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HB 3
Mississippi House•Signed by Governor
Summary
HB 3, “CON; revise certain provisions of”, was introduced in the House on Jan 7, 2026 by Rep. Sam Creekmore (R) with 1 co-sponsor. It last saw action on Feb 4, 2026: Approved by Governor.
Record
Text
HB 3 has 1 co-sponsor and 2 roll calls.
hb3/enrolled.txtMISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE2026 Regular SessionTo: Public Health and Human Services; State AffairsBy: Representatives Creekmore IV, FelsherHouse Bill 3(As Sent to Governor)AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-7-191, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972,TO REVISE CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING TO A HOSPITAL THAT HAS A CERTIFICATE OFNEED FOR A FORTY-BED PSYCHIATRIC RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITY IN DESOTOCOUNTY; TO PROVIDE THAT THERE SHALL BE NO PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTIONS ONPARTICIPATION IN THE MEDICAID PROGRAM FOR SUCH FACILITY THAT WOULD NOTOTHERWISE APPLY TO ANY OTHER SUCH FACILITY; TO REQUIRE THE ISSUANCE OF ACERTIFICATE OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL BEDS IN A COMMUNITY LIVING PROGRAM FORDEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS LOCATED IN MADISON COUNTY; TO REVISE THECONDITIONS FOR A CERTIFICATE OF NEED ISSUED FOR A LONG-TERM CARE HOSPITAL INHARRISON COUNTY TO ALLOW THE HOSPITAL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEDICAID PROGRAM ASA CROSSOVER PROVIDER; TO PROVIDE THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICALCENTER NEED NOT OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF NEED FOR ANY HOSPITAL BEDS, SERVICES,HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, OR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED ANDCONTINUOUSLY OPERATED UNDER A CERTIFICATE OF NEED EXEMPTION FOR A TEACHINGHOSPITAL, OR THAT ARE APPROVED OR APPLIED FOR BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATEOF THIS ACT, RELOCATION; TO PROVIDE THAT FROM AND AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OFTHIS ACT, THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER SHALL HAVE AN ACADEMICEXEMPTION FROM THE CERTIFICATE OF NEED REQUIREMENTS ONLY WITHIN A CERTAIN AREAOF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI; TO CLARIFY THAT IN ORDER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OFMISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER TO QUALIFY FOR SUCH AN ACADEMIC EXEMPTION, THE STATEHEALTH OFFICER MUST DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED EQUIPMENT OR FACILITY FULFILLSA SUBSTANTIAL AND MEANINGFUL ACADEMIC FUNCTION; TO DIRECT THE STATE DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH TO CONDUCT A STUDY AND REPORT BY DECEMBER 1, 2026, ON THE FEASIBILITYOF EXEMPTING SMALL HOSPITALS FROM THE REQUIREMENT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF NEED FORTHE PLACEMENT OF DIALYSIS UNITS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TRANSFERS FOR PATIENTSREQUIRING DIALYSIS, THE FEASIBILITY OF EXEMPTING SMALL HOSPITALS FROM THEREQUIREMENT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF NEED TO OPERATE GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRIC UNITS,AND THE FEASIBILITY OF A NEW REQUIREMENT THAT ACUTE ADULT PSYCHIATRIC UNITSTREAT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF UNINSURED PATIENTS OR PAY A PERIODIC FEE IN LIEUTHEREOF; TO AMEND SECTION 41-7-173, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THEMINIMUM DOLLAR AMOUNTS OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND MAJOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THATREQUIRE THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF NEED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.���� BE IT ENACTED BY THELEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:���� SECTION 1.� Section41-7-191, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:���� 41-7-191.� (1)� No personshall engage in any of the following activities without obtaining the requiredcertificate of need:��������� (a)� The construction,development or other establishment of a new health care facility, whichestablishment shall include the reopening of a health care facility that hasceased to operate for a period of sixty (60) months or more;��������� (b)� The relocation ofa health care facility or portion thereof, or major medical equipment, unlesssuch relocation of a health care facility or portion thereof, or major medicalequipment, which does not involve a capital expenditure by or on behalf of ahealth care facility, is within five thousand two hundred eighty (5,280) feetfrom the main entrance of the health care facility;��������� (c)� Any change in theexisting bed complement of any health care facility through the addition orconversion of any beds or the alteration, modernizing or refurbishing of anyunit or department in which the beds may be located; however, if a health carefacility has voluntarily delicensed some of its existing bed complement, it maylater relicense some or all of its delicensed beds without the necessity ofhaving to acquire a certificate of need.� The State Department of Health shallmaintain a record of the delicensing health care facility and its voluntarilydelicensed beds and continue counting those beds as part of the state's totalbed count for health care planning purposes.� If a health care facility thathas voluntarily delicensed some of its beds later desires to relicense some orall of its voluntarily delicensed beds, it shall notify the State Department ofHealth of its intent to increase the number of its licensed beds.� The StateDepartment of Health shall survey the health care facility within thirty (30)days of that notice and, if appropriate, issue the health care facility a newlicense reflecting the new contingent of beds.� However, in no event may ahealth care facility that has voluntarily delicensed some of its beds bereissued a license to operate beds in excess of its bed count before thevoluntary delicensure of some of its beds without seeking certificate of needapproval;��������� (d)� Offering of thefollowing health services if those services have not been provided on a regularbasis by the proposed provider of such services within the period of twelve(12) months prior to the time such services would be offered:������������� (i)� Open-heartsurgery services;������������� (ii)� Cardiaccatheterization services;������������� (iii)�Comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation services;������������� (iv)� Licensedpsychiatric services;������������� (v)� Licensedchemical dependency services;������������� (vi)� Radiationtherapy services;������������� (vii)� Diagnosticimaging services of an invasive nature, i.e. invasive digital angiography;������������� (viii)� Nursinghome care as defined in subparagraphs (iv), (vi) and (viii) of Section 41-7-173(h);������������� (ix)� Home healthservices;������������� (x)� Swing-bedservices;������������� (xi)� Ambulatorysurgical services;������������� (xii)� Magneticresonance imaging services;������������� (xiii)� [Deleted]������������� (xiv)� Long-termcare hospital services;������������� (xv)� Positronemission tomography (PET) services;��������� (e)� The relocation ofone or more health services from one physical facility or site to anotherphysical facility or site, unless such relocation, which does not involve acapital expenditure by or on behalf of a health care facility, (i) is to aphysical facility or site within five thousand two hundred eighty (5,280) feetfrom the main entrance of the health care facility where the health careservice is located, or (ii) is the result of an order of a court of appropriatejurisdiction or a result of pending litigation in such court, or by order ofthe State Department of Health, or by order of any other agency or legal entityof the state, the federal government, or any political subdivision of either,whose order is also approved by the State Department of Health;��������� (f)� The acquisition orotherwise control of any major medical equipment for the provision of medicalservices; however, (i) the acquisition of any major medical equipment used onlyfor research purposes, and (ii) the acquisition of major medical equipment toreplace medical equipment for which a facility is already providing medicalservices and for which the State Department of Health has been notified beforethe date of such acquisition shall be exempt from this paragraph; anacquisition for less than fair market value must be reviewed, if theacquisition at fair market value would be subject to review;��������� (g)� Changes ofownership of existing health care facilities in which a notice of intent is notfiled with the State Department of Health at least thirty (30) days prior tothe date such change of ownership occurs, or a change in services or bedcapacity as prescribed in paragraph (c) or (d) of this subsection as a resultof the change of ownership; an acquisition for less than fair market value mustbe reviewed, if the acquisition at fair market value would be subject toreview;��������� (h)� The change ofownership of any health care facility defined in subparagraphs (iv), (vi) and(viii) of Section 41-7-173(h), in which a notice of intent as described inparagraph (g) has not been filed and if the Executive Director, Division ofMedicaid, Office of the Governor, has not certified in writing that there willbe no increase in allowable costs to Medicaid from revaluation of the assets orfrom increased interest and depreciation as a result of the proposed change ofownership;��������� (i)� Any activitydescribed in paragraphs (a) through (h) if undertaken by any person if thatsame activity would require certificate of need approval if undertaken by ahealth care facility;��������� (j)� Any capitalexpenditure or deferred capital expenditure by or on behalf of a health carefacility not covered by paragraphs (a) through (h);��������� (k)� The contracting ofa health care facility as defined in subparagraphs (i) through (viii) ofSection 41-7-173(h) to establish a home office, subunit, or branch office inthe space operated as a health care facility through a formal arrangement withan existing health care facility as defined in subparagraph (ix) of Section 41-7-173(h);��������� (l)� The replacement orrelocation of a health care facility designated as a critical access hospitalshall be exempt from subsection (1) of this section so long as the criticalaccess hospital complies with all applicable federal law and regulations regardingsuch replacement or relocation;��������� (m)� Reopening a healthcare facility that has ceased to operate for a period of sixty (60) months ormore, which reopening requires a certificate of need for the establishment of anew health care facility.���� (2)� The State Department ofHealth shall not grant approval for or issue a certificate of need to anyperson proposing the new construction of, addition to, or expansion of anyhealth care facility defined in subparagraphs (iv) (skilled nursing facility)and (vi) (intermediate care facility) of Section 41-7-173(h) or the conversionof vacant hospital beds to provide skilled or intermediate nursing home care,except as hereinafter authorized:��������� (a)� The department mayissue a certificate of need to any person proposing the new construction of anyhealth care facility defined in subparagraphs (iv) and (vi) of Section 41-7-173(h)as part of a life care retirement facility, in any county bordering on the Gulfof Mexico in which is located a National Aeronautics and Space Administrationfacility, not to exceed forty (40) beds.� From and after July 1, 1999, thereshall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaidprogram (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the beds in the health care facilitythat were authorized under this paragraph (a).��������� (b)� The department mayissue certificates of need in Harrison County to provide skilled nursing homecare for Alzheimer's disease patients and other patients, not to exceed onehundred fifty (150) beds.� From and after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibitionor restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the beds in the nursing facilities that were authorized under thisparagraph (b).��������� (c)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the addition to or expansion of any skillednursing facility that is part of an existing continuing care retirementcommunity located in Madison County, provided that the recipient of thecertificate of need agrees in writing that the skilled nursing facility willnot at any time participate in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.)or admit or keep any patients in the skilled nursing facility who areparticipating in the Medicaid program.