“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison
Every year, state lawmakers spend months crafting legislation with the lofty goal of improving life for Californians. When their work is done, hospitals have the task of transforming those ideas into actionable solutions, all while ensuring access to the lifesaving care millions of Californians rely on every day.
Some laws are more challenging to implement than others. The weapons detections requirements under Assembly Bill (AB) 2975 (Chapter 749, Statutes of 2024) are a great example. Keeping patients, visitors, and staff safe is a top priority for California’s hospitals, and yet the bill has resulted in unanticipated consequences, both financial (some weapon detectors cost hospitals upwards of $1 million to install) and operational (staffing and monitoring the screening devices 24/7/365).
As the idea has become reality, hospitals have learned several important things about what the new law does and does not require. Of note:
- Weapon detection screening is not required at every entrance, only at the “main” public entrance — a singular entrance designated by the hospital that serves as the primary point of access for patients and visitors — the emergency department entrance, and labor & delivery (if separately accessible to the public).
- Working with law enforcement throughout this process is critically important, as local agencies have disaster response plans that rely on up-to-date information.
- Community awareness is equally important. Informing community partners and the public about new weapons detection screening will help reduce fears and hesitation about receiving care.
- Hospitals must assign a designated person (not a health care provider) to monitor the screening equipment. Those staff must complete a minimum of 8 hours of training covering how to respond to and de-escalate a threat, how to operate the weapons detection equipment, knowledge about the hospital’s policies and what to do if a weapon is detected, and implicit bias.
- The law requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health to promulgate regulations; those must be finalized by March 1, 2027, and the California Hospital Association (CHA) will advocate for a 90-day implementation timeline.
Stay tuned for more details as our work toward compliance advances. In the months ahead, Hospital Council will continue to work in partnership with CHA and our OneTeam colleagues to ensure the good ideas behind these new requirements don’t undermine the life-changing care hospitals provide every single day.