CHAPTER 398
An Act to authorize and exempt relocation of nursing home beds from certificate of public need regulation under certain circumstances.
Approved March 15, 2007
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. Relocation of certain nursing home beds under limited circumstances.
A. Notwithstanding (i) the provisions of §§ 32.1-102.3 and 32.1-102.3:2, (ii) any regulations of the Board of Health establishing standards for the approval and issuance of Requests for Applications, and (iii) the provisions of any current Requests for Applications issued by the Commissioner of Health pursuant to § 32.1-102.3:2, the Commissioner of Health shall accept applications and may issue certificates of public need for nursing home beds when such beds are a relocation from one facility to another facility under common ownership or control, regardless of whether they are in the same planning district, if, as of December 31 of the year preceding the year in which relocation is proposed, the following criteria are met:
1. The occupancy rate of the facility seeking to relocate beds, based upon the total number of beds for which the facility is licensed, was less than 67%;
2. Greater than 25% of the residents of the facility from which beds are to be relocated, immediately prior to moving to the facility, resided outside the planning district in which the facility is located; and
3. Any facility to which beds are to be relocated has experienced an average occupancy rate that meets or exceeds 90%.
B. A relocation of nursing home beds under the circumstances described herein shall not constitute a "project" as defined in § 32.1-102.1. An entity may not relocate more than two-thirds of the total number of beds for which the facility was licensed prior to any relocation pursuant to this section. Any restrictions that apply to the certificate at the time of the relocation shall remain in effect following the relocation.