� This written agreement by the recipientof the certificate of need shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner ofthe skilled nursing facility, if the ownership of the facility is transferredat any time after the issuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that theskilled nursing facility will not participate in the Medicaid program shall bea condition of the issuance of a certificate of need to any person under thisparagraph (c), and if such skilled nursing facility at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need, regardless of the ownership of thefacility, participates in the Medicaid program or admits or keeps any patientsin the facility who are participating in the Medicaid program, the StateDepartment of Health shall revoke the certificate of need, if it is stilloutstanding, and shall deny or revoke the license of the skilled nursingfacility, at the time that the department determines, after a hearing complyingwith due process, that the facility has failed to comply with any of theconditions upon which the certificate of need was issued, as provided in thisparagraph and in the written agreement by the recipient of the certificate ofneed.� The total number of beds that may be authorized under the authority ofthis paragraph (c) shall not exceed sixty (60) beds.��������� (d)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need to any hospital located inDeSoto County for the new construction of a skilled nursing facility, not toexceed one hundred twenty (120) beds, in DeSoto County.� From and after July 1,1999, there shall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in theMedicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the beds in the nursingfacility that were authorized under this paragraph (d).��������� (e)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need for the construction of anursing facility or the conversion of beds to nursing facility beds at apersonal care facility for the elderly in Lowndes County that is owned andoperated by a Mississippi nonprofit corporation, not to exceed sixty (60)beds.� From and after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibition orrestrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the beds in the nursing facility that were authorized under thisparagraph (e).��������� (f)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need for conversion of a countyhospital facility in Itawamba County to a nursing facility, not to exceed sixty(60) beds, including any necessary construction, renovation or expansion.� Fromand after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibition or restrictions onparticipation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the bedsin the nursing facility that were authorized under this paragraph (f).��������� (g)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need for the construction orexpansion of nursing facility beds or the conversion of other beds to nursingfacility beds in either Hinds, Madison or Rankin County, not to exceed sixty(60) beds.� From and after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibition orrestrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the beds in the nursing facility that were authorized under thisparagraph (g).��������� (h)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need for the construction orexpansion of nursing facility beds or the conversion of other beds to nursingfacility beds in either Hancock, Harrison or Jackson County, not to exceedsixty (60) beds.� From and after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibition orrestrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the beds in the facility that were authorized under this paragraph(h).��������� (i)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the new construction of a skilled nursingfacility in Leake County, provided that the recipient of the certificate ofneed agrees in writing that the skilled nursing facility will not at any timeparticipate in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) or admit orkeep any patients in the skilled nursing facility who are participating in theMedicaid program.� This written agreement by the recipient of the certificateof need shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner of the skilled nursingfacility, if the ownership of the facility is transferred at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that the skilled nursingfacility will not participate in the Medicaid program shall be a condition ofthe issuance of a certificate of need to any person under this paragraph (i),and if such skilled nursing facility at any time after the issuance of thecertificate of need, regardless of the ownership of the facility, participatesin the Medicaid program or admits or keeps any patients in the facility who areparticipating in the Medicaid program, the State Department of Health shallrevoke the certificate of need, if it is still outstanding, and shall deny orrevoke the license of the skilled nursing facility, at the time that thedepartment determines, after a hearing complying with due process, that thefacility has failed to comply with any of the conditions upon which thecertificate of need was issued, as provided in this paragraph and in thewritten agreement by the recipient of the certificate of need.� The provisionof Section 41-7-193(1) regarding substantial compliance of the projection ofneed as reported in the current State Health Plan is waived for the purposes ofthis paragraph.� The total number of nursing facility beds that may beauthorized by any certificate of need issued under this paragraph (i) shall notexceed sixty (60) beds.� If the skilled nursing facility authorized by thecertificate of need issued under this paragraph is not constructed and fullyoperational within eighteen (18) months after July 1, 1994, the StateDepartment of Health, after a hearing complying with due process, shall revokethe certificate of need, if it is still outstanding, and shall not issue alicense for the skilled nursing facility at any time after the expiration ofthe eighteen-month period.��������� (j)� The department mayissue certificates of need to allow any existing freestanding long-term carefacility in Tishomingo County and Hancock County that on July 1, 1995, islicensed with fewer than sixty (60) beds. �For the purposes of thisparagraph (j), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiring substantialcompliance with the projection of need as reported in the current State HealthPlan are waived.� From and after July 1, 1999, there shall be no prohibition orrestrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the beds in the long-term care facilities that were authorized underthis paragraph (j).��������� (k)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the construction of a nursing facility at acontinuing care retirement community in Lowndes County.� The total number ofbeds that may be authorized under the authority of this paragraph (k) shall notexceed sixty (60) beds.� From and after July 1, 2001, the prohibition on thefacility participating in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) thatwas a condition of issuance of the certificate of need under this paragraph (k)shall be revised as follows:� The nursing facility may participate in theMedicaid program from and after July 1, 2001, if the owner of the facility onJuly 1, 2001, agrees in writing that no more than thirty (30) of the beds atthe facility will be certified for participation in the Medicaid program, andthat no claim will be submitted for Medicaid reimbursement for more than thirty(30) patients in the facility in any month or for any patient in the facilitywho is in a bed that is not Medicaid-certified.� This written agreement by theowner of the facility shall be a condition of licensure of the facility, andthe agreement shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner of the facility ifthe ownership of the facility is transferred at any time after July 1, 2001.�After this written agreement is executed, the Division of Medicaid and theState Department of Health shall not certify more than thirty (30) of the bedsin the facility for participation in the Medicaid program.� If the facility violatesthe terms of the written agreement by admitting or keeping in the facility on aregular or continuing basis more than thirty (30) patients who areparticipating in the Medicaid program, the State Department of Health shallrevoke the license of the facility, at the time that the department determines,after a hearing complying with due process, that the facility has violated thewritten agreement.��������� (l)� Provided thatfunds are specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the departmentmay issue a certificate of need to a rehabilitation hospital in Hinds Countyfor the construction of a sixty-bed long-term care nursing facility dedicatedto the care and treatment of persons with severe disabilities including personswith spinal cord and closed-head injuries and ventilator dependent patients.�The provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) regarding substantial compliance withprojection of need as reported in the current State Health Plan are waived forthe purpose of this paragraph.��������� (m)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need to a county-owned hospitalin the Second Judicial District of Panola County for the conversion of not morethan seventy-two (72) hospital beds to nursing facility beds, provided that therecipient of the certificate of need agrees in writing that none of the beds atthe nursing facility will be certified for participation in the Medicaidprogram (Section 43-13-101 et seq.), and that no claim will be submitted forMedicaid reimbursement in the nursing facility in any day or for any patient inthe nursing facility.� This written agreement by the recipient of thecertificate of need shall be a condition of the issuance of the certificate ofneed under this paragraph, and the agreement shall be fully binding on anysubsequent owner of the nursing facility if the ownership of the nursingfacility is transferred at any time after the issuance of the certificate of need.�After this written agreement is executed, the Division of Medicaid and theState Department of Health shall not certify any of the beds in the nursingfacility for participation in the Medicaid program.� If the nursing facilityviolates the terms of the written agreement by admitting or keeping in thenursing facility on a regular or continuing basis any patients who areparticipating in the Medicaid program, the State Department of Health shallrevoke the license of the nursing facility, at the time that the departmentdetermines, after a hearing complying with due process, that the nursingfacility has violated the condition upon which the certificate of need wasissued, as provided in this paragraph and in the written agreement.� If thecertificate of need authorized under this paragraph is not issued within twelve(12) months after July 1, 2001, the department shall deny the application forthe certificate of need and shall not issue the certificate of need at any timeafter the twelve-month period, unless the issuance is contested.� If thecertificate of need is issued and substantial construction of the nursingfacility beds has not commenced within eighteen (18) months after July 1, 2001,the State Department of Health, after a hearing complying with due process,shall revoke the certificate of need if it is still outstanding, and thedepartment shall not issue a license for the nursing facility at any time afterthe eighteen-month period.� However, if the issuance of the certificate of needis contested, the department shall require substantial construction of thenursing facility beds within six (6) months after final adjudication on theissuance of the certificate of need.��������� (n)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the new construction, addition or conversion ofskilled nursing facility beds in Madison County, provided that the recipient ofthe certificate of need agrees in writing that the skilled nursing facilitywill not at any time participate in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) or admit or keep any patients in the skilled nursing facility who areparticipating in the Medicaid program.� This written agreement by the recipientof the certificate of need shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner ofthe skilled nursing facility, if the ownership of the facility is transferredat any time after the issuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that theskilled nursing facility will not participate in the Medicaid program shall bea condition of the issuance of a certificate of need to any person under thisparagraph (n), and if such skilled nursing facility at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need, regardless of the ownership of thefacility, participates in the Medicaid program or admits or keeps any patientsin the facility who are participating in the Medicaid program, the StateDepartment of Health shall revoke the certificate of need, if it is stilloutstanding, and shall deny or revoke the license of the skilled nursingfacility, at the time that the department determines, after a hearing complyingwith due process, that the facility has failed to comply with any of theconditions upon which the certificate of need was issued, as provided in thisparagraph and in the written agreement by the recipient of the certificate ofneed.