(1) Projects for which the department may establish concurrent review schedules are identified in RCW 70.38.115(7). An annual concurrent review has been scheduled for competing projects proposing:

(a) New nursing homes, not using bed allocations banked under the provisions of RCW 70.38.115(13);

(b) Nursing home bed additions, not using bed allocations banked under the provisions of RCW 70.38.115(13);

(c) The redistribution of beds from the following facility and service categories to nursing home beds:

(i) Acute care;

(ii) Assisted living facility; or

(iii) Intermediate care for the mentally retarded.

(2) Procedures for the concurrent review process shall be as follows:

(a) Submittal of initial applications.

(i) Each applicant shall submit one original and one copy of the application to the department.

(ii) Each applicant if requested in writing shall provide a copy of his or her application to the applicant of each other competing application.

(b) Screening of the initial applications.

(i) The department shall screen each initial application during the screening period of the applicable concurrent review cycle schedule.

(ii) The screening period shall begin on the first working day following the last day of the initial application submittal period for the applicable concurrent review cycle schedule.

(iii) The department by, the end of the screening period of the applicable concurrent review cycle schedule, shall send a written request for supplemental information to each applicant.

(iv) Each applicant, by the end of the final application submittal period, shall respond to the department's written request for supplemental information in one of the following ways:

(A) Submitting the requested written supplemental information; or

(B) Submitting a written request that the incomplete application be reviewed without supplemental information.

(c) Reviewing of final applications.

(i) The department shall commence the review of competing applications on the date prescribed for the applicable concurrent review cycle schedule.

(ii) The total number of days in the public comment and final review periods shall not exceed one hundred and thirty-five, unless extended in accordance with subsection (2)(d) of this section.

(iii) The public comment period shall be a maximum of ninety days from the beginning of the review period, unless the public comment period is extended in accordance with subsection (2)(d) of this section. The first sixty days of the public comment period is reserved for receiving public comment and conducting a public hearing, if requested. The remaining thirty days shall be reserved for the applicant or applicants to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period. Any affected person shall also be provided the opportunity to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period.

(iv) The department shall conclude its final review and the secretary's designee shall take action on a certificate of need application within forty-five days after the end of the public comment period, unless extended in accordance with subsection (2)(d) of this section.

(d) Extending review of final applications.

(i) The public comment period shall be extended in accordance with the provisions of WAC 246-310-100.

(ii) The final review period may be extended by the department under the following provisions:

(A) The department informs each applicant of the competing applications of the existence of an unresolved pivotal issue.

(B) The department may make a written request for additional information from one or more of the applicants of the competing applications.

(C) The department shall specify in the written request a deadline for receipt of written responses.

(D) Each applicant receiving such written request may provide a written response within the specified deadline.

(E) The department may extend the final review period for all competing applications up to thirty days after the receipt of the last response to the department's request for additional information or after the specified deadline, whichever occurs first.