
The district should not charge less than the actual cost for providing care to indigent county patients. The board should aim to set rates that allow facilities to be self-supporting, and they can have different rates for district residents compared to non-residents.
The chief executive officer (CEO), unless stopped by the board, can create a task force to help manage the district's facilities. If a board demands it, the CEO must choose task force members from board-nominated individuals. The task force can be dissolved by either the CEO or the board, and such board actions need majority votes, depending on board size.
Section § 32126
This section explains how a hospital's board of directors can lease out a hospital they've acquired or built. Any lease involving 50% or more of a hospital must comply with specific legal requirements. Entire hospital leases can't last more than 30 years, and partial hospital leases can't exceed 10 years.
Additionally, if an existing lease from before July 1, 1984, is subleased or assigned to someone else, certain conditions must be met: the new agreement must be as valuable as the original, the lease must have started with a competitive bidding process, and any major amendments need public discussion. Subleases or assignments do not need to follow certain requirements if they remain compliant with the general rules.
The district must also report any leasing of its assets to the Attorney General within 30 days, detailing the nature of the transaction and the parties involved.
Section § 32126.3
This law allows the existing lease between the Grossmont Healthcare District and the Grossmont Hospital Corporation, which started on May 29, 1991, to be renegotiated or extended for up to 30 more years after its current term. However, any changes or extensions must be approved by a majority vote from the district's voters.
Section § 32126.5
This section allows a hospital district's board or a related nonprofit to improve community health services in several ways. They can sign contracts with various health providers, assist existing nonprofit groups, and fund healthcare experiments. However, they can't engage in activities that are forbidden by other laws that apply to corporations and similar entities.
Section § 32127
This section outlines the management of hospital district funds. Each hospital district must have its own treasury, managed by a treasurer. The board of directors decides the treasurer's bond amount. Funds from taxes or assessments are divided into different accounts: capital outlay fund for construction, special assessment fund for specific voter-approved purposes, and maintenance and operation fund for general expenses. Daily revenues from hospital operations go into the maintenance fund, but cannot be used for new construction without specific authority. If there's not enough money to pay off bonds, funds can be transferred from the maintenance fund. Besides bond payments, funds are overseen by the treasurer, with other district officials authorized to disburse money as needed. Bonds can be paid at the district or county treasury, and proper accounts must be kept. Funds may be deposited in authorized banks, and the board can create a revolving fund to handle interim hospital expenses, accessible without strict signatures requirements.
Section § 32127.1
The law allows the board of directors of certain hospital districts, specifically those with 85 beds and located in counties with a population of 2,000,000 or more as per the 1950 census, to use funds from past tax levies without voter approval. They can use these funds to add more patient beds by leasing, purchasing new hospital buildings or facilities, or constructing new structures to enhance bed capacity.
Section § 32127.2
This section allows the board of directors of a district to secure state-backed insurance for financing health facility projects. They can borrow money, issue bonds, and provide first mortgages or deeds of trust as security for such financing. However, they cannot use tax funds to repay these loans. This measure aims to encourage the private investment needed for building and upgrading health facilities, which is vital for public health and safety.
Section § 32127.3
This law allows local hospital districts in California to obtain federal mortgage insurance and financial assistance for building and upgrading health facilities. It permits them to borrow money, issue bonds, and secure loans through federal programs. These districts can also provide mortgages or other security interests to the federal government as required. Importantly, they cannot use tax-derived funds to make payments on these loans. This initiative aims to boost the construction and modernization of public health facilities by leveraging federal support without incurring costs to the state. Additionally, the federal government beneficiaries of these mortgages are not considered private entities under the state constitution.
Section § 32127.5
This law allows the board of directors of a district to decide, through a resolution, to transfer all district funds to the county treasurer. Once this transfer occurs, the county treasurer takes over financial responsibilities previously managed by the district treasurer, except for bond-related funds.
In the future, if the district board wants to reinstate the position of district treasurer, they can pass a resolution to do so. After this, the county treasurer must return all district funds to the new district treasurer.
