1512                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND                                      Ch. 108

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, with the

exception of Section 19-118.1 of the Health - General Article, as

added by this Act, this Act shall take effect June 1, 1985.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 19-118.1

of the Health - General Article, as added by this Act, shall take

effect February 1, 1986. It shall remain effective for a period
of three years and, at the end of January 31, 1989, and with no
further action required by the General Assembly, Section 19-118.1

of the Health - General Article shall be abrogated and of no

further force and effect.

Approved May 21, 1985.

CHAPTER 109

(Senate Bill 655)

AN ACT concerning

Health Care Cost Containment - Hospital
Mergers and Consolidations

FOR the purpose of encouraging the voluntary reduction of excess
capacity in the health care system by exempting the
voluntary closure, merger, consolidation, or conversion of
certain health care facilities from certificate of need
review under certain circumstances; adding a requirement to
the State Health Plan relating to alternative uses;
requiring the Health Resources Planning Commission to
develop and adopt an institution specific plan under certain
procedures for possible capacity reduction; requiring the
institution specific plan to address certain issues;
providing for the use of the institution specific plan;
providing for the prevalence of the institution specific
plan for a certain time period where there are conflicts
with the State Health Plan; requiring the Health Resources
Planning Commission to incorporate the institution specific
plan into the State Health Plan within certain time periods;
requiring a facility to file certain information with the
Health Resources Planning Commission relating to a merger or
consolidation; requiring the Health Services Cost Review
Commission to review the rates of a hospital affected by a
merger or consolidation under certain circumstances;
authorizing the Health Resources Planning Commission to
approve the merger or consolidation of hospitals under
certain circumstances despite the effect on economic
competition; exempting a hospital merger or consolidation
from antitrust provisions under certain circumstances;