The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:

(a) It is in the state‘s interest to encourage competitive business opportunities for all of its people. Hospitals are uniquely positioned to build relationships within the communities they serve through the development, inclusion, and utilization of certified minority, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and disabled veteran business enterprises whenever possible. National companies are able to leverage buying power to save costs to the benefit of patients.

Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 1339.85

(b) By providing that each major hospital submit to the Department of Health Care Access and Information a plan explaining the hospital’s supplier diversity statement and expressing its goals regarding certified minority, women, LGBT, and disabled veteran business enterprises, and the department placing that information on the department’s internet website, that online resource will help facilitate these supplier relationships.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 840, Sec. 1. (AB 1392) Effective January 1, 2024.)