HB500 Summary

• Establishes the "Alabama Health Planning Facilitation Act" to require mandatory health care reporting to the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) instead of voluntary reporting.

• Creates the Health Care Information and Data Advisory Council with representatives from hospital associations, nursing homes, hospice organizations, ambulatory surgery centers, and mental health to advise SHPDA on implementing rules and protecting collected data.

• Requires covered health care facilities and providers to submit written reports to SHPDA at least annually, with first reports due within one year of rule adoption and covering the preceding six months.

• Imposes administrative penalties of $5,000 for rural health care providers or $10,000 for other providers failing to comply, with noncompliant reporters barred from participating in Certificate of Need review processes.

• Requires SHPDA to accept electronic filing of reports within six months of rule adoption; act becomes null and void if SHPDA cannot electronically accept reports within 12 months.