Notwithstanding any other provisions of Sections 41-7-171 through 41-7-209, except when the owner of a damaged health care facility applies to repair or rebuild the facility in accordance with the provisions of Section 41-7-191(13), when the need for any emergency replacement occurs, the certificate of need review process shall be expedited by promulgation of administrative procedures for expenditures necessary to alleviate an emergency condition and restore health care access. Emergency replacement means the replacement, and/or a necessary relocation, of all or the damaged part of the facilities or equipment the replacement of which is not exempt from certificate of need review under the medical equipment replacement exemption provided in Section 41-7-191(1)(f), without which the operation of the facility and the health and safety of patients would be immediately jeopardized and health care access would be denied to such patients. Expenditures under this section shall be limited to the replacement of those necessary facilities or equipment, the loss of which constitutes an emergency; however, in the case of the destruction or major damage to a health care facility, the department shall be authorized to issue a certificate of need to address the current and future health care needs of the community, including, but not limited to, the expansion of the health care facility and/or the relocation of the health care facility. In exercising the authority granted in this section, the department may waive all or part of the required certificate of need application fee for any application filed under this section if the expenditure would create a further hardship or undue burden on the health care facility.
Miss. Code § 41-7-207