(1) Except as otherwise provided in 115 CMR 7.00: Standards for All Services and Supports and 8.00, no waiver may be granted by the Department without a petition by the provider and a determination by the Department that: (a) the health, safety, or welfare of individuals served and staff will not be adversely affected by granting the waiver; and(b) the provider, in petitioning for the waiver, has stated an alternative standard which is found by the Department to result in a comparable quantity and quality of services and supports, and to which the provider agrees to be held accountable to the same degree and manner as any provision of 115 CMR.(2) Waivers may be granted for the term of the license or for a shorter duration, and may be renewed.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1317, eff. 7/15/2016.