Section 31-6-45. Revocation of certificate of need; enforcement of chapter; regulatory investigations and examinations

   (a) The department may revoke a certificate of need, in whole or in part, after notice to the holder of the certificate and a fair hearing pursuant to Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," for the following reasons:

   (1) Failure to comply with the provisions of Code Section 31-6-41;

   (2) The intentional provision of false information to the department by an applicant in that applicant's application;

   (3) Repeated failure to pay any fines or moneys due to the department;

   (4) Failure to maintain minimum quality of care standards that may be established by the department;

   (5) Failure to participate as a provider of medical assistance for Medicaid purposes pursuant to Code Section 31-6-45.2 or any other applicable Code section;

   (6) The failure to submit a timely or complete report within 180 days following the date the report is due pursuant to Code Section 31-6-70; or

   (7) Failure of a destination cancer hospital to meet an annual patient base composed of a minimum of 65 percent of patients who reside outside this state for three calendar years in any five-year period.

The department may not, however, revoke a certificate of need if the applicant changes the defined location of the project within the same county less than three miles from the location specified in the certificate of need for financial reasons or other reasons beyond its control, including, but not limited to, failure to obtain any required approval from zoning or other governmental agencies or entities, provided such change in location is otherwise consistent with the considerations and rules applied in the evaluation of the project.

(a.1) The department may revoke a certificate of need, in whole or in part, after notice to the holder of the certificate and a fair hearing pursuant to Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," if the services or units of services for which the certificate of need was issued are not implemented in a timely manner, as established by the department in its rules. This subsection shall apply only to certificates of need issued on or after July 1, 2008.

(b) Any health care facility offering a new institutional health service without having obtained a certificate of need and which has not been previously licensed as a health care facility shall be denied a license to operate.

(c) In the event that a new institutional health service is knowingly offered or developed without having obtained a certificate of need as required by this chapter, or the certificate of need for such service is revoked according to the provisions of this Code section, a facility or applicant may be fined an amount of $5,000.00 per day up to 30 days, $10,000.00 per day from 31 days through 60 days, and $25,000.00 per day after 60 days for each day that the violation of this chapter has existed and knowingly and willingly continues; provided, however, that the expenditure or commitment of or incurring an obligation for the expenditure of funds to take or perform actions not subject to this chapter or to acquire, develop, or prepare a health care facility site for which a certificate of need application is denied shall not be a violation of this chapter and shall not be subject to such a fine. The commissioner shall determine, after notice and a hearing, whether the fines provided in this Code section shall be levied.

(d) In addition, for purposes of this Code section, the State of Georgia, acting by and through the department, or any other interested person, shall have standing in any court of competent jurisdiction to maintain an action for injunctive relief to enforce the provisions of this chapter.

(e) The department shall have the authority to make public or private investigations or examinations inside or outside of this state to determine whether all provisions of this Code section or any other law, rule, regulation, or formal order relating to the provisions of Code Section 31-6-40 has been violated. Such investigations may be initiated at any time in the discretion of the department and may continue during the pendency of any action initiated by the department pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section. For the purpose of conducting any investigation or inspection pursuant to this subsection, the department shall have the authority, upon providing reasonable notice, to require the production of any books, records, papers, or other information related to any certificate of need issue.

Code 1981, § 31-6-45, enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 1566, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1871, § 7; Ga. L. 1999, p. 296, § 22; Ga. L. 2008, p. 12, § 1-1/SB 433; Ga. L. 2009, p. 8, § 31/SB 46.