(a) On or after July 30, 1979, no person to which this article applies shall acquire, construct, or operate a new institutional health service, as defined in this article, or furnish or offer, or purport to furnish a new institutional health service, as defined in this article, or make an arrangement or commitment for financing the offering of a new institutional health service, unless the person shall first obtain from the SHPDA a certificate of need therefor. Notwithstanding any provisions of this article to the contrary, those facilities and distinct units operated by the Department of Mental Health, and those facilities and distinct units operating under contract or subcontract with the Department of Mental Health where the contract constitutes the primary source of income to the facility, shall not be required to obtain a certificate of need under this article.

(b) Notwithstanding all other provisions of this article to the contrary, the replacement of equipment by health care facilities shall be exempt from certificate of need review, provided:

(1) The replacement does not change the purpose, use, or application of the equipment.

(2) The existing equipment is taken out of service.

(3) The replacement equipment does not enable the health care facility to expand its health services.

(4) The replacement equipment does not enable the health care facility to provide any health services not previously provided on a regular basis.

A determination of whether the acquisition of equipment is exempt from review under this section shall be made by the Executive Director of the SHPDA upon the filing of an application requesting the determination, on the form or forms prescribed by the CON Review Board, together with a fee in the amount of 20 percent of the fee provided in Section 22-21-271. If it is determined that the replacement is not reviewable pursuant to this section, the applicant shall be notified in writing that no certificate of need is required. The SHPDA shall define an appeals process.

Any provision in this article to the contrary notwithstanding, a rural hospital shall only be required to submit a fee equal to 25 percent of the fee applicable to non-rural hospitals when filing a request for determination under this section.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, the modernization or construction of a nonclinical building, parking facility, or any other noninstitutional health services capital item on the existing campus of a health care facility shall be exempt from certificate of need review, provided the construction or modernization does not allow the health care facility to provide new institutional health services subject to review and not previously provided on a regular basis.

(d) The SHPDA shall maintain the Alabama State Health Plan to include separate bed need methodologies for inpatient psychiatric services, inpatient rehabilitation services, and inpatient/residential alcohol and drug abuse services. The SHPDA shall utilize these methodologies in considering all certificate of need applications.

(e) Notwithstanding all other provisions of this article to the contrary, the increase in the number of nursing home beds of a health care facility licensed pursuant to Section 22-21-260(6) as a skilled nursing care facility or an intermediate care facility, but excluding an increase in the bed capacity of an intermediate care facility designated as an ICF-MR by the State Board of Health and operated by the state Department of Mental Health which facilities shall be governed by the other provisions of this article, shall be exempt from certificate of need review, provided:

(1) The increase does not exceed 10 percent of the total skilled nursing beds of the facility, rounded to the nearest whole number, or 10 beds, whichever is greater.

(2) The average rate of occupancy for the nursing home beds of the facility is not less than 95 percent, rounded to the nearest whole number, for the 24-month period ending on June 30 of the year immediately preceding the application for exemption from the certificate of need review.

(3) The aggregate average rate of occupancy for all other skilled nursing facilities and intermediate nursing facilities in the same county as the requesting facility's is not less than 95 percent, rounded to the nearest whole number, for the 24-month period ending on June 30 of the year immediately preceding the application for exemption from certificate of need review.

(4) The increase does not require capital expenditures exceeding the capital expenditure thresholds prescribed in Section 22-21-263(a)(2).

(5) The facility has not been granted an increase of beds under this exemption within the immediately preceding 24-month period.

In calculating the average occupancy for the facility under subdivision (2) of this subsection and for all other skilled and intermediate nursing facilities in the same county under subdivision (3) of this subsection, beds previously granted, including beds granted after January 1, 1995, to the facility, and to other skilled or intermediate nursing facilities in the same county as the requesting facility, pursuant to a certificate of need or to this exemption shall be deemed built and available for occupancy as of the date granted regardless of when the beds were placed in service. SHPDA shall promulgate regulations to determine how occupancy shall be calculated for the purpose of this subsection, taking into account certain factors such as, but without limitation, disregarding beds that have not been available for use for the three years next preceding the period for which occupancy is being measured.

(6) The facility has had an average daily census comprised of 40 percent of Medicaid patients within the fiscal year ended June 30 immediately prior to filing an application for exemption under this section.

(7) Any exemption to add beds without a certificate of need shall expire and be deemed null and void unless the beds are placed in service not less than 12 months after the date the exemption is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, SHPDA may promulgate rules permitting the Executive Director of SHPDA to grant one extension not to exceed twelve months upon a showing of substantial progress. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any exemption granted by the SHPDA prior to April 10, 1995, for facilities which have agreed to the provisions of the June 21, 1995 consent decree, is ratified and confirmed and shall be deemed to have been granted in accordance with this subsection. In addition, any facility which was granted an exemption by the SHPDA prior to April 10, 1995, is ratified and confirmed and shall be deemed to have been approved as of the latter of the actual date approved or March 3, 1995 and to have been granted in accordance with this subsection.

A determination of whether the increase in beds is exempt from review under this section shall be made by the Executive Director of SHPDA upon the filing of an application requesting the determination, on the form or forms prescribed by the CON Review Board, together with a fee in an amount to be determined by the review board in accordance with Section 22-21-271(a). The SHPDA shall promulgate rules affording an applicant pursuant to this subsection a right to appeal adverse rulings.

