131E-177. Department of Health and Human Services is designated State Health Planning and Development Agency; powers and duties.

The Department of Health and Human Services is designated as the State Health Planning and Development Agency for the State of North Carolina, and is empowered to exercise the following powers and duties:

(1) To establish standards and criteria or plans required to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Article and to adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 150B of the General Statutes, to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Article;

(2) Adopt, amend, and repeal such rules and regulations, consistent with the laws of this State, as may be required by the federal government for grants-in-aid for health service facilities and health planning which may be made available by the federal government. This section shall be liberally construed in order that the State and its citizens may benefit from such grants-in-aid;

(3) Define, by rule, procedures for submission of periodic reports by persons or health service facilities subject to agency review under this Article;

(4) Develop policy, criteria, and standards for health service facilities planning; shall conduct statewide registration and inventories of and make determinations of need for health service facilities, health services as specified in G.S. 131E-176(16)f., and equipment as specified in G.S. 131E-176(16)f1., which shall include consideration of adequate geographic location of equipment and services; and develop a State Medical Facilities Plan;

(5) Implement, by rule, criteria for project review;

(6) Have the power to grant, deny, or withdraw a certificate of need and to impose such sanctions as are provided for by this Article;

(7) Solicit, accept, hold and administer on behalf of the State any grants or devises of money, securities or property to the Department for use by the Department in the administration of this Article; and

(8) Repealed by Session Laws 1987, c. 511, s. 1.

(9) Collect fees for submitting applications for certificates of need.

(10) The authority to review all records in any recording medium of any person or health service facility subject to agency review under this Article which pertain to construction and acquisition activities, staffing or costs and charges for patient care, including but not limited to, construction contracts, architectural contracts, consultant contracts, purchase orders, cancelled checks, accounting and financial records, debt instruments, loan and security agreements, staffing records, utilization statistics and any other records the Department deems to be reasonably necessary to determine compliance with this Article.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall have final decision-making authority with regard to all functions described in this section.