WAC 246-310-160   Regular review process.  (1) The regular review process shall not exceed ninety days from the beginning of the review period and shall be conducted in accordance with this section unless the review period is extended in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.

     (a) The public comment period shall be limited to forty-five days. The first thirty-five days of the public comment period shall be reserved for receiving public comments and conducting a public hearing, if requested. The remaining ten days shall be reserved for the applicant to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first thirty-five day period. Any affected person shall also be provided the opportunity to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first thirty-five day period.

     (b) The department shall complete its final review and the secretary's designee shall make a decision on a certificate of need application within forty-five days of the end of the public comment period.

     (2) The review period for a regular review may be extended according to the following provisions:

     (a) The public comment period may be extended for up to an additional forty-five days in accordance with WAC 246-310-100. The department may grant further extensions to this review period: Provided, The person submitting the certificate of need application gives written consent to such further extensions.

     (b) If an issue, which is pivotal to the decision of the secretary's designee remains unresolved, the department may make one request for additional information from the person submitting the application. The department may extend its final review period up to but not exceeding thirty days after receipt of the applicant's written response to the department's request for information.

     (c) The department may extend either the public comment period or the department's final review period upon receipt of a written request of the person submitting the application: Provided however, That such an extension shall not exceed ninety days.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.38 RCW. 98-10-053, § 246-310-160, filed 4/29/98, effective 5/30/98; 96-24-052, § 246-310-160, filed 11/27/96, effective 12/28/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.135 and 70.38.919. 92-02-018 (Order 224), § 246-310-160, filed 12/23/91, effective 1/23/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.040. 91-02-049 (Order 121), recodified as § 246-310-160, filed 12/27/90, effective 1/31/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.135. 86-06-030 (Order 2344), § 248-19-330, filed 2/28/86; 82-19-055 (Order 244), § 248-19-330, filed 9/15/82; 81-09-012 (Order 210), § 248-19-330, filed 4/9/81, effective 5/20/81. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.38 RCW. 79-12-079 (Order 188), § 248-19-330, filed 11/30/79.]