SB1739enr 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1739 Enrolled LRB101 09796 RJF 54897 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act is amended by changing Sections 6, 8.5, 12, and 12.2 and by adding Section 8.7 as follows:

(20 ILCS 3960/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1156)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2029)

Sec. 6. Application for permit or exemption; exemption regulations.

(a) An application for a permit or exemption shall be made to the State Board upon forms provided by the State Board. This application shall contain such information as the State Board deems necessary. The State Board shall not require an applicant to file a Letter of Intent before an application is filed. Such application shall include affirmative evidence on which the State Board or Chairman may make its decision on the approval or denial of the permit or exemption.

(b) The State Board shall establish by regulation the procedures and requirements regarding issuance of exemptions. An exemption shall be approved when information required by the Board by rule is submitted. Projects eligible for an exemption, rather than a permit, include, but are not limited to, change of ownership of a health care facility and discontinuation of a category of service , discontinuation of a category of service, and discontinuation of a health care facility, other than a health care facility maintained by the State or any agency or department thereof or a nursing home maintained by a county. The Board may accept an application for an exemption for the discontinuation of a category of service at a health care facility only once in a 6-month period following (1) the previous application for exemption at the same health care facility or (2) the final decision of the Board regarding the discontinuation of a category of service at the same health care facility, whichever occurs later. A discontinuation of a category of service shall otherwise require an application for a permit if an application for an exemption has already been accepted within the 6-month period. For a change of ownership among related persons of a health care facility, the State Board shall provide by rule for an expedited process for obtaining an exemption in accordance with Section 8.5 of this Act. For the purposes of this Section, "change of ownership among related persons" means a transaction in which the parties to the transaction are under common control or ownership before and after the transaction is complete.

(c) All applications shall be signed by the applicant and shall be verified by any 2 officers thereof.

(c-5) Any written review or findings of the Board staff set forth in the State Board Staff Report concerning an application for a permit must be made available to the public and the applicant at least 14 calendar days before the meeting of the State Board at which the review or findings are considered. The applicant and members of the public may submit, to the State Board, written responses regarding the facts set forth in the review or findings of the Board staff. Members of the public and the applicant shall have until 10 days before the meeting of the State Board to submit any written response concerning the Board staff's written review or findings. The Board staff may revise any findings to address corrections of factual errors cited in the public response. At the meeting, the State Board may, in its discretion, permit the submission of other additional written materials.

(d) Upon receipt of an application for a permit, the State Board shall approve and authorize the issuance of a permit if it finds (1) that the applicant is fit, willing, and able to provide a proper standard of health care service for the community with particular regard to the qualification, background and character of the applicant, (2) that economic feasibility is demonstrated in terms of effect on the existing and projected operating budget of the applicant and of the health care facility; in terms of the applicant's ability to establish and operate such facility in accordance with licensure regulations promulgated under pertinent state laws; and in terms of the projected impact on the total health care expenditures in the facility and community, (3) that safeguards are provided that assure that the establishment, construction or modification of the health care facility or acquisition of major medical equipment is consistent with the public interest, and (4) that the proposed project is consistent with the orderly and economic development of such facilities and equipment and is in accord with standards, criteria, or plans of need adopted and approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 12 of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-154, eff. 7-28-15; 100-518, eff. 6-1-18; 100-681, eff. 8-3-18.)

(20 ILCS 3960/8.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2029)

Sec. 8.5. Certificate of exemption for change of ownership of a health care facility; discontinuation of a health care facility or category of service; public notice and public hearing.

