(a) For the purposes of this section and § 17b-353, “facility” means a residential facility for persons with intellectual disability licensed pursuant to § 17a-277 and certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid program as an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities, a nursing home, rest home or residential care home, as defined in § 19a-490. “Facility” does not include a nursing home that does not participate in the Medicaid program and is associated with a continuing care facility as described in § 17b-520.

(b) Any facility which intends to (1) transfer all or part of its ownership or control prior to being initially licensed; (2) introduce any additional function or service into its program of care or expand an existing function or service; (3) terminate a service or decrease substantially its total licensed bed capacity; or (4) relocate all or a portion of such facility’s licensed beds, to a new facility or replacement facility, shall submit a complete request for permission to implement such transfer, addition, expansion, increase, termination, decrease or relocation of facility beds to the Department of Social Services with such information as the department requires, provided no permission or request for permission to close a facility is required when a facility in receivership is closed by order of the Superior Court pursuant to § 19a-545. The Commissioner of Social Services shall consider the criteria in subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (a) of § 17b-354 when evaluating a certificate of need request to relocate licensed nursing facility beds from an existing facility to another licensed nursing facility or to a new facility or replacement facility. The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman pursuant to § 17a-870 shall be notified by the facility of any proposed actions pursuant to this subsection at the same time the request for permission is submitted to the department and when a facility in receivership is closed by order of the Superior Court pursuant to § 19a-545.

(c) A facility may submit a petition for closure to the Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services may authorize the closure of a facility if the facility’s management demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Social Services in the petition for closure that the facility (1) is not viable based on actual and projected operating losses; (2) has an occupancy rate of less than seventy per cent of the facility’s licensed bed capacity; (3) closure is consistent with the strategic rebalancing plan developed in accordance with § 17b-369, including bed need by geographical region; (4) is in compliance with the requirements of Sections 1128I(h) and 1819(h)(4) of the Social Security Act and 42 C.F.R. § 483.75; and (5) is not providing special services that would go unmet if the facility closes. The department shall review a petition for closure to the extent it deems necessary and the facility shall submit information the department requests or deems necessary to substantiate that the facility closure is consistent with the provisions of this subsection. The facility shall submit information the department requests or deems necessary to allow the department to provide oversight during this process. The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be notified by the facility at the same time as a petition for closure is submitted to the department. Any facility acting pursuant to this subsection shall provide written notice, on the same date that the facility submits its petition for closure, to all patients, guardians or conservators, if any, or legally liable relatives or other responsible parties, if known, and shall post such notice in a conspicuous location at the facility. The facility’s written notice shall be accompanied by an informational letter issued jointly from the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and the Department of Rehabilitation Services on patients’ rights and services available as they relate to the petition for closure. The informational letter shall also state the date and time that the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and the Department of Public Health will hold an informational session at the facility for patients, guardians or conservators, if any, and legally liable relatives or other responsible parties, if known, about their rights and the process concerning a petition for closure. The notice shall state: (A) The date the facility submitted the petition for closure, (B) that only the Department of Social Services has the authority to either grant or deny the petition for closure, (C) that the Department of Social Services has up to thirty days to grant or deny the petition for closure, (D) a brief description of the reason or reasons for submitting the petition for closure, (E) that no patient shall be involuntarily transferred or discharged within or from a facility pursuant to state and federal law because of the filing of a petition for closure, (F) that all patients have a right to appeal any proposed transfer or discharge, and (G) the name, mailing address and telephone number of the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and local legal aid office. The commissioner shall grant or deny a petition for closure within thirty days of receiving such request.

(d) An applicant, prior to submitting a certificate of need application, shall request, in writing, application forms and instructions from the department. The request shall include: (1) The name of the applicant or applicants; (2) a statement indicating whether the application is for (A) a new, additional, expanded or replacement facility, service or function or relocation of facility beds, (B) a termination or reduction in a presently authorized service or bed capacity, or (C) any new, additional or terminated beds and their type; (3) the estimated capital cost; (4) the town where the project is or will be located; and (5) a brief description of the proposed project. Such request shall be deemed a letter of intent. No certificate of need application shall be considered submitted to the department unless a current letter of intent, specific to the proposal and in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, has been on file with the department for not less than ten business days. For purposes of this subsection, “a current letter of intent” means a letter of intent on file with the department for not more than one hundred eighty days. A certificate of need application shall be deemed withdrawn by the department, if a department completeness letter is not responded to within one hundred eighty days. The Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be notified by the facility at the same time as the letter of intent is submitted to the department.

(e) Any facility acting pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section shall provide written notice, at the same time it submits its letter of intent, to all patients, guardians or conservators, if any, or legally liable relatives or other responsible parties, if known, and shall post such notice in a conspicuous location at the facility. The facility’s written notice shall be accompanied by an informational letter issued jointly from the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and the Department of Aging and Disability Services on patients’ rights and services available as they relate to the letter of intent. The notice shall state the following: (1) The projected date the facility will be submitting its certificate of need application, (2) that only the Department of Social Services has the authority to either grant, modify or deny the application, (3) that the Department of Social Services has up to ninety days to grant, modify or deny the certificate of need application, (4) a brief description of the reason or reasons for submitting a request for permission, (5) that no patient shall be involuntarily transferred or discharged within or from a facility pursuant to state and federal law because of the filing of the certificate of need application, (6) that all patients have a right to appeal any proposed transfer or discharge, and (7) the name, mailing address and telephone number of the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and local legal aid office.

(f) The Department of Social Services shall review a request made pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to the extent it deems necessary, including, but not limited to, in the case of a proposed transfer of ownership or control prior to initial licensure, the financial responsibility and business interests of the transferee and the ability of the facility to continue to provide needed services, or in the case of the addition or expansion of a function or service, ascertaining the availability of the function or service at other facilities within the area to be served, the need for the service or function within the area and any other factors the department deems relevant to a determination of whether the facility is justified in adding or expanding the function or service. During the review, the department may hold an informal conference with the facility to discuss the certificate of need application. The Commissioner of Social Services shall grant, modify or deny the request within ninety days of receipt thereof, except as otherwise provided in this section. The commissioner may place conditions, as the commissioner deems necessary to address specified concerns, on any decision approving or modifying a request for a certificate of need filed pursuant to this section. Conditions may include, but are not limited to, project and Medicaid reimbursement details and applicant requirements for summary and audit purposes. If the commissioner modifies the request, the commissioner shall notify the facility of such modification prior to issuing the decision and provide the applicant with an opportunity for an informal conference to discuss the modifications. Upon the request of the applicant, the review period may be extended for an additional fifteen days if the department has requested additional information subsequent to the commencement of the commissioner’s review period. The director of the office of certificate of need and rate setting may extend the review period for a maximum of thirty days if the applicant has not filed in a timely manner information deemed necessary by the department. The applicant may request and shall receive a hearing in accordance with § 4-177 if aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner.

(g) The Commissioner of Social Services shall not approve any requests for beds in residential facilities for persons with intellectual disability which are licensed pursuant to § 17a-227 and are certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Program as intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, except those beds necessary to implement the residential placement goals of the Department of Developmental Services which are within available appropriations.

(h) The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.