District of Columbia Code Division VIII. General Laws. § 44-411. Duration, modification, sale, or transfer of a certificate of need.

(a) A certificate of need shall be effective for the period that the applicant states is necessary to complete the project for which the certificate of need is granted; except that no certificate of need shall be effective for more than 3 years from the original date of issuance. If the applicant is making good faith efforts to meet the schedule, the SHPDA shall extend the certificate of need for an additional period or periods as necessary for the applicant to complete the project. The SHPDA shall adopt rules to define the schedule of performance, including reporting, criteria for evaluating compliance or noncompliance with the schedule, and criteria for determining and reviewing major modifications after a certificate of need has been issued. Any review of major modifications shall be limited to the modifications and shall not affect the underlying certificate of need granted by the SHPDA.

(b) A certificate of need obtained prior to April 9, 1997 shall continue to be valid for the period specified in granting the certificate of need and may be renewed in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.

(c) A current certificate of need may not be sold or transferred. The transfer of effective control over a project for which a current certificate of need has been granted shall cause the certificate of need to be subject to review and approval by the SHPDA. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “effective control” means the ability of any person, by reason of a direct or indirect ownership interest, whether of record or beneficial, in a corporation, partnership, or other entity which holds a certificate of need, to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of that corporation, partnership or other entity, and the term “current certificate of need” means a certificate of need granted or deemed to have been granted by the SHPDA.

(d) Any transfer, assignment, or other disposition of 10% of the stock or voting rights thereunder of a corporation or other entity which is the operator of a HCF, or any transfer, assignment, or other disposition of the stock or voting rights thereunder of the corporation which results in the ownership or control of more than 10% of the stock or voting rights thereunder of the corporation, by any person, when that corporation or entity holds a current certificate of need, shall cause the certificate of need to be subject to review and approval by the SHPDA.