A bill now before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis includes a repeal of the certificate of need (CON) requirement for new hospital construction.
If the governor signs the bill, the new law would eliminate the CON requirement for new general acute care or long-term acute care hospitals effective July 1. The rule would also apply to hospitals that want to establish a tertiary care service such as comprehensive rehabilitation or neonatal intensive care units.
The lifting of the CON requirement would also apply to specialized facilities such as children’s and women’s hospitals; specialty medical, rehabilitation, and psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; and residential treatment facilities for children. The restriction for those facilities would be eliminated July 1, 2021.
Doing away with the lengthy CON process, which is common in most states, should lead to more and faster development of hospital projects in Florida.
Related Stories
Energy | Sep 13, 2016
Oberlin College to hold conference on post-fossil fuel economy
The gathering will address climate change and new sources of energy.
Industry Research | Sep 12, 2016
Evidence linking classroom design to improved learning mounts
A study finds the impact can be as much as 25% per year.
Legislation | Sep 8, 2016
Half of U.S. states now allow design-build on public projects
Missouri is the latest to enact design-build legislation.
Codes and Standards | Sep 8, 2016
Vapor intrusion risk addressed in new ASTM guide update
The updates address industry confusion over how to handle the issue.
BIM and Information Technology | Sep 7, 2016
Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool updated to factor in waste management
The costs and benefits of managing 29 types of waste are now included.
Wood | Sep 6, 2016
Atlanta suburb prohibits wood-framed construction for high rises
The new building code prevents any structure with more than three stories from being built from a CLT frame.
Codes and Standards | Sep 1, 2016
Overuse of air conditioning hurts office productivity
A study found temperatures in the low 70s reduce worker performance.
Regulations | Aug 31, 2016
FEMA wants to toughen flood regulation on projects using federal funds
The proposal ‘would essentially rewrite the current 100-year flood standard.’
Sustainability | Aug 30, 2016
New federal project plans must include climate impacts
Agencies must quantify the specific impacts when possible.
Green | Aug 29, 2016
Vancouver, B.C., to require zero emissions on new buildings by 2030
No net GHG emissions will be allowed.
