The proposed bill, General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 266, aims to amend chapter 368z of the general statutes by revising the requirements and procedures associated with the Certificate of Need (CON) program. Key changes include the elimination of all CON requirements for the expansion of outpatient or inpatient services, with the exception of the need to obtain a CON for the expansion of radiology equipment. Additionally, the bill mandates that a public hearing be held for each CON application and establishes a timeline for the Health Systems Planning Unit to issue decisions on these applications. Specifically, the unit must provide a final decision within 120 days of receiving a complete application, and if this timeline is not met, the application will be automatically deemed denied or approved based on the circumstances.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that if an applicant files an appeal or request for reconsideration regarding the unit's final decision, public notice must be published, and a public hearing must be conducted. The unit is then required to issue a final decision on the appeal within 60 days, with similar automatic approval or denial provisions if the timeline is not adhered to. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the CON process while ensuring public involvement through hearings and timely decision-making.