Kentucky Lantern

An interim legislative committee is scheduled to take up the issue of Kentucky’s certificate of need requirements later this month.

The Interim Joint Committee (IJC) on Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulation will discuss the controversial issue on June 20 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time in room 154 of the Capitol Annex in Frankfort.

Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, who co-chairs the licensing committee, said in a statement: “This important topic, certificate of need, was very much discussed during the 2024 Legislative Session, and we must continue the discussion during the interim.”

The certificate of need requirement mandates regulatory mechanisms for approving major capital expenditures and projects for certain health care facilities, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Sometimes called the “competitor’s veto,” certificate of need (CON) laws were in effect in 35 states and Washington D.C. as of December 2021.

Last summer, a task force spent six months studying CON, and concluded more study was needed.  A resolution filed to reestablish that task force for the summer of 2024 did not pass this session.

People who would like to present to the June 20 committee about CON can sign up ahead of time by calling 1-800-372-7181 and requesting a transfer to the Licensing and Occupations Committee staff. People can also sign up on the day of the meeting.