(a) Upon a finding that an application for a change of ownership is complete, the State Board shall publish a legal notice on 3 consecutive days one day in a newspaper of general circulation in the area or community to be affected and afford the public an opportunity to request a hearing. If the application is for a facility located in a Metropolitan Statistical Area, an additional legal notice shall be published in a newspaper of limited circulation, if one exists, in the area in which the facility is located. If the newspaper of limited circulation is published on a daily basis, the additional legal notice shall be published on 3 consecutive days one day. The applicant shall pay the cost incurred by the Board in publishing the change of ownership notice in newspapers as required under this subsection. The legal notice shall also be posted on the Health Facilities and Services Review Board's web site and sent to the State Representative and State Senator of the district in which the health care facility is located. An application for change of ownership of a hospital shall not be deemed complete without a signed certification that for a period of 2 years after the change of ownership transaction is effective, the hospital will not adopt a charity care policy that is more restrictive than the policy in effect during the year prior to the transaction. An application for a change of ownership need not contain signed transaction documents so long as it includes the following key terms of the transaction: names and background of the parties; structure of the transaction; the person who will be the licensed or certified entity after the transaction; the ownership or membership interests in such licensed or certified entity both prior to and after the transaction; fair market value of assets to be transferred; and the purchase price or other form of consideration to be provided for those assets. The issuance of the certificate of exemption shall be contingent upon the applicant submitting a statement to the Board within 90 days after the closing date of the transaction, or such longer period as provided by the Board, certifying that the change of ownership has been completed in accordance with the key terms contained in the application. If such key terms of the transaction change, a new application shall be required.

Where a change of ownership is among related persons, and there are no other changes being proposed at the health care facility that would otherwise require a permit or exemption under this Act, the applicant shall submit an application consisting of a standard notice in a form set forth by the Board briefly explaining the reasons for the proposed change of ownership. Once such an application is submitted to the Board and reviewed by the Board staff, the Board Chair shall take action on an application for an exemption for a change of ownership among related persons within 45 days after the application has been deemed complete, provided the application meets the applicable standards under this Section. If the Board Chair has a conflict of interest or for other good cause, the Chair may request review by the Board. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, for purposes of this Section, a change of ownership among related persons means a transaction where the parties to the transaction are under common control or ownership before and after the transaction is completed.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the Board to impose any conditions, obligations, or limitations, other than those required by this Section, with respect to the issuance of an exemption for a change of ownership, including, but not limited to, the time period before which a subsequent change of ownership of the health care facility could be sought, or the commitment to continue to offer for a specified time period any services currently offered by the health care facility.

(a-3) (Blank). Upon a finding that an application to close a health care facility is complete, the State Board shall publish a legal notice on 3 consecutive days in a newspaper of general circulation in the area or community to be affected and afford the public an opportunity to request a hearing. If the application is for a facility located in a Metropolitan Statistical Area, an additional legal notice shall be published in a newspaper of limited circulation, if one exists, in the area in which the facility is located. If the newspaper of limited circulation is published on a daily basis, the additional legal notice shall be published on 3 consecutive days. The legal notice shall also be posted on the Health Facilities and Services Review Board's web site and sent to the State Representative and State Senator of the district in which the health care facility is located. In addition, the health care facility shall provide notice of closure to the local media that the health care facility would routinely notify about facility events. No later than 90 days after a discontinuation of a health facility, the applicant must submit a statement to the State Board certifying that the discontinuation is complete.

(a-5) Upon a finding that an application to discontinue a category of service is complete and provides the requested information, as specified by the State Board, an exemption shall be issued. No later than 30 days after the issuance of the exemption, the health care facility must give written notice of the discontinuation of the category of service to the State Senator and State Representative serving the legislative district in which the health care facility is located. No later than 90 days after a discontinuation of a category of service, the applicant must submit a statement to the State Board certifying that the discontinuation is complete.

(b) If a public hearing is requested, it shall be held at least 15 days but no more than 30 days after the date of publication of the legal notice in the community in which the facility is located. The hearing shall be held in the affected area or community in a place of reasonable size and accessibility and a full and complete written transcript of the proceedings shall be made. All interested persons attending the hearing shall be given a reasonable opportunity to present their positions in writing or orally. The applicant shall provide a summary or describe the proposed change of ownership of the proposal for distribution at the public hearing.

(c) For the purposes of this Section "newspaper of limited circulation" means a newspaper intended to serve a particular or defined population of a specific geographic area within a Metropolitan Statistical Area such as a municipality, town, village, township, or community area, but does not include publications of professional and trade associations.

(d) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly shall apply to all applications submitted after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 99-154, eff. 7-28-15; 99-527, eff. 1-1-17; 99-551, eff. 7-15-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)

(20 ILCS 3960/8.7 new)

Sec. 8.7. Application for permit for discontinuation of a health care facility or category of service; public notice and public hearing.

