(a) The basis for decisions by the office on applications for certificates of need filed pursuant to this chapter shall be:
(1) The Statewide Health Facilities and Services Plan specified in subdivision (b) of Section 127155.
(2) The statewide policies developed pursuant to Section 127160.
(b) The office shall annually update the statistical information used in the determination of resource requirements in the Statewide Health Facilities and Services Plan and shall update this statistical information more frequently when new data is available. These data updates shall include, but not be limited to, population estimates, utilization data, changes in the inventory, and other statistical information used in the determination of resource requirements. This data shall be incorporated into the Statewide Health Facilities and Services Plan by operation of law and without the necessity of following the procedures set forth in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Title 2 of Division 3 of the Government Code.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1996.)