� The total number of nursing facility beds that may be authorized by anycertificate of need issued under this paragraph (n) shall not exceed sixty (60)beds.� If the certificate of need authorized under this paragraph is not issuedwithin twelve (12) months after July 1, 1998, the department shall deny theapplication for the certificate of need and shall not issue the certificate ofneed at any time after the twelve-month period, unless the issuance iscontested.� If the certificate of need is issued and substantial constructionof the nursing facility beds has not commenced within eighteen (18) monthsafter July 1, 1998, the State Department of Health, after a hearing complyingwith due process, shall revoke the certificate of need if it is stilloutstanding, and the department shall not issue a license for the nursingfacility at any time after the eighteen-month period.� However, if the issuanceof the certificate of need is contested, the department shall requiresubstantial construction of the nursing facility beds within six (6) monthsafter final adjudication on the issuance of the certificate of need.��������� (o)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the new construction, addition or conversion ofskilled nursing facility beds in Leake County, provided that the recipient ofthe certificate of need agrees in writing that the skilled nursing facilitywill not at any time participate in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) or admit or keep any patients in the skilled nursing facility who areparticipating in the Medicaid program.� This written agreement by the recipientof the certificate of need shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner ofthe skilled nursing facility, if the ownership of the facility is transferredat any time after the issuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that theskilled nursing facility will not participate in the Medicaid program shall bea condition of the issuance of a certificate of need to any person under thisparagraph (o), and if such skilled nursing facility at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need, regardless of the ownership of thefacility, participates in the Medicaid program or admits or keeps any patientsin the facility who are participating in the Medicaid program, the StateDepartment of Health shall revoke the certificate of need, if it is stilloutstanding, and shall deny or revoke the license of the skilled nursingfacility, at the time that the department determines, after a hearing complyingwith due process, that the facility has failed to comply with any of theconditions upon which the certificate of need was issued, as provided in thisparagraph and in the written agreement by the recipient of the certificate ofneed.� The total number of nursing facility beds that may be authorized by anycertificate of need issued under this paragraph (o) shall not exceed sixty (60)beds.� If the certificate of need authorized under this paragraph is not issuedwithin twelve (12) months after July 1, 2001, the department shall deny theapplication for the certificate of need and shall not issue the certificate ofneed at any time after the twelve-month period, unless the issuance iscontested.� If the certificate of need is issued and substantial constructionof the nursing facility beds has not commenced within eighteen (18) monthsafter July 1, 2001, the State Department of Health, after a hearing complyingwith due process, shall revoke the certificate of need if it is stilloutstanding, and the department shall not issue a license for the nursingfacility at any time after the eighteen-month period.� However, if the issuanceof the certificate of need is contested, the department shall requiresubstantial construction of the nursing facility beds within six (6) monthsafter final adjudication on the issuance of the certificate of need.��������� (p)� The department mayissue a certificate of need for the construction of a municipally owned nursingfacility within the Town of Belmont in Tishomingo County, not to exceed sixty(60) beds, provided that the recipient of the certificate of need agrees inwriting that the skilled nursing facility will not at any time participate inthe Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) or admit or keep any patientsin the skilled nursing facility who are participating in the Medicaid program.�This written agreement by the recipient of the certificate of need shall befully binding on any subsequent owner of the skilled nursing facility, if theownership of the facility is transferred at any time after the issuance of thecertificate of need.� Agreement that the skilled nursing facility will notparticipate in the Medicaid program shall be a condition of the issuance of acertificate of need to any person under this paragraph (p), and if such skillednursing facility at any time after the issuance of the certificate of need,regardless of the ownership of the facility, participates in the Medicaidprogram or admits or keeps any patients in the facility who are participatingin the Medicaid program, the State Department of Health shall revoke thecertificate of need, if it is still outstanding, and shall deny or revoke thelicense of the skilled nursing facility, at the time that the departmentdetermines, after a hearing complying with due process, that the facility hasfailed to comply with any of the conditions upon which the certificate of needwas issued, as provided in this paragraph and in the written agreement by therecipient of the certificate of need.� The provision of Section 41-7-193(1)regarding substantial compliance of the projection of need as reported in thecurrent State Health Plan is waived for the purposes of this paragraph.� If thecertificate of need authorized under this paragraph is not issued within twelve(12) months after July 1, 1998, the department shall deny the application forthe certificate of need and shall not issue the certificate of need at any timeafter the twelve-month period, unless the issuance is contested.� If thecertificate of need is issued and substantial construction of the nursingfacility beds has not commenced within eighteen (18) months after July 1, 1998,the State Department of Health, after a hearing complying with due process,shall revoke the certificate of need if it is still outstanding, and thedepartment shall not issue a license for the nursing facility at any time afterthe eighteen-month period.� However, if the issuance of the certificate of needis contested, the department shall require substantial construction of thenursing facility beds within six (6) months after final adjudication on theissuance of the certificate of need.��������� (q)� (i)� Beginning onJuly 1, 1999, the State Department of Health shall issue certificates of needduring each of the next four (4) fiscal years for the construction or expansionof nursing facility beds or the conversion of other beds to nursing facilitybeds in each county in the state having a need for fifty (50) or moreadditional nursing facility beds, as shown in the fiscal year 1999 State HealthPlan, in the manner provided in this paragraph (q).� The total number ofnursing facility beds that may be authorized by any certificate of needauthorized under this paragraph (q) shall not exceed sixty (60) beds.������������� (ii)� Subject tothe provisions of subparagraph (v), during each of the next four (4) fiscalyears, the department shall issue six (6) certificates of need for new nursingfacility beds, as follows:� During fiscal years 2000, 2001 and 2002, one (1)certificate of need shall be issued for new nursing facility beds in the countyin each of the four (4) Long-Term Care Planning Districts designated in thefiscal year 1999 State Health Plan that has the highest need in the districtfor those beds; and two (2) certificates of need shall be issued for newnursing facility beds in the two (2) counties from the state at large that havethe highest need in the state for those beds, when considering the need on astatewide basis and without regard to the Long-Term Care Planning Districts inwhich the counties are located.� During fiscal year 2003, one (1) certificateof need shall be issued for new nursing facility beds in any county having aneed for fifty (50) or more additional nursing facility beds, as shown in thefiscal year 1999 State Health Plan, that has not received a certificate of needunder this paragraph (q) during the three (3) previous fiscal years.� Duringfiscal year 2000, in addition to the six (6) certificates of need authorized inthis subparagraph, the department also shall issue a certificate of need fornew nursing facility beds in Amite County and a certificate of need for newnursing facility beds in Carroll County.������������� (iii)� Subject tothe provisions of subparagraph (v), the certificate of need issued undersubparagraph (ii) for nursing facility beds in each Long-Term Care PlanningDistrict during each fiscal year shall first be available for nursing facilitybeds in the county in the district having the highest need for those beds, asshown in the fiscal year 1999 State Health Plan.� If there are no applicationsfor a certificate of need for nursing facility beds in the county having thehighest need for those beds by the date specified by the department, then thecertificate of need shall be available for nursing facility beds in othercounties in the district in descending order of the need for those beds, fromthe county with the second highest need to the county with the lowest need,until an application is received for nursing facility beds in an eligiblecounty in the district.������������� (iv)� Subject tothe provisions of subparagraph (v), the certificate of need issued undersubparagraph (ii) for nursing facility beds in the two (2) counties from thestate at large during each fiscal year shall first be available for nursingfacility beds in the two (2) counties that have the highest need in the statefor those beds, as shown in the fiscal year 1999 State Health Plan, whenconsidering the need on a statewide basis and without regard to the Long-TermCare Planning Districts in which the counties are located.� If there are noapplications for a certificate of need for nursing facility beds in either ofthe two (2) counties having the highest need for those beds on a statewidebasis by the date specified by the department, then the certificate of needshall be available for nursing facility beds in other counties from the stateat large in descending order of the need for those beds on a statewide basis,from the county with the second highest need to the county with the lowestneed, until an application is received for nursing facility beds in an eligiblecounty from the state at large.������������� (v)� If acertificate of need is authorized to be issued under this paragraph (q) fornursing facility beds in a county on the basis of the need in the Long-TermCare Planning District during any fiscal year of the four-year period, acertificate of need shall not also be available under this paragraph (q) foradditional nursing facility beds in that county on the basis of the need in thestate at large, and that county shall be excluded in determining which countieshave the highest need for nursing facility beds in the state at large for thatfiscal year.� After a certificate of need has been issued under this paragraph(q) for nursing facility beds in a county during any fiscal year of the four-yearperiod, a certificate of need shall not be available again under this paragraph(q) for additional nursing facility beds in that county during the four-yearperiod, and that county shall be excluded in determining which counties havethe highest need for nursing facility beds in succeeding fiscal years.������������� (vi)� If more thanone (1) application is made for a certificate of need for nursing home facilitybeds available under this paragraph (q), in Yalobusha, Newton or TallahatchieCounty, and one (1) of the applicants is a county-owned hospital located in thecounty where the nursing facility beds are available, the department shall givepriority to the county-owned hospital in granting the certificate of need ifthe following conditions are met:������������������ 1.� The county-ownedhospital fully meets all applicable criteria and standards required to obtain acertificate of need for the nursing facility beds; and������������������ 2.� The county-ownedhospital's qualifications for the certificate of need, as shown in itsapplication and as determined by the department, are at least equal to thequalifications of the other applicants for the certificate of need.��������� (r)� (i)� Beginning onJuly 1, 1999, the State Department of Health shall issue certificates of needduring each of the next two (2) fiscal years for the construction or expansionof nursing facility beds or the conversion of other beds to nursing facilitybeds in each of the four (4) Long-Term Care Planning Districts designated inthe fiscal year 1999 State Health Plan, to provide care exclusively to patientswith Alzheimer's disease.������������� (ii)� Not more thantwenty (20) beds may be authorized by any certificate of need issued under thisparagraph (r), and not more than a total of sixty (60) beds may be authorizedin any Long-Term Care Planning District by all certificates of need issuedunder this paragraph (r).