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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".14" citation="COMAR 10.24.01.14" title_num="10" subtitle_num="24" chapter_num="01" heading="Special Procedures.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Determination of Coverage. Except as otherwise provided in Regulations .03 or .05 of this chapter, a project that requires a determination of coverage shall be dealt with in the following manner:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A written request for determination of coverage shall be filed with the Center for Health Care Facilities Planning and Development.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Executive Director of the Commission shall review the request and act on it within 30 business days of receipt of complete information.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The person requesting the determination shall provide all additional information requested by Commission staff.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The Commission shall notify the person, each appropriate local health department, and each agency responsible under the Department's licensure program for the type of project whether it requires a Certificate of Need or other Commission review.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Commission staff’s determination of coverage may be appealed by the requesting party to the Commission by use of a motion filed in accordance with Regulation .10C of this chapter.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>The Executive Director may issue a determination that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Certificate of Need or other Commission review is not required; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Certificate of Need review is required for stated reasons.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Declaratory Rulings.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A person uncertain as to how a statute or regulation enforced by the Commission applies to that person or that person’s property may file with the Commission a petition for a declaratory ruling in accordance with the procedures in §B of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Commission may decline to issue a declaratory ruling for any of the following reasons:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The petition is not in accordance with this section;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The petition contains insufficient factual or legal information upon which to base a declaratory ruling;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The petition raises issues adequately addressed in a final decision or regulation of the Commission;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>The petition fails to pose a significant issue;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>The petition is properly heard as part of an evidentiary hearing; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>A declaratory ruling would not be in the public interest.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Within 15 days of receipt of a petition, the Executive Director shall either assign the petition to the full Commission for a decision or appoint a Commissioner to make a proposed ruling on the petition, which ruling shall be considered by the full Commission.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Within 45 days, or by the second regularly scheduled Commission meeting following the filing of the petition, whichever is later, the Commission shall rule or decline to rule on the petition, or may postpone issuing a formal written declaratory ruling for up to 35 days.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>To secure a declaratory ruling, an affected person shall submit a petition for a declaratory ruling that contains the following information:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The petitioner's name, address, and telephone number;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A one or two sentence statement of each question on which a ruling is requested;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A one or two sentence summary of the petitioner's position on each question;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Citation to each provision that the Commission needs to interpret in order to answer each question posed;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>A brief statement of each relevant fact;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>The petitioner's factual, legal, and policy arguments, referring to documents, affidavits, data, and other relevant information, which shall be appended to the petition, unless the documents are readily accessible to the Commission; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>A statement by the petitioner under penalties of perjury that each fact recited as relevant to the question posed is true to the best of the petitioner's knowledge, information, and belief.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>The Commission shall promptly publish notice of the receipt of a petition in the Maryland Register and shall note the petition on meeting agendas until the Commission acts upon the petition.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>The Commissioner making a proposed ruling or the Commission, in addition to considering the materials submitted by the petitioner and comments from staff, may:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Request and receive oral or written statements from any person;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Consider any document, data, study, or other relevant material; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Require argument on the question on the record, giving the petitioner the opportunity to present argument and to proffer witnesses and documents for the Commission's consideration.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>The proposed and final declaratory ruling shall be in writing, and state:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Each question addressed;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The proposed or final ruling; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The factual and legal basis for the ruling.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>A final declaratory ruling binds the Commission and the petitioner on the facts set forth in the petition, except when this binding effect violates the due process rights of a competing applicant in a comparative review.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>The Commission may revoke, alter, or amend a proposed or final declaratory ruling, which may have prospective effect only.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(11)">
      <text>A petitioner may appeal the declaratory ruling as set forth in State Government Article, Title 10, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>