GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2017
S 1
SENATE BILL 324
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Short Title: Repeal Certificate of Need Laws. |
(Public) |
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Sponsors: |
Senators Hise, Wade (Primary Sponsors); Cook, Rabin, and Sanderson. |
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Referred to: |
Rules and Operations of the Senate |
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March 22, 2017
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT REPEALING north carolina's CERTIFICATE OF NEED LAWs.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 6‑19.1(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) In any civil action, other than an adjudication for the purpose of establishing or fixing a rate, or a disciplinary action by a licensing board, brought by the State or brought by a party who is contesting State action pursuant to G.S. 150B‑43 or any other appropriate provisions of law, unless the prevailing party is the State, the court may, in its discretion, allow the prevailing party to recover reasonable attorney's fees, including attorney's fees applicable to the administrative review portion of the case, in contested cases arising under Article 3 of Chapter 150B, to be taxed as court costs against the appropriate agency if:
(1) The court finds that the agency acted without substantial justification in pressing its claim against the party; and
(2) The court finds that there are no special circumstances that would make the award of attorney's fees unjust. The party shall petition for the attorney's fees within 30 days following final disposition of the case. The petition shall be supported by an affidavit setting forth the basis for the request.
Nothing in this section shall be
deemed to authorize the assessment of attorney's fees for the administrative
review portion of the case in contested cases arising under Article 9 of
Chapter 131E of the General Statutes.
Nothing in this section grants permission to bring an action against an agency otherwise immune from suit or gives a right to bring an action to a party who otherwise lacks standing to bring the action.
Any attorney's fees assessed against an agency under this section shall be charged against the operating expenses of the agency and shall not be reimbursed from any other source."
SECTION 1.(b) Subsection (a) of this section applies to contested cases arising on or after January 1, 2021.
SECTION 2. G.S. 58‑50‑61(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) Definitions. – As used in this section, in G.S. 58‑50‑62, and in Part 4 of this Article, the term:
…
(8) "Health care
provider" means any person who is licensed, registered, or certified under
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes or the laws of another state to provide
health care services in the ordinary care of business or practice or a
profession or in an approved education or training program; a health care
facility as defined in G.S. 131E‑176(9b) this section or
the laws of another state to operate as a health care facility; or a pharmacy.
…
(9a) "Health service facility" means a hospital; long‑term care hospital; psychiatric facility; rehabilitation facility; nursing home facility; adult care home; kidney disease treatment center, including freestanding hemodialysis units; intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded; home health agency office; chemical dependency treatment facility; diagnostic center; hospice office, hospice inpatient facility, and hospice residential care facility; and ambulatory surgical facility.
…."
SECTION 3. G.S. 58‑55‑35(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) Whenever long‑term care insurance provides coverage for the facilities, services, or physical or mental conditions listed below, unless otherwise defined in the policy and certificate, and approved by the Commissioner, such facilities, services, or conditions are defined as follows:
…
(10) "Hospice" shall
be defined in accordance with the terms of G.S. 131E‑176(13a).means
any coordinated program of home care with provision for inpatient care for
terminally ill patients and their families. This care is provided by a
medically directed interdisciplinary team directly or through an agreement
under the direction of an identifiable hospice administration. A hospice
program of care provides palliative and supportive medical and other health
services to meet the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and special
needs of patients and their families, which are experienced during the final
stages of terminal illness and during dying and bereavement.
(11) "Intermediate care
facility for the mentally retarded" shall be defined in accordance with
the terms of G.S. 131E‑176(14a).means facilities licensed pursuant
to Article 2 of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes for the purpose of
providing health and habilitative services based on the developmental model and
principles of normalization for persons with mental retardation, autism,
cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or related conditions.
…."
SECTION 4. G.S. 113A‑12(3)e. reads as rewritten:
"e. A health care
facility financed pursuant to Chapter 131A of the General Statutes or
receiving a certificate of need under Article 9 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes."
SECTION 5. G.S. 122C‑23.1(e) reads as rewritten:
"(e) As used in this
section, "residential treatment facility" means a "residential
facility" as defined in and licensed under this Chapter, but not
subject to Certificate of Need requirements under Article 9 of Chapter 131E of
the General Statutes.Chapter."
SECTION 6. G.S. 131E‑13(a)(1) reads as rewritten:
"(1) The corporation shall
continue to provide the same or similar clinical hospital services to its
patients in medical‑surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, outpatient and
emergency treatment, including emergency services for the indigent, that the
hospital facility provided prior to the lease, sale, or conveyance. These
services may be terminated only as prescribed by Certificate of Need Law
prescribed in Article 9 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes, or, if
Certificate of Need Law is inapplicable, by review procedure designed to
guarantee public participation pursuant to rules adopted by the Secretary of
the Department of Health and Human Services."
SECTION 7. G.S. 131E‑136(4) reads as rewritten:
"(4) "Home health
agency" means a home care agency which is certified to receive Medicare
and Medicaid reimbursement for providing nursing care, therapy, medical social
services, and home health aide services on a part‑time, intermittent basis
as set out in G.S. 131E‑176(12), and is thereby also subject to Article 9
of Chapter 131E.basis."
SECTION 8. G.S. 148‑19.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 148‑19.1. Exemption from licensure and
certificate of need.licensure.
(a) Inpatient chemical dependency or substance abuse
facilities that provide services exclusively to inmates of the Division of
Adult Correction of the Department of Public Safety shall be exempt from
licensure by the Department of Health and Human Services under Chapter 122C of
the General Statutes. If an inpatient chemical dependency or substance abuse
facility provides services both to inmates of the Division of Adult Correction
of the Department of Public Safety and to members of the general public, the
portion of the facility that serves inmates shall be exempt from licensure.
(b) Any person who contracts to provide inpatient
chemical dependency or substance abuse services to inmates of the Division of
Adult Correction of the Department of Public Safety may construct and operate a
new chemical dependency or substance abuse facility for that purpose without
first obtaining a certificate of need from the Department of Health and Human
Services pursuant to Article 9 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes.
However, a new facility or addition developed for that purpose without a
certificate of need shall not be licensed pursuant to Chapter 122C of the
General Statutes and shall not admit anyone other than inmates unless the owner
or operator first obtains a certificate of need."
SECTION 9. Article 9 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes, G.S. 130A‑45.02(i), 143B‑1292, 150B‑2(8a)k., and 150B‑21.1(6) are repealed.
SECTION 10. This act becomes effective January 1, 2018.