� However, the total number of beds that may beauthorized by all certificates of need issued under this paragraph (r) duringany fiscal year shall not exceed one hundred twenty (120) beds, and the totalnumber of beds that may be authorized in any Long-Term Care Planning Districtduring any fiscal year shall not exceed forty (40) beds.� Of the certificatesof need that are issued for each Long-Term Care Planning District during thenext two (2) fiscal years, at least one (1) shall be issued for beds in thenorthern part of the district, at least one (1) shall be issued for beds in thecentral part of the district, and at least one (1) shall be issued for beds inthe southern part of the district.������������� (iii)� The StateDepartment of Health, in consultation with the Department of Mental Health andthe Division of Medicaid, shall develop and prescribe the staffing levels,space requirements and other standards and requirements that must be met withregard to the nursing facility beds authorized under this paragraph (r) toprovide care exclusively to patients with Alzheimer's disease.��������� (s)� The StateDepartment of Health may issue a certificate of need to a nonprofit skillednursing facility using the Green House model of skilled nursing care andlocated in Yazoo City, Yazoo County, Mississippi, for the construction,expansion or conversion of not more than nineteen (19) nursing facility beds.�For purposes of this paragraph (s), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1)requiring substantial compliance with the projection of need as reported in thecurrent State Health Plan and the provisions of Section 41-7-197 requiring aformal certificate of need hearing process are waived.� There shall be noprohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program for theperson receiving the certificate of need authorized under this paragraph (s).��������� (t)� The StateDepartment of Health shall issue certificates of need to the owner of a nursingfacility in operation at the time of Hurricane Katrina in Hancock County thatwas not operational on December 31, 2005, because of damage sustained fromHurricane Katrina to authorize the following:� (i) the construction of a newnursing facility in Harrison County; (ii) the relocation of forty-nine (49)nursing facility beds from the Hancock County facility to the new HarrisonCounty facility; (iii) the establishment of not more than twenty (20) non-Medicaidnursing facility beds at the Hancock County facility; and (iv) theestablishment of not more than twenty (20) non-Medicaid beds at the newHarrison County facility.� The certificates of need that authorize the non-Medicaidnursing facility beds under subparagraphs (iii) and (iv) of this paragraph (t)shall be subject to the following conditions:� The owner of the Hancock Countyfacility and the new Harrison County facility must agree in writing that nomore than fifty (50) of the beds at the Hancock County facility and no morethan forty-nine (49) of the beds at the Harrison County facility will becertified for participation in the Medicaid program, and that no claim will besubmitted for Medicaid reimbursement for more than fifty (50) patients in theHancock County facility in any month, or for more than forty-nine (49) patientsin the Harrison County facility in any month, or for any patient in eitherfacility who is in a bed that is not Medicaid-certified.� This writtenagreement by the owner of the nursing facilities shall be a condition of theissuance of the certificates of need under this paragraph (t), and theagreement shall be fully binding on any later owner or owners of eitherfacility if the ownership of either facility is transferred at any time afterthe certificates of need are issued.� After this written agreement is executed,the Division of Medicaid and the State Department of Health shall not certifymore than fifty (50) of the beds at the Hancock County facility or more thanforty-nine (49) of the beds at the Harrison County facility for participationin the Medicaid program.� If the Hancock County facility violates the terms ofthe written agreement by admitting or keeping in the facility on a regular orcontinuing basis more than fifty (50) patients who are participating in theMedicaid program, or if the Harrison County facility violates the terms of thewritten agreement by admitting or keeping in the facility on a regular orcontinuing basis more than forty-nine (49) patients who are participating inthe Medicaid program, the State Department of Health shall revoke the licenseof the facility that is in violation of the agreement, at the time that thedepartment determines, after a hearing complying with due process, that thefacility has violated the agreement.��������� (u)� The StateDepartment of Health shall issue a certificate of need to a nonprofit venturefor the establishment, construction and operation of a skilled nursing facilityof not more than sixty (60) beds to provide skilled nursing care for ventilatordependent or otherwise medically dependent pediatric patients who requiremedical and nursing care or rehabilitation services to be located in a countyin which an academic medical center and a children's hospital are located, andfor any construction and for the acquisition of equipment related to thosebeds.� The facility shall be authorized to keep such ventilator dependent orotherwise medically dependent pediatric patients beyond age twenty-one (21) inaccordance with regulations of the State Board of Health.� For purposes of thisparagraph (u), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiring substantialcompliance with the projection of need as reported in the current State HealthPlan are waived, and the provisions of Section 41-7-197 requiring a formalcertificate of need hearing process are waived.� The beds authorized by thisparagraph shall be counted as pediatric skilled nursing facility beds forhealth planning purposes under Section 41-7-171 et seq.� There shall be noprohibition of or restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program for theperson receiving the certificate of need authorized by this paragraph.���� (3)� The State Department ofHealth may grant approval for and issue certificates of need to any personproposing the new construction of, addition to, conversion of beds of orexpansion of any health care facility defined in subparagraph (x) (psychiatricresidential treatment facility) of Section 41-7-173(h).� The total number ofbeds which may be authorized by such certificates of need shall not exceedthree hundred thirty-four (334) beds for the entire state.��������� (a)� Of the totalnumber of beds authorized under this subsection, the department shall issue acertificate of need to a privately owned psychiatric residential treatmentfacility in Simpson County for the conversion of sixteen (16) intermediate carefacility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF-IID) beds topsychiatric residential treatment facility beds, provided that facility agreesin writing that the facility shall give priority for the use of those sixteen(16) beds to Mississippi residents who are presently being treated in out-of-statefacilities.��������� (b)� Of the totalnumber of beds authorized under this subsection, the department may issue acertificate or certificates of need for the construction or expansion ofpsychiatric residential treatment facility beds or the conversion of other bedsto psychiatric residential treatment facility beds in Warren County, not toexceed sixty (60) psychiatric residential treatment facility beds, providedthat the facility agrees in writing that no more than thirty (30) of the bedsat the psychiatric residential treatment facility will be certified forparticipation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the useof any patients other than those who are participating only in the Medicaidprogram of another state, and that no claim will be submitted to the Divisionof Medicaid for Medicaid reimbursement for more than thirty (30) patients inthe psychiatric residential treatment facility in any day or for any patient inthe psychiatric residential treatment facility who is in a bed that is notMedicaid-certified.� This written agreement by the recipient of the certificateof need shall be a condition of the issuance of the certificate of need underthis paragraph, and the agreement shall be fully binding on any subsequentowner of the psychiatric residential treatment facility if the ownership of thefacility is transferred at any time after the issuance of the certificate ofneed.� After this written agreement is executed, the Division of Medicaid andthe State Department of Health shall not certify more than thirty (30) of thebeds in the psychiatric residential treatment facility for participation in theMedicaid program for the use of any patients other than those who areparticipating only in the Medicaid program of another state.� If the psychiatricresidential treatment facility violates the terms of the written agreement byadmitting or keeping in the facility on a regular or continuing basis more thanthirty (30) patients who are participating in the Mississippi Medicaid program,the State Department of Health shall revoke the license of the facility, at thetime that the department determines, after a hearing complying with dueprocess, that the facility has violated the condition upon which thecertificate of need was issued, as provided in this paragraph and in thewritten agreement.���� The State Department ofHealth, on or before July 1, 2002, shall transfer the certificate of needauthorized under the authority of this paragraph (b), or reissue thecertificate of need if it has expired, to River Region Health System.��������� (c)� Of the totalnumber of beds authorized under this subsection, the department shall issue acertificate of need to a hospital currently operating Medicaid-certified acutepsychiatric beds for adolescents in DeSoto County, for the establishment of aforty-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility in DeSoto County * * *, provided that the hospital agrees in writing (i) thatthe hospital shall give priority for the use of those forty (40) beds toMississippi residents who are presently being treated in out‑of‑statefacilities, and (ii) that no more than fifteen (15) of the beds at thepsychiatric residential treatment facility will be certified for participationin the Medicaid program (Section 43‑13‑101 et seq.), and that noclaim will be submitted for Medicaid reimbursement for more than fifteen (15)patients in the psychiatric residential treatment facility in any day or forany patient in the psychiatric residential treatment facility who is in a bedthat is not Medicaid‑certified.� This written agreement by the recipientof the certificate of need shall be a condition of the issuance of thecertificate of need under this paragraph, and the agreement shall be fullybinding on any subsequent owner of the psychiatric residential treatmentfacility if the ownership of the facility is transferred at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need.� After this written agreement is executed,the Division of Medicaid and the State Department of Health shall not certifymore than fifteen (15) of the beds in the psychiatric residential treatmentfacility for participation in the Medicaid program.� If the psychiatricresidential treatment facility violates the terms of the written agreement byadmitting or keeping in the facility on a regular or continuing basis more thanfifteen (15) patients who are participating in the Medicaid program, the StateDepartment of Health shall revoke the license of the facility, at the time thatthe department determines, after a hearing complying with due process, that thefacility has violated the condition upon which the certificate of need wasissued, as provided in this paragraph and in the written agreement.�There shall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in theMedicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the person(s) receiving thecertificate of need authorized under this paragraph (c) or for the bedsconverted pursuant to the authority of that certificate of need that would notapply to any other psychiatric residential treatment facility.��������� (d)� Of the totalnumber of beds authorized under this subsection, the department may issue acertificate or certificates of need for the construction or expansion ofpsychiatric residential treatment facility beds or the conversion of other bedsto psychiatric treatment facility beds, not to exceed thirty (30) psychiatricresidential treatment facility beds, in either Alcorn, Tishomingo, Prentiss,Lee, Itawamba, Monroe, Chickasaw, Pontotoc, Calhoun, Lafayette, Union, Bentonor Tippah County.��������� (e)� Of the totalnumber of beds authorized under this subsection (3) the department shall issuea certificate of need to a privately owned, nonprofit psychiatric residentialtreatment facility in Hinds County for an eight-bed expansion of the facility,provided that the facility agrees in writing that the facility shall givepriority for the use of those eight (8) beds to Mississippi residents who arepresently being treated in out-of-state facilities.