SECTION 133.25. Time Periods for Processing and Issuing Hospital Licenses

(a) General.

(1) The receipt date for an application for an initial license or a renewal license is the date the application is received by the Facility Licensing Group, Department of State Health Services (department).

(2) An application for an initial license is complete when the department has received, reviewed, and found acceptable the information described in §133.22(a) - (b) of this title (relating to Application and Issuance of Initial License).

(3) An application for a renewal license is complete when the department has received, reviewed, and found acceptable the information described in §133.23(b) of this title (relating to Application and Issuance of Renewal License).

(b) Time periods. An application for a hospital initial license or renewal license shall be processed in accordance with the following time periods.

(1) The first time period begins on the date the department receives the application and ends on the date the hospital license is issued, or, if the application is received incomplete, the period ends on the date the hospital is issued a written notice that the application is incomplete. The written notice shall describe the specific information that is required before the application is considered complete. The first time period is 20 working days.

(2) The second time period begins on the date the department receives the last item necessary to complete the application and ends on the date the hospital license is issued. The second time period is 20 working days.

(c) Reimbursement of fees.

(1) In the event the application is not processed in the time periods as stated in subsection (b) of this section, the applicant has the right to request the department to reimburse in full the fee paid in that particular application process. If the department does not agree that the established periods have been violated or finds that good cause existed for exceeding the established periods, the request shall be denied.

(2) Good cause for exceeding the period established is considered to exist if:

(A) the number of applications for licenses to be processed exceeds by 15% or more the number processed in the same calendar quarter the preceding year;

(B) another public or private entity utilized in the application process caused the delay; or

(C) other conditions existed which gave good cause for exceeding the established periods.

(d) Appeal. If the request for full reimbursement authorized by subsection (c) of this section is denied, the applicant may then appeal to the commissioner of state health services (commissioner) for a resolution of the dispute. The applicant shall give written notice to the commissioner requesting full reimbursement of all filing fees paid because the application was not processed within the adopted time period. The department shall submit a written report of the facts related to the processing of the application and good cause for exceeding the established time periods. The commissioner shall make the final decision and provide written notification of the decision to the applicant and the department.

Source Note: The provisions of this §133.25 adopted to be effective June 21, 2007, 32 TexReg 3587