(a) Upon a finding that an application to close a health care facility or discontinue a category of service is complete, the State Board shall publish a legal notice on 3 consecutive days in a newspaper of general circulation in the area or community to be affected and afford the public an opportunity to request a hearing. If the application is for a facility located in a Metropolitan Statistical Area, an additional legal notice shall be published in a newspaper of limited circulation, if one exists, in the area in which the facility is located. If the newspaper of limited circulation is published on a daily basis, the additional legal notice shall be published on 3 consecutive days. The legal notice shall also be posted on the Health Facilities and Services Review Board's website and sent to the State Representative and State Senator of the district in which the health care facility is located. In addition, the health care facility shall provide notice of closure to the local media that the health care facility would routinely notify about facility events.

(b) No later than 30 days after issuance of a permit to close a health care facility or discontinue a category of service, the permit holder shall give written notice of the closure or discontinuation to the State Senator and State Representative serving the legislative district in which the health care facility is located.

(c) If there is a pending lawsuit that challenges an application to discontinue a health care facility that either names the Board as a party or alleges fraud in the filing of the application, the Board may defer action on the application for up to 6 months after the date of the initial deferral of the application.

(d) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly shall apply to all applications submitted after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly.

(20 ILCS 3960/12) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1162)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2029)

Sec. 12. Powers and duties of State Board. For purposes of this Act, the State Board shall exercise the following powers and duties:

(1) Prescribe rules, regulations, standards, criteria, procedures or reviews which may vary according to the purpose for which a particular review is being conducted or the type of project reviewed and which are required to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Act. Policies and procedures of the State Board shall take into consideration the priorities and needs of medically underserved areas and other health care services, giving special consideration to the impact of projects on access to safety net services.

(2) Adopt procedures for public notice and hearing on all proposed rules, regulations, standards, criteria, and plans required to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(3) (Blank).

(4) Develop criteria and standards for health care facilities planning, conduct statewide inventories of health care facilities, maintain an updated inventory on the Board's web site reflecting the most recent bed and service changes and updated need determinations when new census data become available or new need formulae are adopted, and develop health care facility plans which shall be utilized in the review of applications for permit under this Act. Such health facility plans shall be coordinated by the Board with pertinent State Plans. Inventories pursuant to this Section of skilled or intermediate care facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act, skilled or intermediate care facilities licensed under the ID/DD Community Care Act, skilled or intermediate care facilities licensed under the MC/DD Act, facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013, or nursing homes licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act shall be conducted on an annual basis no later than July 1 of each year and shall include among the information requested a list of all services provided by a facility to its residents and to the community at large and differentiate between active and inactive beds.

In developing health care facility plans, the State Board shall consider, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(a) The size, composition and growth of the population of the area to be served;

(b) The number of existing and planned facilities offering similar programs;

(c) The extent of utilization of existing facilities;

(d) The availability of facilities which may serve as alternatives or substitutes;

(e) The availability of personnel necessary to the operation of the facility;

(f) Multi-institutional planning and the establishment of multi-institutional systems where feasible;

(g) The financial and economic feasibility of proposed construction or modification; and

(h) In the case of health care facilities established by a religious body or denomination, the needs of the members of such religious body or denomination may be considered to be public need.

The health care facility plans which are developed and adopted in accordance with this Section shall form the basis for the plan of the State to deal most effectively with statewide health needs in regard to health care facilities.

(5) Coordinate with other state agencies having responsibilities affecting health care facilities, including those of licensure and cost reporting.

(6) Solicit, accept, hold and administer on behalf of the State any grants or bequests of money, securities or property for use by the State Board in the administration of this Act; and enter into contracts consistent with the appropriations for purposes enumerated in this Act.

(7) (Blank).

(8) Prescribe rules, regulations, standards, and criteria for the conduct of an expeditious review of applications for permits for projects of construction or modification of a health care facility, which projects are classified as emergency, substantive, or non-substantive in nature.

