Special report. Regulating security: what the new California and NY state laws require and how hospitals are responding.

Efforts on state and federal levels to mandate private security standards and training of security officers have received substantial boosts from laws recently passed in two of the nation's largest states--California and New York. Although the two laws differ substantially (California's is directed solely at hospitals, while New York's covers all areas of private security), it is likely that the provisions of both will increasingly find their way into legislation passed by other states and/or the federal government. Thus, all security directors, no matter where their institutions are located, may want to review this special report carefully.