(

a) With regard to a general acute care hospital building located in Seismic Zone as indicated in the edition of the California Building Standards Code, any hospital may request an exemption from Non-Structural Performance Category-3 requirements in Title of the California Code of Regulations if the hospital building complies with the year nonstructural requirements. (

b) The department shall determine the maximum allowable level of earthquake ground shaking potential for purposes of this section. (

c) To qualify for an exemption under this section, a hospital shall provide a site-specific engineering geologic report that demonstrates an earthquake ground shaking potential below the maximum allowable level of earthquake ground shaking potential determined by the department pursuant to subdivision (b). (d)

(1) To demonstrate an earthquake ground shaking potential as provided in subdivision (c), a hospital shall submit a site-specific engineering geologic report to the department.

(2) The department shall forward the report received from a hospital to the Division of Mines and Geology in the Department of Conservation for purposes of a review.

(3) If, after review of the analysis, the Division of Mines and Geology concurs with the findings of the report, it shall return the report with a statement of concurrence to the office. Upon the receipt of the statement, if the ground shaking potential is below that established pursuant to subdivision (b), the department shall grant the exemption requested. (

e) A hospital building that is eligible for an exemption under this

section shall meet the January 1, 2030, nonstructural requirement deadline if the building is to be used for general acute care inpatient services after January 1, 2030. (

f) A hospital requesting an exemption pursuant to this

section shall pay the actual expenses incurred by the department and the Division of Mines and Geology. (

g) All regulatory submissions to the California Building Standards Commission made by the department for purposes of this

section shall be deemed to be emergency regulations and shall be adopted as emergency regulations. This emergency regulation authority shall remain in effect until January 1, 2004.