Substantive projects shall include no more than the following:

(a) Projects to construct (1) a new or replacement facility located on a new site or (2) a replacement facility located on the same site as the original facility and the cost of the replacement facility exceeds the capital expenditure minimum, which shall be reviewed by the Board within 120 days;

(b) Projects proposing a (1) new service within an existing healthcare facility or (2) discontinuation of a service within an existing healthcare facility, which shall be reviewed by the Board within 60 days; or

(c) Projects proposing a change in the bed capacity of a health care facility by an increase in the total number of beds or by a redistribution of beds among various categories of service or by a relocation of beds from one physical facility or site to another by more than 20 beds or more than 10% of total bed capacity, as defined by the State Board, whichever is less, over a 2-year period.

The Chairman may approve applications for exemption that meet the criteria set forth in rules or refer them to the full Board. The Chairman may approve any unopposed application that meets all of the review criteria or refer them to the full Board.

Such rules shall not prevent the conduct of a public hearing upon the timely request of an interested party. Such reviews shall not exceed 60 days from the date the application is declared to be complete.

(9) Prescribe rules, regulations, standards, and criteria pertaining to the granting of permits for construction and modifications which are emergent in nature and must be undertaken immediately to prevent or correct structural deficiencies or hazardous conditions that may harm or injure persons using the facility, as defined in the rules and regulations of the State Board. This procedure is exempt from public hearing requirements of this Act.

(10) Prescribe rules, regulations, standards and criteria for the conduct of an expeditious review, not exceeding 60 days, of applications for permits for projects to construct or modify health care facilities which are needed for the care and treatment of persons who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or related conditions.

(10.5) Provide its rationale when voting on an item before it at a State Board meeting in order to comply with subsection (b) of Section 3-108 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(11) Issue written decisions upon request of the applicant or an adversely affected party to the Board. Requests for a written decision shall be made within 15 days after the Board meeting in which a final decision has been made. A "final decision" for purposes of this Act is the decision to approve or deny an application, or take other actions permitted under this Act, at the time and date of the meeting that such action is scheduled by the Board. The transcript of the State Board meeting shall be incorporated into the Board's final decision. The staff of the Board shall prepare a written copy of the final decision and the Board shall approve a final copy for inclusion in the formal record. The Board shall consider, for approval, the written draft of the final decision no later than the next scheduled Board meeting. The written decision shall identify the applicable criteria and factors listed in this Act and the Board's regulations that were taken into consideration by the Board when coming to a final decision. If the Board denies or fails to approve an application for permit or exemption, the Board shall include in the final decision a detailed explanation as to why the application was denied and identify what specific criteria or standards the applicant did not fulfill.

(12) (Blank).

(13) Provide a mechanism for the public to comment on, and request changes to, draft rules and standards.

(14) Implement public information campaigns to regularly inform the general public about the opportunity for public hearings and public hearing procedures.

(15) Establish a separate set of rules and guidelines for long-term care that recognizes that nursing homes are a different business line and service model from other regulated facilities. An open and transparent process shall be developed that considers the following: how skilled nursing fits in the continuum of care with other care providers, modernization of nursing homes, establishment of more private rooms, development of alternative services, and current trends in long-term care services. The Chairman of the Board shall appoint a permanent Health Services Review Board Long-term Care Facility Advisory Subcommittee that shall develop and recommend to the Board the rules to be established by the Board under this paragraph (15). The Subcommittee shall also provide continuous review and commentary on policies and procedures relative to long-term care and the review of related projects. The Subcommittee shall make recommendations to the Board no later than January 1, 2016 and every January thereafter pursuant to the Subcommittee's responsibility for the continuous review and commentary on policies and procedures relative to long-term care. In consultation with other experts from the health field of long-term care, the Board and the Subcommittee shall study new approaches to the current bed need formula and Health Service Area boundaries to encourage flexibility and innovation in design models reflective of the changing long-term care marketplace and consumer preferences and submit its recommendations to the Chairman of the Board no later than January 1, 2017. The Subcommittee shall evaluate, and make recommendations to the State Board regarding, the buying, selling, and exchange of beds between long-term care facilities within a specified geographic area or drive time. The Board shall file the proposed related administrative rules for the separate rules and guidelines for long-term care required by this paragraph (15) by no later than September 30, 2011. The Subcommittee shall be provided a reasonable and timely opportunity to review and comment on any review, revision, or updating of the criteria, standards, procedures, and rules used to evaluate project applications as provided under Section 12.3 of this Act.

