California now requires that hospitals conform to minimal security standards by laying out required guidelines. This law is confined to the state of California, but it has national implications. Some hospital security executives believe that it is just a matter of time before these standards begin to appear in Environment of Care Standards required by the Joint Commission.

The California legislation requires hospital security and safety assessments to be conducted not less than annually, and requires hospital security plans to be updated annually, provides that hospital security plans may additionally include efforts to cooperate with local law enforcement regarding violent acts at the facility, and requires hospitals to consult with affected employees and members of the medical staff in developing their security plans and assessments.

In one analysis, the law: