AN ACT REVISING THE CERTIFICATE OF NEED PROCESS FOR LABOR AND DELIVERY AND INTENSIVE CARE UNITS.

SB 256 would require hospitals to demonstrate that another labor and delivery or intensive care unit is available within 25 miles before closing such a unit. This directly affects hospitals seeking to close these services and aims to prevent communities from losing access to critical care by ensuring nearby alternatives exist. The key provision is the 25-mile requirement for alternative unit availability, which would be enforced through the certificate of need approval process. The bill's purpose is to protect residents from "health care deserts" where essential services are unavailable.