Applications pursuant to this section for exemption from certificate of need review for an increase in bed capacity shall be made only during the 90-day period beginning January 1 through March 31 of each year.

The provisions of this section shall automatically terminate and become null and void on December 31, 2005, unless a bill to continue or reestablish the provisions of this section shall be passed by both houses of the Legislature and enacted into law.

(f) Notwithstanding all other provisions of this article to the contrary, an existing home health agency may accept referrals of patients from outside its Medicare certified service area without obtaining a certificate of need, provided all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The county of the referral is contiguous to a county for which the home health agency holds a certificate of need or an exemption granted pursuant to provisions of Section 22-21-263.

(2) The home health agency establishes no branch office in the county of the referral.

(3) The home health agency incurs no capital expenditures in the county of the referral in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).

The home health agency shall notify the SHPDA that it has begun accepting referrals from a county contiguous to its service area within 14 days of the receipt of the first referral from the contiguous county. No notice to the SHPDA shall be required related to subsequent referrals in the same contiguous county. The SHPDA shall take steps to provide for the inclusion of statistical information relating to the service to referrals outside the Medicare certified service area in its annual statistical reports. The SHPDA may impose, by rule, a reasonable charge upon home health agencies accepting such referrals to cover the additional cost of gathering and processing the information.

(g) Notwithstanding all other provisions of this article to the contrary, the replacement, including relocation in the same county, of an existing acute care hospital by the construction of a new digital hospital shall be exempt from certificate of need review provided the hospital meets all of the following:

(1) The digital hospital design incorporates a fully automated centralized digital system to integrate all current and future medical technologies with capabilities for all systems to interface in a comprehensive medical record. The integration of medical technology shall include, but not be limited to, all patient medical records, diagnostic images, diagnostic reports, laboratory results, pharmacy data, pharmacological interactions, contraindications, surgical reports, surgical streaming video, pathology reports, unique patient identification, voice activated transcription, wireless applications, automated billing with electronic transmission capability, and electronic procurement systems.

(2) The electronic medical systems shall interface on a single electronic platform to produce the most favorable patient outcome with a reduction in medical errors.

(3) Medical records shall only be accessed by authorized clinical personnel who are provided access by hospital consoles, physician offices, physician homes, or any remote location via unique identification requirements.

(4) Patient rooms shall be designed to provide optimal electronic documentation of vital signs, real-time data entry, any and all treatment protocols, physician orders, and patient progression.

(5) The digital hospital shall have a minimum project cost of one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) to include design, systems, property, buildings, equipment, and electronic software development.

(6) The construction and design of the facility shall utilize technology and materials for patient flow to limit general public contact with patient care areas, healthcare workers, and hazardous materials to reduce the potential for cross-contamination and resulting direct medical costs.

(7) The digital hospital environment shall be energy efficient, cost effective, and clinically designed to produce the most favorable environment.

(8) The digital hospital shall meet all of the following conditions:

a. Operate as an acute care hospital.

b. Replace an existing acute care hospital located in the same county as the digital hospital.

c. Be licensed for no more than the same number of hospital beds and for the same bed categories as the existing acute care hospital to be replaced by the digital hospital, unless otherwise approved by the Certificate of Need Review Board through issuance of a certificate of need.

d. Shall not exceed the same scope of health services, including the same amount of diagnostic or therapeutic major medical equipment, as the existing acute care hospital to be replaced by the digital hospital, unless otherwise approved by the SHPDA approval process.

e. Shall not exceed the number of inpatient and outpatient surgical suites as contained in the existing acute care hospital to be replaced by the digital hospital, unless otherwise approved by the SHPDA approval process.

(9) The existing acute care hospital, replaced by the digital hospital, shall be taken out of service as an acute care hospital and shall not be converted to or used as another health care facility, unless approved by the Certificate of Need Review Board through issuance of a certificate of need.

(10) Any presently reviewable health service which is proposed to be offered by the digital hospital which was not offered on a regular basis within the preceding twelve-month period in or through the existing acute care hospital to be replaced by the digital hospital shall be subject to Certificate of Need Review Board approval through issuance of a certificate of need.

(11) The only digital hospital exempt from certificate of need review shall be the first digital hospital developed in the state, and the digital hospital shall be located in a county where there is located an accredited medical school and teaching facility and not less than 3,000 licensed general hospital beds, and construction shall be commenced within one year from the issuance of a certificate of need by SHPDA.

A determination whether the construction of a digital hospital is exempt from review under this subsection shall be made by the Executive Director of the SHPDA, upon the filing of an application requesting the determination, on the forms acceptable to the Executive Director of SHPDA together with an application fee as provided in Section 22-21-271. If it is determined that the replacement facility is not reviewable pursuant to this section, SHPDA shall notify the applicant in writing that the application is exempt from certificate of need review and shall issue a certificate of need. The applicant shall have a right of appeal from any adverse ruling denying exemption and the SHPDA shall promulgate rules affording an applicant a right to appeal adverse rulings pursuant to this subsection.

The provisions of this subsection shall automatically terminate and become null and void upon the issuance of the first certificate of need for the construction and operation of a digital replacement hospital as herein provided or on December 31, 2005, whichever first occurs, unless a bill to continue or reestablish the provisions of this subsection shall be passed by both houses of the Legislature and enacted into law.