��������� (f)� The departmentshall issue a certificate of need to a one-hundred-thirty-four-bed specialtyhospital located on twenty-nine and forty-four one-hundredths (29.44)commercial acres at 5900 Highway 39 North in Meridian (Lauderdale County),Mississippi, for the addition, construction or expansion of child/adolescentpsychiatric residential treatment facility beds in Lauderdale County.� As acondition of issuance of the certificate of need under this paragraph, thefacility shall give priority in admissions to the child/adolescent psychiatricresidential treatment facility beds authorized under this paragraph to patientswho otherwise would require out-of-state placement.� The Division of Medicaid,in conjunction with the Department of Human Services, shall furnish thefacility a list of all out-of-state patients on a quarterly basis.�Furthermore, notice shall also be provided to the parent, custodial parent orguardian of each out-of-state patient notifying them of the priority statusgranted by this paragraph.� For purposes of this paragraph, the provisions ofSection 41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with the projection ofneed as reported in the current State Health Plan are waived.� The total numberof child/adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility beds that may beauthorized under the authority of this paragraph shall be sixty (60) beds.�There shall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaidprogram (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the person receiving the certificate ofneed authorized under this paragraph or for the beds converted pursuant to theauthority of that certificate of need.���� (4)� (a)� From and afterMarch 25, 2021, the department may issue a certificate of need to any personfor the new construction of any hospital, psychiatric hospital or chemicaldependency hospital that will contain any child/adolescent psychiatric or child/adolescentchemical dependency beds, or for the conversion of any other health carefacility to a hospital, psychiatric hospital or chemical dependency hospitalthat will contain any child/adolescent psychiatric or child/adolescent chemicaldependency beds.� There shall be no prohibition or restrictions onparticipation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for theperson(s) receiving the certificate(s) of need authorized under this paragraph(a) or for the beds converted pursuant to the authority of that certificate ofneed.� In issuing any new certificate of need for any child/adolescent psychiatricor child/adolescent chemical dependency beds, either by new construction orconversion of beds of another category, the department shall give preference tobeds which will be located in an area of the state which does not have suchbeds located in it, and to a location more than sixty-five (65) miles fromexisting beds.� Upon receiving 2020 census data, the department may amend theState Health Plan regarding child/adolescent psychiatric and child/adolescentchemical dependency beds to reflect the need based on new census data.������������� (i)� [Deleted]������������� (ii)� Thedepartment may issue a certificate of need for the conversion of existing bedsin a county hospital in Choctaw County from acute care beds to child/adolescentchemical dependency beds.� For purposes of this subparagraph (ii), theprovisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with theprojection of need as reported in the current State Health Plan are waived.�The total number of beds that may be authorized under authority of thissubparagraph shall not exceed twenty (20) beds.� There shall be no prohibitionor restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 etseq.) for the hospital receiving the certificate of need authorized under thissubparagraph or for the beds converted pursuant to the authority of thatcertificate of need.������������� (iii)� Thedepartment may issue a certificate or certificates of need for the constructionor expansion of child/adolescent psychiatric beds or the conversion of otherbeds to child/adolescent psychiatric beds in Warren County.� For purposes ofthis subparagraph (iii), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiringsubstantial compliance with the projection of need as reported in the currentState Health Plan are waived.� The total number of beds that may be authorizedunder the authority of this subparagraph shall not exceed twenty (20) beds.�There shall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaidprogram (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the person receiving the certificate ofneed authorized under this subparagraph or for the beds converted pursuant tothe authority of that certificate of need.���� If by January 1, 2002, therehas been no significant commencement of construction of the beds authorizedunder this subparagraph (iii), or no significant action taken to convertexisting beds to the beds authorized under this subparagraph, then thecertificate of need that was previously issued under this subparagraph shallexpire.� If the previously issued certificate of need expires, the departmentmay accept applications for issuance of another certificate of need for thebeds authorized under this subparagraph, and may issue a certificate of need toauthorize the construction, expansion or conversion of the beds authorized underthis subparagraph.������������� (iv)� Thedepartment shall issue a certificate of need to the Region 7 MentalHealth/Retardation Commission for the construction or expansion ofchild/adolescent psychiatric beds or the conversion of other beds tochild/adolescent psychiatric beds in any of the counties served by thecommission.� For purposes of this subparagraph (iv), the provisions of Section41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with the projection of need asreported in the current State Health Plan are waived.� The total number of bedsthat may be authorized under the authority of this subparagraph shall notexceed twenty (20) beds.� There shall be no prohibition or restrictions onparticipation in the Medicaid program (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for theperson receiving the certificate of need authorized under this subparagraph orfor the beds converted pursuant to the authority of that certificate of need.������������� (v)� The departmentmay issue a certificate of need to any county hospital located in LefloreCounty for the construction or expansion of adult psychiatric beds or theconversion of other beds to adult psychiatric beds, not to exceed twenty (20)beds, provided that the recipient of the certificate of need agrees in writingthat the adult psychiatric beds will not at any time be certified forparticipation in the Medicaid program and that the hospital will not admit orkeep any patients who are participating in the Medicaid program in any of suchadult psychiatric beds.� This written agreement by the recipient of thecertificate of need shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner of thehospital if the ownership of the hospital is transferred at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that the adult psychiatric bedswill not be certified for participation in the Medicaid program shall be acondition of the issuance of a certificate of need to any person under thissubparagraph (v), and if such hospital at any time after the issuance of thecertificate of need, regardless of the ownership of the hospital, has any ofsuch adult psychiatric beds certified for participation in the Medicaid programor admits or keeps any Medicaid patients in such adult psychiatric beds, theState Department of Health shall revoke the certificate of need, if it is stilloutstanding, and shall deny or revoke the license of the hospital at the timethat the department determines, after a hearing complying with due process,that the hospital has failed to comply with any of the conditions upon whichthe certificate of need was issued, as provided in this subparagraph and in thewritten agreement by the recipient of the certificate of need.������������� (vi)� Thedepartment may issue a certificate or certificates of need for the expansion ofchild psychiatric beds or the conversion of other beds to child psychiatricbeds at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.� For purposes of thissubparagraph (vi), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiringsubstantial compliance with the projection of need as reported in the currentState Health Plan are waived.� The total number of beds that may be authorizedunder the authority of this subparagraph shall not exceed fifteen (15) beds.�There shall be no prohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaidprogram (Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the hospital receiving the certificateof need authorized under this subparagraph or for the beds converted pursuantto the authority of that certificate of need.��������� (b)� From and afterJuly 1, 1990, no hospital, psychiatric hospital or chemical dependency hospitalshall be authorized to add any child/adolescent psychiatric or child/adolescentchemical dependency beds or convert any beds of another category to child/adolescentpsychiatric or child/adolescent chemical dependency beds without a certificateof need under the authority of subsection (1)(c) and subsection (4)(a) of thissection.���� (5)� The department mayissue a certificate of need to a county hospital in Winston County for theconversion of fifteen (15) acute care beds to geriatric psychiatric care beds.���� (6)� The State Department ofHealth shall issue a certificate of need to a Mississippi corporation qualifiedto manage a long-term care hospital as defined in Section 41-7-173(h)(xii) inHarrison County, not to exceed eighty (80) beds, including any necessaryrenovation or construction required for licensure and certification, providedthat the recipient of the certificate of need agrees in writing that the long-termcare hospital will not at any time participate in the Medicaid program (Section43-13-101 et seq.) * * * oradmit or keep any patients in the long‑term care hospital who areparticipating in the Medicaid program except as a crossoverprovider.� This written agreement by the recipient of the certificate ofneed shall be fully binding on any subsequent owner of the long-term carehospital, if the ownership of the facility is transferred at any time after theissuance of the certificate of need.� Agreement that the long-term carehospital will not participate in the Medicaid program except as a crossoverprovider shall be a condition of the issuance of a certificate of need toany person under this subsection (6), and if such long-term care hospital atany time after the issuance of the certificate of need, regardless of theownership of the facility, participates in the Medicaid program * * * or admits or keeps any patients in the facility who areparticipating in the Medicaid program except as a crossoverprovider, the State Department of Health shall revoke the certificate ofneed, if it is still outstanding, and shall deny or revoke the license of thelong-term care hospital, at the time that the department determines, after ahearing complying with due process, that the facility has failed to comply withany of the conditions upon which the certificate of need was issued, asprovided in this subsection and in the written agreement by the recipient ofthe certificate of need.� For purposes of this subsection, the provisions ofSection 41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with the projection ofneed as reported in the current State Health Plan are waived.� Thissubsection (6) shall be retroactive to July 1, 2023.���� (7)� The State Department ofHealth may issue a certificate of need to any hospital in the state to utilizea portion of its beds for the "swing-bed" concept.� Any such hospitalmust be in conformance with the federal regulations regarding such swing-bedconcept at the time it submits its application for a certificate of need to theState Department of Health, except that such hospital may have more licensedbeds or a higher average daily census (ADC) than the maximum number specifiedin federal regulations for participation in the swing-bed program.� Anyhospital meeting all federal requirements for participation in the swing-bedprogram which receives such certificate of need shall render services providedunder the swing-bed concept to any patient eligible for Medicare (Title XVIIIof the Social Security Act) who is certified by a physician to be in need ofsuch services, and no such hospital shall permit any patient who is eligiblefor both Medicaid and Medicare or eligible only for Medicaid to stay in theswing beds of the hospital for more than thirty (30) days per admission unlessthe hospital receives prior approval for such patient from the Division ofMedicaid, Office of the Governor.� Any hospital having more licensed beds or ahigher average daily census (ADC) than the maximum number specified in federalregulations for participation in the swing-bed program which receives suchcertificate of need shall develop a procedure to ensure that before a patientis allowed to stay in the swing beds of the hospital, there are no vacantnursing home beds available for that patient located within a fifty-mile radiusof the hospital.