Section § 32128
This section outlines the rules hospitals must establish regarding their medical staff and governance. Hospitals need to form a formal medical staff for physicians, podiatrists, and dentists, with appointments reviewed annually or biennially. It specifies self-governance for medical staff concerning professional duties and demands thorough, accurate patient medical records. The hospital may impose practice limitations to safeguard public welfare but cannot exclude licensed professionals based solely on their licensing board. The board of directors may cover legal defense costs for nonemployee staff sued over peer review activities if actions were in good faith and benefit the district. They might also choose to pay punitive damages awarded in such cases if deemed in the district's best interests. Finally, hospital rules should align with at least the standards of private hospitals, allowing additional lawful rules.
Section § 32128.10
This law ensures that hospitals allowing sterilization for contraception cannot impose special nonmedical requirements, like age, marital status, or number of children, on patients seeking such procedures. This means the criteria for sterilization should be the same as for any other surgery offered by the hospital, focusing only on the patient's physical and mental health.
The law allows for physicians to counsel their patients about whether sterilization is appropriate and keeps existing laws for minors intact.
Section § 32129
This section allows hospital districts and related nonprofit corporations to hire doctors, surgeons, podiatrists, and health care groups under contracts. These contracts must ensure that the hospital district does not profit from these services and that any fees are fair and reasonable. The main goal is to provide adequate health care to all residents within the district.
Section § 32129.5
This law allows hospital districts or their affiliated nonprofits to hire doctors or podiatrists to ensure they are available in the hospital's emergency department. These contracts must be set up so that the district does not make any money from the medical services provided by these professionals. Each doctor or podiatrist can only provide services they are legally allowed to practice.
Section § 32130
This law allows a district to borrow money up to 85% of its estimated income for the current fiscal year, which includes all types of income like taxes and operating income. The borrowed money must be paid back within the same year.
Section § 32130.1
This section allows a district to borrow money for maintenance and operation by issuing certificates of indebtedness, which are a formal way of acknowledging debt. The amount borrowed can't exceed five cents for each $100 of the district's assessed value and must be repaid within five years at a maximum interest rate specified by another law. These certificates must get a three-fifths vote by the district's board and be publicly offered for sale to the bidder with the lowest cost to the district.
The board must provide public notice of the sale in a local newspaper at least ten days before. The certificates must be signed by the presiding officer and the board secretary. The county will collect taxes to cover the debt, ensuring there’s enough money to pay the interest and create a fund to pay back the borrowed amount when it's due. This tax is additional to other district taxes and can only be used to pay back the debt and interest.
Section § 32130.2
This law allows a district in California to issue negotiable promissory notes, which are essentially promises to pay a certain amount in the future, to raise money for district purposes. The board must approve this by majority vote, and the notes need to be repaid within 10 years. The total amount of these notes cannot exceed 85% of the district's estimated income and revenue for the current fiscal year.
The law also specifies that these notes can be used to finance capital projects, like facilities or equipment, that last as long as or longer than the notes themselves. Additionally, the interest rate on these notes must not exceed the maximum rate set by another law, Section 53531 of the Government Code.
Section § 32130.5
The first board of directors of a district can borrow money using different forms of debt like promissory notes within two years of setting up the district. This borrowing is to cover initial costs and is limited to 50% of the estimated tax revenue for the next year, and it must be paid back within two years with an interest rate capped at 5% annually. The county auditor estimates this revenue. This borrowing process should also align with rules from another section called Section 32130, as long as they don't conflict.
Section § 32130.6
This law allows a district board in California to authorize several financial actions to manage funds and improve district operations. They can establish a line of credit with a bank, using district assets or expected tax revenues as collateral. Any funds borrowed must be repaid within five years, but new lines of credit can repay old debts if done following the law. It also permits lines of credit to consolidate debts incurred before 2010, limited to $2 million and repayable within 20 years.
The board can also engage in capital leases to buy equipment, where leases can't exceed ten years, and the equipment may be secured as collateral. Additionally, the district can enter lease-purchase agreements for real estate used for district purposes, which must also be paid off within ten years.
However, this law doesn't allow the district to increase taxes to repay loans unless the increase follows specified government procedures.
Section § 32131
This law section allows the board of directors to join local, state, or national groups or associations that focus on promoting public health, welfare, or improving hospital administration. They are permitted to pay membership dues and fees to these organizations.
