Under existing law, health care services and facilities, with some exceptions, are required to apply for and receive a certificate of need before they may construct new health care facilities or offer new or expanded services. This bill would repeal the certificate of need program and abolish the Certificate of Need Review Board, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Statewide Health Coordinating Council, and the Health Care Information and Data Advisory Council, which all exist to operate the certificate of need program and collect data to support the operation of the certificate [...]

Under existing law, a health care provider must obtain a certificate of need from the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) before the provider may operate a new institutional health service. Under the State Health Plan developed by SHPDA, an air ambulance service is considered an institutional health service. Certain federal courts have held that a state's authority to require a certificate of need for air ambulance services is preempted by federal aviation laws. This bill would exempt air ambulance services from the jurisdiction of SHPDA and would prohibit SHPDA from requiring a [...]