� When any such hospital has a patient staying in the swingbeds of the hospital and the hospital receives notice from a nursing homelocated within such radius that there is a vacant bed available for thatpatient, the hospital shall transfer the patient to the nursing home within areasonable time after receipt of the notice.� Any hospital which is subject tothe requirements of the two (2) preceding sentences of this subsection may besuspended from participation in the swing-bed program for a reasonable periodof time by the State Department of Health if the department, after a hearingcomplying with due process, determines that the hospital has failed to complywith any of those requirements.���� (8)� The Department ofHealth shall not grant approval for or issue a certificate of need to anyperson proposing the new construction of, addition to or expansion of a healthcare facility as defined in subparagraph (viii) of Section 41-7-173(h), exceptas hereinafter provided:� The department may issue a certificate of need to anonprofit corporation located in Madison County, Mississippi, for theconstruction, expansion or conversion of not more than twenty (20) beds in acommunity living program for developmentally disabled adults in a facility asdefined in subparagraph (viii) of Section 41-7-173(h).� Effective July 1,2026, the department may shall issue acertificate of need to the same nonprofit corporation located in MadisonCounty, Mississippi, for the construction, expansion or conversion of not more than twenty (20) an additional twenty(20) beds in a community living program for developmentally disabled adults ina facility as defined in subparagraph (viii) of Section 41-7-173(h).� Forpurposes of this subsection (8), the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1)requiring substantial compliance with the projection of need as reported in thecurrent State Health Plan and the provisions of Section 41-7-197 requiring aformal certificate of need hearing process are waived.� There shall be noprohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program for theperson receiving the certificate of need authorized under this subsection (8).���� (9)� The Department ofHealth shall not grant approval for or issue a certificate of need to anyperson proposing the establishment of, or expansion of the currently approvedterritory of, or the contracting to establish a home office, subunit or branch officewithin the space operated as a health care facility as defined in Section 41-7-173(h)(i)through (viii) by a health care facility as defined in subparagraph (ix) ofSection 41-7-173(h).���� (10)� Health care facilitiesowned and/or operated by the state or its agencies are exempt from therestraints in this section against issuance of a certificate of need if suchaddition or expansion consists of repairing or renovation necessary to complywith the state licensure law.� This exception shall not apply to the newconstruction of any building by such state facility.� This exception shall notapply to any health care facilities owned and/or operated by counties,municipalities, districts, unincorporated areas, other defined persons, or anycombination thereof.���� (11)� The new construction,renovation or expansion of or addition to any health care facility defined insubparagraph (ii) (psychiatric hospital), subparagraph (iv) (skilled nursingfacility), subparagraph (vi) (intermediate care facility), subparagraph (viii)(intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities) andsubparagraph (x) (psychiatric residential treatment facility) of Section 41-7-173(h)which is owned by the State of Mississippi and under the direction and controlof the State Department of Mental Health, and the addition of new beds or theconversion of beds from one category to another in any such defined health carefacility which is owned by the State of Mississippi and under the direction andcontrol of the State Department of Mental Health, shall not require theissuance of a certificate of need under Section 41-7-171 et seq.,notwithstanding any provision in Section 41-7-171 et seq. to the contrary.���� (12)� The new construction,renovation or expansion of or addition to any veterans homes or domiciliariesfor eligible veterans of the State of Mississippi as authorized under Section35-1-19 shall not require the issuance of a certificate of need,notwithstanding any provision in Section 41-7-171 et seq. to the contrary.���� (13)� The repair or therebuilding of an existing, operating health care facility that sustainedsignificant damage from a natural disaster that occurred after April 15, 2014,in an area that is proclaimed a disaster area or subject to a state of emergencyby the Governor or by the President of the United States shall be exempt fromall of the requirements of the Mississippi Certificate of Need Law (Section 41-7-171et seq.) and any and all rules and regulations promulgated under that law,subject to the following conditions:��������� (a)� The repair or therebuilding of any such damaged health care facility must be within one (1) mileof the pre-disaster location of the campus of the damaged health care facility,except that any temporary post-disaster health care facility operating locationmay be within five (5) miles of the pre-disaster location of the damaged healthcare facility;��������� (b)� The repair or therebuilding of the damaged health care facility (i) does not increase or changethe complement of its bed capacity that it had before the Governor's or thePresident's proclamation, (ii) does not increase or change its levels and typesof health care services that it provided before the Governor's or thePresident's proclamation, and (iii) does not rebuild in a different county;however, this paragraph does not restrict or prevent a health care facilityfrom decreasing its bed capacity that it had before the Governor's or thePresident's proclamation, or from decreasing the levels of or decreasing oreliminating the types of health care services that it provided before theGovernor's or the President's proclamation, when the damaged health carefacility is repaired or rebuilt;��������� (c)� The exemption fromCertificate of Need Law provided under this subsection (13) is valid for onlyfive (5) years from the date of the Governor's or the President'sproclamation.� If actual construction has not begun within that five-yearperiod, the exemption provided under this subsection is inapplicable; and��������� (d)� The Division ofHealth Facilities Licensure and Certification of the State Department of Healthshall provide the same oversight for the repair or the rebuilding of thedamaged health care facility that it provides to all health care facilityconstruction projects in the state.���� For the purposes of thissubsection (13), "significant damage" to a health care facility meansdamage to the health care facility requiring an expenditure of at least OneMillion Dollars ($1,000,000.00).���� (14)� The State Departmentof Health shall issue a certificate of need to any hospital which is currentlylicensed for two hundred fifty (250) or more acute care beds and is located inany general hospital service area not having a comprehensive cancer center, forthe establishment and equipping of such a center which provides facilities andservices for outpatient radiation oncology therapy, outpatient medical oncologytherapy, and appropriate support services including the provision of radiationtherapy services.� The provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) regarding substantialcompliance with the projection of need as reported in the current State HealthPlan are waived for the purpose of this subsection.���� (15)� The State Departmentof Health may authorize the transfer of hospital beds, not to exceed sixty (60)beds, from the North Panola Community Hospital to the South Panola CommunityHospital.� The authorization for the transfer of those beds shall be exemptfrom the certificate of need review process.���� (16)� The State Departmentof Health shall issue any certificates of need necessary for Mississippi StateUniversity and a public or private health care provider to jointly acquire andoperate a linear accelerator and a magnetic resonance imaging unit.� Thosecertificates of need shall cover all capital expenditures related to theproject between Mississippi State University and the health care provider,including, but not limited to, the acquisition of the linear accelerator, themagnetic resonance imaging unit and other radiological modalities; the offeringof linear accelerator and magnetic resonance imaging services; and the cost ofconstruction of facilities in which to locate these services.� The linearaccelerator and the magnetic resonance imaging unit shall be (a) located in theCity of Starkville, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi; (b) operated jointly byMississippi State University and the public or private health care providerselected by Mississippi State University through a request for proposals (RFP)process in which Mississippi State University selects, and the Board ofTrustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning approves, the health careprovider that makes the best overall proposal; (c) available to MississippiState University for research purposes two-thirds (2/3) of the time that thelinear accelerator and magnetic resonance imaging unit are operational; and (d)available to the public or private health care provider selected by MississippiState University and approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions ofHigher Learning one-third (1/3) of the time for clinical, diagnostic andtreatment purposes.� For purposes of this subsection, the provisions of Section41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with the projection of need asreported in the current State Health Plan are waived.���� (17)� The State Departmentof Health shall issue a certificate of need for the construction of an acutecare hospital in Kemper County, not to exceed twenty-five (25) beds, whichshall be named the "John C. Stennis Memorial Hospital."� In issuingthe certificate of need under this subsection, the department shall givepriority to a hospital located in Lauderdale County that has two hundredfifteen (215) beds.� For purposes of this subsection, the provisions of Section41-7-193(1) requiring substantial compliance with the projection of need asreported in the current State Health Plan and the provisions of Section 41-7-197requiring a formal certificate of need hearing process are waived.� There shallbe no prohibition or restrictions on participation in the Medicaid program(Section 43-13-101 et seq.) for the person or entity receiving the certificateof need authorized under this subsection or for the beds constructed under theauthority of that certificate of need.���� (18)� The planning, design,construction, renovation, addition, furnishing and equipping of a clinicalresearch unit at any health care facility defined in Section 41-7-173(h) thatis under the direction and control of the University of Mississippi MedicalCenter and located in Jackson, Mississippi, and the addition of new beds or theconversion of beds from one (1) category to another in any such clinicalresearch unit, shall not require the issuance of a certificate of need underSection 41-7-171 et seq., notwithstanding any provision in Section 41-7-171 etseq. to the contrary.���� (19)� [Repealed]���� (20)� Nothing in thissection or in any other provision of Section 41-7-171 et seq. shall prevent anynursing facility from designating an appropriate number of existing beds in thefacility as beds for providing care exclusively to patients with Alzheimer'sdisease.���� (21)� Nothing in thissection or any other provision of Section 41-7-171 et seq. shall prevent anyhealth care facility from the new construction, renovation, conversion orexpansion of new beds in the facility designated as intensive care units,negative pressure rooms, or isolation rooms pursuant to the provisions of Sections41-14-1 through 41-14-11, or Section 41-14-31.� For purposes of thissubsection, the provisions of Section 41-7-193(1) requiring substantialcompliance with the projection of need as reported in the current State HealthPlan and the provisions of Section 41-7-197 requiring a formal certificate ofneed hearing process are waived.���� (22)� Except as providedin this subsection (22), the University of Mississippi Medical Center shallcomply with all of the provisions of Section 41-7-171 et seq.���� The University ofMississippi Medical Center need not obtain a certificate of need for anyhospital beds, services, health care facilities, or medical equipment that havebeen approved and continuously operated under a certificate of need exemptionfor a teaching hospital, or that are approved or applied forbefore the effective date of this act, as long as they do not undergo aphysical relocation.