Section § 32132
This law explains how a healthcare district's board of directors should handle contracts for materials, supplies, and work costing over $25,000. Generally, they must award these contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, who provides the necessary security. For small and rural hospitals, the board can use competitive means to acquire supplies costing between $25,000 and $50,000, unless there is a unique need or emergency situation. The rule does not apply to medical or surgical equipment, professional services, or certain tech goods and services. Bids are not required for minor contract changes under 5% of the contract's cost, and the section does not prevent participation in specific organizations for acquiring materials.
Section § 32132.5
This law allows the Sonoma Valley Health Care District to use a specific construction process called design-build for building projects at the Sonoma Valley Hospital. This process is outlined in another law typically used by counties and local agencies, but here it specifically applies to the Sonoma Valley Health Care District.
The new hospital projects must still meet existing safety and inspection standards set by the state's Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act. This law goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
Section § 32132.7
This law allows the Last Frontier Health Care District's board of directors to use a specific construction contract method called "design-build" for constructing or improving hospital buildings at the Modoc Medical Center.
It overrides previous laws and specifies the design-build rules from the Public Contract Code apply, with "local agency" referring to this Health Care District.
Also, any projects using this method must meet seismic safety standards under the Alfred E. Alquist Act.
Section § 32132.8
This law allows the Mayers Memorial Hospital District to use a simplified design-build process for assigning contracts related to constructing hospital buildings. This process is usually outlined for local agencies in the Public Contract Code, but here it specifically applies to this hospital district.
Any hospital building projects done under this rule must follow California's seismic safety standards for hospitals, ensuring they're safe in an earthquake.
Section § 32132.96
This law mandates that if a district chooses to use the design-build process for building housing, at least 20% of the residential units must be affordable and subject to a 55-year affordability restriction. These units should be accessible to lower, very low, and extremely low income households, as well as persons and families of low or moderate income.
However, this requirement does not apply if the local city or county already has an ordinance demanding a higher percentage of affordable units. It also doesn’t apply to projects for health facilities or retirement homes for seniors, disabled adults, or individuals with dementia, or if the construction is for workforce housing as required by a local ordinance.
Section § 32133
Each year, a hospital board must hire a qualified accountant to audit the hospital's books and generate a report. They need to publicly announce this report, including details such as the audit completion date, who conducted it, where the public can see it, the web link to the audit report, and a summary of significant findings or a note stating there are none.
Section § 32134
This law specifies that the start date for a hospital construction and leasing contract is when the lease is signed. Even if the lease is changed later, the original signing date remains the official start date.
Section § 32136
This section allows the board of directors to bypass normal bidding processes for contracts if there's an emergency like a fire, flood, storm, epidemic, or similar disaster. It must be for urgent work or materials needed to protect public health, safety, welfare, or property.
Section § 32137
The board of directors can rename a hospital district by passing a resolution. The new name becomes official once they file a verified copy of the resolution with the county clerk where the hospital district is located.
Section § 32138
The board of directors must buy electronic data processing and telecom products or services costing over $25,000 through a competitive process. However, exceptions can be made if the board decides that only certain goods or services fit the district's needs, or if there's an urgent situation where quick purchase is necessary for public health or safety.
'Competitive means' refers to any method the board defines, like asking for proposals from enough qualified sources to ensure fair competition. When selecting a vendor through this competitive process, the board will choose the offer that provides the best value for the district's needs, based on criteria they set, which might not focus solely on cost.
Section § 32139
The board of directors of a special district must adopt an annual budget in a public meeting by September 1 each year, following standard accounting practices.
They are also required to maintain a website with crucial information, such as contact details, the adopted budget, board members, and details of public meetings. The site must also include certain studies, grant recipients, audit reports, financial reports, and the district’s grant policy, either directly or via links to other government sites.
Additionally, if the district offers grants or assistance, they need to have a detailed annual policy. This policy must outline how grant allocations relate to healthcare and district missions, process guidelines for ensuring funds are used appropriately, application procedures, grant distribution plans, and a rule prohibiting private meetings about applications outside the formal process. From January 1, 2020, they must also provide guidelines for various specific scenarios involving underserved communities, multiple grant recipients, and specific program types.
Section § 32140
If a board of directors files for federal bankruptcy, they must inform the local agency formation commission of their main county within 10 business days.