The Chairman of the Board shall appoint voting members of the Subcommittee, who shall serve for a period of 3 years, with one-third of the terms expiring each January, to be determined by lot. Appointees shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations from each of the 3 statewide long-term care associations, with an equal number to be appointed from each. Compliance with this provision shall be through the appointment and reappointment process. All appointees serving as of April 1, 2015 shall serve to the end of their term as determined by lot or until the appointee voluntarily resigns, whichever is earlier.

One representative from the Department of Public Health, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department on Aging, and the Department of Human Services may each serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Subcommittee. The Chairman of the Board shall select a Subcommittee Chair, who shall serve for a period of 3 years.

(16) Prescribe the format of the State Board Staff Report. A State Board Staff Report shall pertain to applications that include, but are not limited to, applications for permit or exemption, applications for permit renewal, applications for extension of the financial commitment period, applications requesting a declaratory ruling, or applications under the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act. State Board Staff Reports shall compare applications to the relevant review criteria under the Board's rules.

(17) Establish a separate set of rules and guidelines for facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013. An application for the re-establishment of a facility in connection with the relocation of the facility shall not be granted unless the applicant has a contractual relationship with at least one hospital to provide emergency and inpatient mental health services required by facility consumers, and at least one community mental health agency to provide oversight and assistance to facility consumers while living in the facility, and appropriate services, including case management, to assist them to prepare for discharge and reside stably in the community thereafter. No new facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 shall be established after June 16, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-651) except in connection with the relocation of an existing facility to a new location. An application for a new location shall not be approved unless there are adequate community services accessible to the consumers within a reasonable distance, or by use of public transportation, so as to facilitate the goal of achieving maximum individual self-care and independence. At no time shall the total number of authorized beds under this Act in facilities licensed under the Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Act of 2013 exceed the number of authorized beds on June 16, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-651).

(18) Elect a Vice Chairman to preside over State Board meetings and otherwise act in place of the Chairman when the Chairman is unavailable.

(Source: P.A. 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-114, eff. 7-23-15; 99-180, eff. 7-29-15; 99-277, eff. 8-5-15; 99-527, eff. 1-1-17; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-518, eff. 6-1-18; 100-681, eff. 8-3-18.)

(20 ILCS 3960/12.2)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2029)

Sec. 12.2. Powers of the State Board staff. For purposes of this Act, the staff shall exercise the following powers and duties:

(1) Review applications for permits and exemptions in accordance with the standards, criteria, and plans of need established by the State Board under this Act and certify its finding to the State Board.

(1.5) Post the following on the Board's web site: relevant (i) rules, (ii) standards, (iii) criteria, (iv) State norms, (v) references used by Board staff in making determinations about whether application criteria are met, and (vi) notices of project-related filings, including notice of public comments related to the application.

(2) Charge and collect an amount determined by the State Board and the staff to be reasonable fees for the processing of applications by the State Board. The State Board shall set the amounts by rule. Application fees for continuing care retirement communities, and other health care models that include regulated and unregulated components, shall apply only to those components subject to regulation under this Act. All fees and fines collected under the provisions of this Act shall be deposited into the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Fund to be used for the expenses of administering this Act.

(2.1) Publish the following reports on the State Board website:

(A) An annual accounting, aggregated by category and with names of parties redacted, of fees, fines, and other revenue collected as well as expenses incurred, in the administration of this Act.

(B) An annual report, with names of the parties redacted, that summarizes all settlement agreements entered into with the State Board that resolve an alleged instance of noncompliance with State Board requirements under this Act.

(C) (Blank).

(D) Board reports showing the degree to which an application conforms to the review standards, a summation of relevant public testimony, and any additional information that staff wants to communicate.

(3) Coordinate with other State agencies having responsibilities affecting health care facilities, including licensure and cost reporting agencies.

(4) Issue advisory opinions upon request. Staff advisory opinions do not constitute determinations by the State Board. Determinations by the State Board are made through the declaratory ruling process.

(Source: P.A. 99-527, eff. 1-1-17; 100-681, eff. 8-3-18.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.