sb53.html
07 LC 36 0451
Senate Bill 53
By: Senators Williams of the 19th, Hamrick of the 30th, Seabaugh of the 28th, Harp of the 29th, Tolleson of the 20th and others

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT


To amend Code Section 31-6-47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from state health planning and development provisions, so as to provide findings of the General Assembly; to provide an exemption for the development and offering of new institutional health services by acute cancer hospitals with 50 or fewer beds that specialize in advanced cancer treatment and that have a majority of their patients originating from outside the State of Georgia; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.
The General Assembly finds that the purpose of cancer treatment hospitals is to permit focused allocation of resources to one particular specialty that would serve a national or even global population. By promoting acute care cancer treatment centers as described in this Act, the State of Georgia can be promoted as a source of globally recognized advanced health care services, which promotes economic development in the State of Georgia in general and enhances the reputation of all health care providers in the State of Georgia.

SECTION 2.
Code Section 31-6-47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from state health planning and development provisions, is revised in subsection (a) by deleting "and" at the end of paragraph (15), replacing the period at the end of paragraph (16) with "; and", and adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(17) New institutional health services and capital expenditures related thereto provided by or on behalf of nonphysician owned acute care cancer treatment hospitals that have a capacity of 50 or fewer beds and at least 65 percent of their annual patient base consists of residents of states other than Georgia. As used in this paragraph, 'acute care cancer treatment hospital' means an institution which is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients and outpatients, by or under the supervision of physicians, diagnostic services and therapeutic services for medical diagnosis, treatment, and care of cancer or rehabilitation services for the rehabilitation from cancer."

SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.