State health planning and development; revise definitions; certificate of need requirements; provisions

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 6 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state health planning and development, so as to revise definitions; to eliminate the requirement that certain expenditures by a health care facility are required to obtain a certificate of need; to eliminate the requirement for certificate of need for medical equipment; to exempt freestanding emergency departments from certificate of need requirements; to eliminate exemptions for certain capital expenditures and cost overruns; to amend Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to regulation of hospitals and related institutions, so as to provide for licensure of freestanding emergency departments; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.