AR SB663

Amends Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 9, Subchapter 3 to add new section 20-9-312 authorizing the Department of Health to defer to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the Hospitals Without Walls initiative and other CMS-certified facility flexibilities.

Permits ambulatory surgery centers to convert to licensed hospitals during the COVID-19 public health emergency and allows existing hospitals to provide healthcare services at patients' homes and other selected sites under CMS flexibilities.

Grants the Department of Health authority to suspend portions of its Rules for Hospitals and Related Institutions to allow regulatory flexibilities for participating facilities until CMS terminates the initiative or the national public health emergency is declared over.

Authorizes the Department of Health to implement temporary licensure waivers and flexibilities during COVID-19 and any future public health emergency that duplicate or match CMS waivers, remaining in place until the CMS waiver is terminated or the national emergency is declared over.

Declares an emergency effective upon the Governor's approval, allowing the act to take immediate effect to resolve uncertainty and provide legislative clarity regarding the Department of Health's regulatory authority over healthcare facility flexibilities.