(A) A party who is aggrieved by the Administrative Law Court's final decision may seek judicial review of the final decision in accordance with Section 1-23-380.

(B) If the relief requested in the appeal is the reversal of the Administrative Law Court's decision to approve the Certificate of Need application or approve the request for exemption under Section 44-7-170 or approve the determination that Section 44-7-160 is not applicable, the party filing the appeal shall deposit a bond with the Clerk of the Court of Appeals within five calendar days after filing the petition to appeal. The bond must be secured by cash or a surety authorized to do business in this State in an amount equal to five percent of the total cost of the project or one hundred thousand dollars, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of one million five hundred thousand dollars. If the Court of Appeals affirms the Administrative Law Court's decision or dismisses the appeal, the Court of Appeals shall award to the party whose project is the subject of the appeal all of the bond and also may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in the appeal. If a party appeals the denial of its own Certificate of Need application or of an exemption request under Section 44-7-170 or appeals the determination that Section 44-7-160 is applicable and there is no competing application involved in the appeal, the party filing the appeal is not required to deposit a bond with the Court of Appeals.

(C)(1) Furthermore, if at the conclusion of the contested case or judicial review the Administrative Law Court or the Court of Appeals finds that the contested case or a subsequent appeal was frivolous, the Administrative Law Court or the Court of Appeals may award damages incurred as a result of the delay, as well as reasonable attorney's fees and costs, to the party whose project is the subject of the contested case or judicial review.

(2) As used in this subsection, "frivolous appeal" means any one of the following:

(a) taken solely for purposes of delay or harassment;

(b) where no question of law is involved;

(c) where the contested case or judicial review is without merit.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 32-772; 1952 Code Section 32-772; 1947 (45) 510; 1979 Act No. 51 Section 1; 1988 Act No. 670, Section 1; 1990 Act No. 471, Section 4; 2010 Act No. 278, Section 12, eff July 1, 2010.