(a) The Board shall provide by rule a process by which any person wishing to offer or develop a new health care project may submit a competing application when a substantially similar application is pending. The competing application must be filed and completed in a timely manner, and the original application and all competing applications shall be reviewed concurrently. A competing applicant shall have the same standing for administrative and judicial review under this subchapter as the original applicant.

(b) When a letter of intent to compete has been filed, the review process is suspended and the time within which a decision must be made as provided in subdivision 9440(d)(4) of this title is stayed until the competing application has been ruled complete or for a period of 55 days from the date of notification under subdivision 9440(c)(8) of this title as to the original application, whichever is shorter.

(c) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to restrict the Board to granting a certificate of need to only one applicant for a new health care project.

(d) [Repealed.]

(e) [Repealed.]

(f) Unless an application meets the requirements of subsection 9440(e) of this title, the Board shall consider disapproving a certificate of need application for a hospital if a project was not identified prospectively as needed at least two years prior to the time of filing in the hospital's four-year capital plan required under subdivision 9454(a)(6) of this title. The Board shall review all hospital four-year capital plans as part of the review under subdivision 9437(2)(B) of this title. (Added 1979, No. 65, § 1; amended 1985, No. 234 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 1987, No. 96, §§ 13, 21(b); 1991, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 28, eff. May 11, 1992; 1993, No. 50, § 1; 1995, No. 180 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 28, 38(a); 2003, No. 53, §§ 14, 26; 2007, No. 139 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2009, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 25, eff. May 27, 2010; 2011, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; 2017, No. 167 (Adj. Sess.), § 6.)