Senate Bill 539 Summary

• Repeals Article 9 of Chapter 131E of the General Statutes, which established North Carolina's Certificate of Need (CON) laws requiring approval before certain health care facilities could be constructed or modified.

• Removes CON requirement exemptions and references from multiple statutes governing home health agencies, chemical dependency treatment facilities, hospital services, and other health care facilities.

• Modifies attorney's fees provisions in G.S. 6-19.1(a) to exclude attorney's fees for administrative review portions of cases arising under Article 9 of Chapter 131E, effective January 1, 2020.

• Updates definitions in insurance and health care statutes to replace cross-references to CON laws with direct definitions of covered facilities and services such as hospice care and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

• Effective date: January 1, 2020.