���� From and after theeffective date of this act, the University of Mississippi Medical Center has anacademic exemption from the certificate of need requirements of Section 41-7-171et seq. only within the following area in the City of Jackson, Mississippi:�starting at the intersection of Livingston Road and Woodrow Wilson Avenue,proceeding east along the south curb line of Woodrow Wilson Avenue until itintersects the west curb line of U.S. Interstate 55, proceeding north along thewest curb line of U.S. Interstate 55 until it intersects the north curb line ofLakeland Drive, proceeding west along the north curb line of Lakeland Drive andextending such curb line west until it intersects Livingston Road, andproceeding south along the west curb line of Livingston Road to the point oforigin.���� In order to qualify foran academic exemption, under this subsection, the State Health Officer mustdetermine that the proposed equipment or facility fulfills a substantial andmeaningful academic function.���� (23)� (a)� The StateDepartment of Health shall conduct a study to review and make recommendationsregarding Section 41-7-171 et seq., to be specifically focused on the followingtopics:������������� (i)� Thefeasibility of exempting small hospitals from the requirement for a certificateof need for the placement of dialysis units to reduce the number of transfersfor patients requiring dialysis;������������� (ii)� Thefeasibility of exempting small hospitals from the requirement for a certificateof need to operate geriatric psychiatric units; and������������� (iii)� Thefeasibility of a new requirement that acute adult psychiatric units treat acertain percentage of uninsured patients or pay a periodic fee in lieu thereof.��������� (b)� The departmentshall make a final report of its findings and recommendations, including anyrecommended legislation and funding needs, to the Legislature before December1, 2026.���� SECTION 2.� Section41-7-173, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:���� 41-7-173.� For the purposesof Section 41-7-171 et seq., the following words shall have the meaningsascribed herein, unless the context otherwise requires:��������� (a)� "Affectedperson" means (i) the applicant; (ii) a person residing within thegeographic area to be served by the applicant's proposal; (iii) a person whoregularly uses health care facilities or HMOs located in the geographic area ofthe proposal which provide similar service to that which is proposed; (iv)health care facilities and HMOs which have, prior to receipt of the applicationunder review, formally indicated an intention to provide service similar tothat of the proposal being considered at a future date; (v) third-party payerswho reimburse health care facilities located in the geographical area of theproposal; or (vi) any agency that establishes rates for health care services orHMOs located in the geographic area of the proposal.��������� (b)� "Certificateof need" means a written order of the State Department of Health settingforth the affirmative finding that a proposal in prescribed application form,sufficiently satisfies the plans, standards and criteria prescribed for suchservice or other project by Section 41-7-171 et seq., and by rules andregulations promulgated thereunder by the State Department of Health.��������� (c)� (i)� "Capitalexpenditure," when pertaining to defined major medical equipment, shallmean an expenditure which, under generally accepted accounting principlesconsistently applied, is not properly chargeable as an expense of operation andmaintenance and which exceeds * * * One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00)Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00).������������� (ii)� "Capitalexpenditure," when pertaining to other than major medical equipment, shallmean any expenditure which under generally accepted accounting principlesconsistently applied is not properly chargeable as an expense of operation andmaintenance and which exceeds, for clinical health services, as defined inparagraph (k) below, * * *Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) Ten Million Dollars($10,000,000.00), * * *adjusted for inflation as published by the State Department of Healthor which exceeds, for nonclinical health services, as defined in paragraph (k)below, * * * Ten MillionDollars ($10,000,000.00), adjusted for inflation as published by the StateDepartment of Health Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00).������������� (iii)� A"capital expenditure" shall include the acquisition, whether bylease, sufferance, gift, devise, legacy, settlement of a trust or other means,of any facility or part thereof, or equipment for a facility, the expenditurefor which would have been considered a capital expenditure if acquired bypurchase.� Transactions which are separated in time but are planned to beundertaken within twelve (12) months of each other and are components of anoverall plan for meeting patient care objectives shall, for purposes of thisdefinition, be viewed in their entirety without regard to their timing.������������� (iv)� In thoseinstances where a health care facility or other provider of health servicesproposes to provide a service in which the capital expenditure for majormedical equipment or other than major medical equipment or a combination of thetwo (2) may have been split between separate parties, the total capitalexpenditure required to provide the proposed service shall be considered indetermining the necessity of certificate of need review and in determining theappropriate certificate of need review fee to be paid.� The capital expenditureassociated with facilities and equipment to provide services in Mississippishall be considered regardless of where the capital expenditure was made, instate or out of state, and regardless of the domicile of the party making thecapital expenditure, in state or out of state.��������� (d)� "Change ofownership" includes, but is not limited to, inter vivos gifts, purchases,transfers, lease arrangements, cash and/or stock transactions or othercomparable arrangements whenever any person or entity acquires or controls amajority interest of an existing health care facility, and/or the change ofownership of major medical equipment, a health service, or an institutionalhealth service.� Changes of ownership from partnerships, single proprietorshipsor corporations to another form of ownership are specifically included.�However, "change of ownership" shall not include any inheritedinterest acquired as a result of a testamentary instrument or under the laws ofdescent and distribution of the State of Mississippi.��������� (e)� "Commencementof construction" means that all of the following have been completed withrespect to a proposal or project proposing construction, renovating, remodelingor alteration:������������� (i)� A legallybinding written contract has been consummated by the proponent and a lawfullylicensed contractor to construct and/or complete the intent of the proposalwithin a specified period of time in accordance with final architectural planswhich have been approved by the licensing authority of the State Department ofHealth;������������� (ii)� Any and allpermits and/or approvals deemed lawfully necessary by all authorities withresponsibility for such have been secured; and������������� (iii)� Actual bonafide undertaking of the subject proposal has commenced, and a progress paymentof at least one percent (1%) of the total cost price of the contract has beenpaid to the contractor by the proponent, and the requirements of this paragraph(e) have been certified to in writing by the State Department of Health.���� Force account expenditures,such as deposits, securities, bonds, et cetera, may, in the discretion of theState Department of Health, be excluded from any or all of the provisions ofdefined commencement of construction.��������� (f)�"Consumer" means an individual who is not a provider of health careas defined in paragraph (q) of this section.��������� (g)�"Develop," when used in connection with health services, means toundertake those activities which, on their completion, will result in theoffering of a new institutional health service or the incurring of a financialobligation as defined under applicable state law in relation to the offering ofsuch services.��������� (h)� "Health carefacility" includes hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, chemical dependencyhospitals, skilled nursing facilities, end-stage renal disease (ESRD)facilities, including freestanding hemodialysis units, intermediate carefacilities, ambulatory surgical facilities, intermediate care facilities forindividuals with intellectual disabilities, home health agencies, psychiatricresidential treatment facilities, pediatric skilled nursing facilities, long-termcare hospitals, comprehensive medical rehabilitation facilities, includingfacilities owned or operated by the state or a political subdivision orinstrumentality of the state, but does not include Christian Sciencesanatoriums operated or listed and certified by the First Church of Christ,Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.� This definition shall not apply tofacilities for the private practice, either independently or by incorporatedmedical groups, of physicians, dentists or health care professionals exceptwhere such facilities are an integral part of an institutional health service.�The various health care facilities listed in this paragraph shall be defined asfollows:������������� (i)�"Hospital" means an institution which is primarily engaged inproviding to inpatients, by or under the supervision of physicians, diagnosticservices and therapeutic services for medical diagnosis, treatment and care ofinjured, disabled or sick persons, or rehabilitation services for therehabilitation of injured, disabled or sick persons.� Such term does notinclude psychiatric hospitals.������������� (ii)�"Psychiatric hospital" means an institution which is primarilyengaged in providing to inpatients, by or under the supervision of a physician,psychiatric services for the diagnosis and treatment of persons with mental illness.������������� (iii)�"Chemical dependency hospital" means an institution which isprimarily engaged in providing to inpatients, by or under the supervision of aphysician, medical and related services for the diagnosis and treatment ofchemical dependency such as alcohol and drug abuse.������������� (iv)� "Skillednursing facility" means an institution or a distinct part of aninstitution which is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients skillednursing care and related services for patients who require medical or nursingcare or rehabilitation services for the rehabilitation of injured, disabled orsick persons.������������� (v)� "End-stagerenal disease (ESRD) facilities" means kidney disease treatment centers,which includes freestanding hemodialysis units and limited care facilities.�The term "limited care facility" generally refers to an off-hospital-premisesfacility, regardless of whether it is provider or nonprovider operated, whichis engaged primarily in furnishing maintenance hemodialysis services tostabilized patients.������������� (vi)�"Intermediate care facility" means an institution which provides, ona regular basis, health-related care and services to individuals who do notrequire the degree of care and treatment which a hospital or skilled nursingfacility is designed to provide, but who, because of their mental or physicalcondition, require health-related care and services (above the level of roomand board).������������� (vii)�"Ambulatory surgical facility" means a facility primarily organizedor established for the purpose of performing surgery for outpatients and is aseparate identifiable legal entity from any other health care facility.� Suchterm does not include the offices of private physicians or dentists, whetherfor individual or group practice, and does not include any abortion facility asdefined in Section 41-75-1(f).������������� (viii)�"Intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectualdisabilities" means an intermediate care facility that provides health orrehabilitative services in a planned program of activities to persons with an intellectual disability, alsoincluding, but not limited to, cerebral palsy and other conditions covered bythe Federal Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, PublicLaw 94-103.������������� (ix)� "Homehealth agency" means a public or privately owned agency or organization,or a subdivision of such an agency or organization, properly authorized toconduct business in Mississippi, which is primarily engaged in providing toindividuals at the written direction of a licensed physician, in theindividual's place of residence, skilled nursing services provided by or underthe supervision of a registered nurse licensed to practice in Mississippi, andone or more of the following services or items:������������������ 1.� Physical,occupational or speech therapy;������������������ 2.� Medicalsocial services;������������������ 3.� Part-timeor intermittent services of a home health aide;������������������ 4.� Otherservices as approved by the licensing agency for home health agencies;������������������ 5.� Medicalsupplies, other than drugs and biologicals, and the use of medical appliances;or������������������ 6.