1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; providing for review of hospital 
  1.3             moratorium exceptions; appropriating money; proposing 
  1.4             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [144.552] [PUBLIC INTEREST REVIEW.] 
  1.7      (a) A hospital seeking to increase its number of licensed 
  1.8   beds or an organization seeking to obtain a hospital license 
  1.9   must submit a plan to the commissioner of health.  The plan must 
  1.10  include information that includes an explanation of how the 
  1.11  expansion will meet the public's interest.  When submitting a 
  1.12  plan to the commissioner, an applicant shall pay the 
  1.13  commissioner for the commissioner's cost of reviewing the plan, 
  1.14  as determined by the commissioner and notwithstanding section 
  1.15  16A.1283.  Money received by the commissioner under this section 
  1.16  is appropriated to the commissioner for the purpose of 
  1.17  administering this section. 
  1.18     (b) Plans submitted under this section shall include 
  1.19  detailed information necessary for the commissioner to review 
  1.20  the plan and reach a finding.  The commissioner may request 
  1.21  additional information from the hospital submitting a plan under 
  1.22  this section and from others affected by the plan that the 
  1.23  commissioner deems necessary to review the plan and make a 
  1.24  finding. 
  1.25     (c) The commissioner shall review the plan and, within 90 
  2.1   days, but no more than six months if extenuating circumstances 
  2.2   apply, issue a finding on whether the plan is in the public 
  2.3   interest.  In making the determination, the commissioner shall 
  2.4   consider issues including but not limited to: 
  2.5      (1) whether the new hospital or hospital beds are needed to 
  2.6   provide timely access to care or access to new or improved 
  2.7   services; 
  2.8      (2) the financial impact of the new hospital or hospital 
  2.9   beds on existing acute-care hospitals that have emergency 
  2.10  departments in the region; 
  2.11     (3) how the new hospital or hospital beds will affect the 
  2.12  ability of existing hospitals in the region to maintain existing 
  2.13  staff; 
  2.14     (4) the extent to which the new hospital or hospital beds 
  2.15  will provide services to nonpaying or low-income patients 
  2.16  relative to the level of services provided to these groups by 
  2.17  existing hospitals in the region; and 
  2.18     (5) the views of affected parties. 
  2.19     (d) Upon making a determination under paragraph (c), the 
  2.20  commissioner shall provide a copy of the determination to the 
  2.21  chairs of the house and senate committees having jurisdiction 
  2.22  over health and human services policy and finance.