(a) All applications for a certificate of need shall be reviewed by the SHPDA.

(b) Existing procedures and criteria in effect on April 9, 1997, are valid insofar as they are not inconsistent with this chapter, until new rules of procedures and criteria are adopted.

(c) In accordance with § 44-421 the SHPDA shall establish, adopt, and publish procedures and criteria for the review of certificate of need applications, for new or renewal applications, for expedited administrative review, or for exemptions from review.

(d)(1) An application for a certificate of need shall be considered complete unless the SHPDA determines, within 15 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of an application, that the application is not complete and requests additional information which is relevant and necessary for the application to be complete. The application shall be considered complete upon the SHPDA’s receipt of the applicant’s response to any such request.

(2) The SHPDA shall issue its determination on an application for a certificate of need within 90 days after the date that the review process begins. If the SHPDA cannot issue its determination within that period, the review period may be extended for one additional period of 30 days.

(e) The SHPDA shall provide the applicant, the SHCC, and all previously appearing parties with a detailed explanation of any decision.

(f) The general public shall have access to all applications reviewed by the SHPDA and all other written materials essential to SHPDA’s review contained in the SHPDA’s files, except that the SHPDA shall establish a procedure to restrict access of the general public from portions of applications or supporting documents which contain detailed descriptions of security systems, medical record systems, controlled storage systems or proprietary financial information. The SHPDA is authorized to charge reasonable fees for the costs of providing to the public documents covered under this subsection.

(g) In issuing a certificate of need, the SHPDA shall specify in the certificate the maximum amount of capital expenditures which may be obligated under the certificate. The SHPDA shall prescribe the extent to which a project authorized by a certificate of need shall be subject to further review if the amount of capital expenditures obligated or expected to be obligated for the project exceeds the maximum specified in the certificate of need.

(h) The SHPDA may impose a condition upon the grant of a certificate of need if it is necessary to meet a criterion or standard previously adopted and published by the SHPDA. The SHPDA shall modify or remove a condition upon application at any time by the holder of the certificate of need or other person if the circumstances upon which the condition is premised change and no longer justify the condition, or if the condition, for any other reason, is no longer appropriate.

(i)(1) There shall be no ex parte contacts:

(A) In the case of an application for a certificate of need, between the applicant for a certificate of need, any person in favor of or opposed to the issuance of a certificate of need for the applicant, and any person in the SHPDA who exercises any responsibility with respect to the application after the commencement of the hearing on the applicant’s application and before a decision is made with respect to the applicant; or

(B) In the case of a proposed withdrawal of a certificate of need, between the holder of the certificate of need, any person acting on behalf of the holder, or any person in favor of or opposed to the withdrawal and any person in the SHPDA who exercises any responsibility with respect to the application after the commencement of the hearing on the applicant’s application and before a decision is made with respect to the application.

(2) In the case where no public hearing on the application has been requested, the period of prohibition of ex parte contacts shall begin upon the adjournment of any meeting convened by the SHCC at which the application is considered. Whether or not a hearing has been held, information presented at such meeting shall not be considered ex parte contacts if the meeting chairperson affords an opportunity for rebuttal. If there is to be no hearing or public meeting, the period of prohibition of ex parte contacts shall begin upon the SHPDA’s determination to conduct a type of review for which no public meeting or hearing will be held.

(j) No certificate of need holder shall begin operation of the bed, facility, or health service approved in the certificate of need until the SHPDA has conducted a review to determine compliance with the certificate of need requirements. If the SHPDA does not make a finding of noncompliance within 30 days of receiving notification from the certificate of need holder of its intent to begin operation, the SHPDA shall be deemed to have determined compliance.

(k) SHPDA shall require that all prospective certificate of need applicants certify, in writing, that for the five-year period following the award of the certificate of need the percentage of uncompensated care (charity and bad-debt) provided each year to the population served by the HCF will be equal to or exceed the average of the percentage of uncompensated care provided by the HCF for the 2 fiscal years immediately preceding the review of an application for a certificate of need pursuant to this section.

(Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-191, § 10, 43 DCR 4535; Oct. 23, 1997, D.C. Law 12-32, § 12(a)(3), 44 DCR 4819; Apr. 22, 2004, D.C. Law 15-149, § 2(f), 51 DCR 2802.)

1981 Ed., § 32-359.

This section is referenced in § 44-404 and § 44-406.

D.C. Law 15-149, in subsec. (c), inserted “for expedited administrative review,” following “renewal applications,”, and deleted the last sentence which read: “The SHPDA develop special review procedures for proposed capital expenditures not directly related to patient care but which will increase the cost of patient care by more than 1%.”; rewrote subsec. (d)(2); in subsec. (e), deleted “which contradicts the recommendation of the SHCC” following “any decision”; and, in subsec. (f), added a new sentence which read; “The SHPDA is authorized to charge reasonable fees for the costs of providing to the public documents covered under this subsection.” Prior to amendment, subsec. (d)(2) had read as follows: “(2) The SHPDA shall issue its determination on an application for a certificate of need within 90 days after the date that the application is deemed complete or is considered complete pursuant to subsection (d)(1) of this section, or, in the case of complete review, 90 days after all applications to be considered during the review period are received. If the SHPDA cannot issue its determination within that period, the review period may be extended for one additional period of 30 days.”

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(e) of Health Services Planning and Development Emergency Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-49, March 28, 2003, 50 DCR 2943).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(e) of Health Services Planning and Development Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-87, May 19, 2003, 50 DCR 4325).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(e) of Health Services Planning and Development Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-322, January 28, 2004, 51 DCR 1581).

For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(e) of Health Services Planning and Development Temporary Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Law 15-19, June 21, 2003, law notification 50 DCR 5463).