S.R. No. 15 Summary

• Requests the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) and Department of Health to hold a public meeting for all Certificate of Need applications for proposed special treatment facilities in neighborhoods with community associations.

• Addresses the current gap where applications meeting administrative review criteria (capital expense of $1,000,000 or less and increased annual operating expense under $500,000) do not require public meetings unless interested persons submit a written request.

• Requests SHPDA to adopt rules requiring Certificate of Need applicants to appear before the neighborhood board for the area where a proposed special treatment facility would be located as part of the application process.

• Cites Hawaii's Sunshine Law policy requiring government formation and conduct of public policy to be conducted as openly as possible.

• Notes community frustration from neighbors, community associations, and neighborhood boards unable to provide public input on special treatment facility applications in their neighborhoods.