(a) When the authority proposes a change to the certificate of need standards, it shall file with the Secretary of State, for publication in the State Register, a notice of proposed action, including the text of all proposed changes, and a date, time and place for receipt of general public comment. To comply with the public comment requirement of this section, the authority may hold a public hearing or schedule a public comment period for the receipt of written statements or documents.

(b) When changing the certificate of need standards, the authority shall identify relevant criteria contained in section twelve and apply those relevant criteria to the proposed health service in a manner that promotes the public policy goals and legislative findings contained in section one.

(c) The authority shall form task forces to assist it in satisfying its review and reporting requirements. The task forces shall be comprised of representatives of consumers, business, providers, payers and state agencies.

(d) The authority shall coordinate the collection of information needed to allow the authority to develop recommended modifications to certificate of need standards.

(e) The authority may consult with or rely upon learned treatises in health planning, recommendations and practices of other health planning agencies and organizations, recommendations from consumers, recommendations from health care providers, recommendations from third-party payors, materials reflecting the standard of care, the authority’s own developed expertise in health planning, data accumulated by the authority or other local, state or federal agency or organization and any other source deemed relevant to the certificate of need standards proposed for change.

(f) All proposed changes to the certificate of need standards, with a record of the public hearing or written statements and documents received pursuant to a public comment period, shall be presented to the Governor. Within thirty days of receiving the proposed amendments or modifications, the Governor shall either approve or disapprove all or part of the amendments and modifications and, for any portion of amendments or modifications not approved, shall specify the reason or reasons for disapproval. Any portions of the amendments or modifications not approved by the Governor may be revised and resubmitted.

(g) The certificate of need standards adopted pursuant to this section which are applicable to the provisions of this article are not subject to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The authority shall follow the provisions set forth in this section for giving notice to the public of its actions, holding hearings or receiving comments on the certificate of need standards. The certificate of need standards in effect on July 1, 2016, and all prior versions promulgated and adopted in accordance with the provisions of this section are and have been in full force and effect from each of their respective dates of approval by the Governor.

(h) After approval from the Governor, the authority shall prepare a report detailing its review findings and submit the report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability with its annual report before January 1, each year.