California passes nation’s first bill requiring hospitals to keep a 45-day supply of PPE
September 2, 2020 / Jeff Lagasse, Associate Editor
The California state legislature this week passed the nation’s first law requiring healthcare facilities — including hospitals, medical groups, skilled nursing facilities and dialysis clinics — to maintain a 45-day supply of personal protective equipment at pandemic levels to be prepared for future healthcare emergencies.
The law also sets the stage for the state of California to create a 90-day supply of PPE for healthcare and other essential workers.
While the law was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s meant to ensure that healthcare in the state doesn’t buckle under the weight of any future pandemics or public health crises.
WHAT’S THE IMPACT
The bill was conceived and backed by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and was sponsored by Sens. Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino). In addition to the 45-day requirement for healthcare facilities, the legislation also creates a state PPE advisory committee to guide California on the creation of a state stockpile of PPE and procurement guidelines to work toward a 90-day pandemic level supply for all essential workers.