� Medicalservices provided by an intern or resident-in-training at a hospital under ateaching program of such hospital.���� Further, all skilled nursingservices and those services listed in items 1 through 4 of this subparagraph(ix) must be provided directly by the licensed home health agency.� Forpurposes of this subparagraph, "directly" means either through an agencyemployee or by an arrangement with another individual not defined as a healthcare facility.���� This subparagraph (ix) shallnot apply to health care facilities which had contracts for the above serviceswith a home health agency on January 1, 1990.������������� (x)�"Psychiatric residential treatment facility" means any nonhospitalestablishment with permanent licensed facilities which provides a twenty-four-hourprogram of care by qualified therapists, including, but not limited to, dulylicensed mental health professionals, psychiatrists, psychologists,psychotherapists and licensed certified social workers, for emotionallydisturbed children and adolescents referred to such facility by a court, localschool district or by the Department of Human Services, who are not in an acutephase of illness requiring the services of a psychiatric hospital, and are inneed of such restorative treatment services.� For purposes of thissubparagraph, the term "emotionally disturbed" means a conditionexhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period oftime and to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance:������������������ 1.� Aninability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or healthfactors;������������������ 2.� Aninability to build or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers andteachers;������������������ 3.�Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;������������������ 4.� A generalpervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or������������������ 5.� A tendencyto develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or schoolproblems.� An establishment furnishing primarily domiciliary care is not withinthis definition.������������� (xi)�"Pediatric skilled nursing facility" means an institution or adistinct part of an institution that is primarily engaged in providing toinpatients skilled nursing care and related services for persons under twenty-one(21) years of age who require medical or nursing care or rehabilitationservices for the rehabilitation of injured, disabled or sick persons.������������� (xii)� "Long-termcare hospital" means a freestanding, Medicare-certified hospital that hasan average length of inpatient stay greater than twenty-five (25) days, whichis primarily engaged in providing chronic or long-term medical care to patientswho do not require more than three (3) hours of rehabilitation or comprehensiverehabilitation per day, and has a transfer agreement with an acute care medicalcenter and a comprehensive medical rehabilitation facility.� Long-term carehospitals shall not use rehabilitation, comprehensive medical rehabilitation,medical rehabilitation, sub-acute rehabilitation, nursing home, skilled nursingfacility or sub-acute care facility in association with its name.������������� (xiii)�"Comprehensive medical rehabilitation facility" means a hospital orhospital unit that is licensed and/or certified as a comprehensive medicalrehabilitation facility which provides specialized programs that are accreditedby the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and supervisedby a physician board certified or board eligible in physiatry or other doctorof medicine or osteopathy with at least two (2) years of training in themedical direction of a comprehensive rehabilitation program that:������������������ 1.� Includesevaluation and treatment of individuals with physical disabilities;������������������ 2.� Emphasizeseducation and training of individuals with disabilities;������������������ 3.�Incorporates at least the following core disciplines:����������������������� a.�Physical Therapy;����������������������� b.�Occupational Therapy;����������������������� c.�Speech and Language Therapy;����������������������� d.�Rehabilitation Nursing; and������������������ 4.�Incorporates at least three (3) of the following disciplines:����������������������� a.�Psychology;����������������������� b.�Audiology;����������������������� c.�Respiratory Therapy;����������������������� d.�Therapeutic Recreation;����������������������� e.�Orthotics;����������������������� f.�Prosthetics;����������������������� g.�Special Education;����������������������� h.�Vocational Rehabilitation;����������������������� i.�Psychotherapy;����������������������� j.�Social Work;����������������������� k.�Rehabilitation Engineering.���� These specialized programsinclude, but are not limited to:� spinal cord injury programs, head injuryprograms and infant and early childhood development programs.��������� (i)� "Healthmaintenance organization" or "HMO" means a public or privateorganization organized under the laws of this state or the federal governmentwhich:������������� (i)� Provides orotherwise makes available to enrolled participants health care services,including substantially the following basic health care services:� usualphysician services, hospitalization, laboratory, x-ray, emergency andpreventive services, and out-of-area coverage;������������� (ii)� Iscompensated (except for copayments) for the provision of the basic health careservices listed in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph to enrolled participantson a predetermined basis; and������������� (iii)� Providesphysician services primarily:������������������ 1.� Directlythrough physicians who are either employees or partners of such organization;or������������������ 2.� Througharrangements with individual physicians or one or more groups of physicians(organized on a group practice or individual practice basis).��������� (j)� "Healthservice area" means a geographic area of the state designated in the StateHealth Plan as the area to be used in planning for specified health facilitiesand services and to be used when considering certificate of need applicationsto provide health facilities and services.��������� (k)� "Healthservices" means clinically related (i.e., diagnostic, treatment orrehabilitative) services and includes alcohol, drug abuse, mental health andhome health care services.� "Clinical health services" shall onlyinclude those activities which contemplate any change in the existing bedcomplement of any health care facility through the addition or conversion ofany beds, under Section 41-7-191(1)(c) or propose to offer any health servicesif those services have not been provided on a regular basis by the proposedprovider of such services within the period of twelve (12) months prior to thetime such services would be offered, under Section 41-7-191(1)(d).�"Nonclinical health services" shall be all other services which donot involve any change in the existing bed complement or offering healthservices as described above.��������� (l)�"Institutional health services" shall mean health services providedin or through health care facilities and shall include the entities in orthrough which such services are provided.��������� (m)� "Majormedical equipment" means medical equipment designed for providing medicalor any health-related service which costs in excess of * * * One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00)Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00).� However, this definition shallnot be applicable to clinical laboratories if they are determined by the StateDepartment of Health to be independent of any physician's office, hospital orother health care facility or otherwise not so defined by federal or state law,or rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.��������� (n)� "StateDepartment of Health" or "department" shall mean the stateagency created under Section 41-3-15, which shall be considered to be the StateHealth Planning and Development Agency, as defined in paragraph (u) of thissection.��������� (o)� "Offer,"when used in connection with health services, means that it has been determinedby the State Department of Health that the health care facility is capable ofproviding specified health services.��������� (p)� "Person"means an individual, a trust or estate, partnership, corporation (includingassociations, joint-stock companies and insurance companies), the state or apolitical subdivision or instrumentality of the state.��������� (q)�"Provider" shall mean any person who is a provider or representativeof a provider of health care services requiring a certificate of need underSection 41-7-171 et seq., or who has any financial or indirect interest in anyprovider of services.��������� (r)� "Radiationtherapy services" means the treatment of cancer and other diseases usingionizing radiation of either high energy photons (x-rays or gamma rays) orcharged particles (electrons, protons or heavy nuclei).� However, for purposesof a certificate of need, radiation therapy services shall not include lowenergy, superficial, external beam x-ray treatment of superficial skin lesions.��������� (s)�"Secretary" means the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and anyofficer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services to whom theauthority involved has been delegated.��������� (t)� "State HealthPlan" means the sole and official statewide health plan for Mississippiwhich identifies priority state health needs and establishes standards andcriteria for health-related activities which require certificate of need reviewin compliance with Section 41-7-191.��������� (u)� "State HealthPlanning and Development Agency" means the agency of state governmentdesignated to perform health planning and resource development programs for theState of Mississippi.���� SECTION 3.� This actshall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
An Act To Amend Section 41-7-191, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise Certain Provisions Relating To A Hospital That Has A Certificate Of Need For A Forty-bed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility In Desoto County; To Provide That There Shall Be No Prohibition Or Restrictions On Participation In The Medicaid Program For Such Facility That Would Not Otherwise Apply To Any Other Such Facility; To Require The Issuance Of A Certificate Of Need For Additional Beds In A Community Living Program For Developmentally Disabled Adults Located In Madison County; To Revise The Conditions For A Certificate Of Need Issued For A Long-term Care Hospital In Harrison County To Allow The Hospital To Participate In The Medicaid Program As A Crossover Provider; To Provide That The University Of Mississippi Medical Center Need Not Obtain A Certificate Of Need For Any Hospital Beds, Services, Health Care Facilities, Or Medical Equipment That Have Been Approved And Continuously Operated Under A Certificate Of Need Exemption For A Teaching Hospital, Or That Are Approved Or Applied For Before The Effective Date Of This Act, Relocation; To Provide That From And After The Effective Date Of This Act, The University Of Mississippi Medical Center Shall Have An Academic Exemption From The Certificate Of Need Requirements Only Within A Certain Area Of Jackson, Mississippi; To Clarify That In Order For The University Of Mississippi Medical Center To Qualify For Such An Academic Exemption, The State Health Officer Must Determine That The Proposed Equipment Or Facility Fulfills A Substantial And Meaningful Academic Function; To Direct The State Department Of Health To Conduct A Study And Report By December 1, 2026, On The Feasibility Of Exempting Small Hospitals From The Requirement For A Certificate Of Need For The Placement Of Dialysis Units To Reduce The Number Of Transfers For Patients Requiring Dialysis, The Feasibility Of Exempting Small Hospitals From The Requirement For A Certificate Of Need To Operate Geriatric Psychiatric Units, And The Feasibility Of A New Requirement That Acute Adult Psychiatric Units Treat A Certain Percentage Of Uninsured Patients Or Pay A Periodic Fee In Lieu Thereof; To Amend Section 41-7-173, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Increase The Minimum Dollar Amounts Of Capital Expenditures And Major Medical Equipment That Require The Issuance Of A Certificate Of Need; And For Related Purposes.
Sponsors
Rep. Sam Creekmore (R) sponsors HB 3, and 1 member has co-sponsored it.
Committees
HB 3 went before 2 committees: Public Health and Human Services and Public Health and Welfare.
History
HB 3 has taken 17 actions since Jan 7, 2026, the latest on Feb 4, 2026.
| Chamber | Action | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 4, 2026 | — | Approved by Governor | ||
Jan 29, 2026 | Senate | Enrolled Bill Signed | ||
Jan 28, 2026 | Senate | Passed | ||
Jan 28, 2026 | Senate | Immediate Release | ||
Jan 28, 2026 | Senate | Returned For Enrolling |
Votes
HB 3 went to 2 roll calls across both chambers, the latest on Jan 28, 2026 at 50–0.
| Chamber | Question | Yea | Nay | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 28, 2026 | Senate | Senate Passed | 50 | 0 | ||
Jan 21, 2026 | House | House Passed As Amended | 118 | 0 |
Source: billstatus.ls.state.ms.us · legiscan.com