A $25 million grant to cash-strapped hospitals in California became law less than a week after it was introduced, surprising some hospitals, advocates, and lawmakers. The bill, signed into law last week, will provide grants to public and nonprofit hospitals that meet several criteria, including having less than 10 days of cash on hand and having over half of their patients on government-funded insurance programs or uninsured. The goal is to tide eligible hospitals over until July 1, when the new fiscal year begins. The Department of Health Care Access and Information will announce recipients May 26. However, some hospital leaders are scrambling to meet the application deadline after learning about the bill a week ago. Critics argue that the criteria should have been expanded to allow more hospitals to compete for the funding.