A piece of legislation proposed by a Sarasota rep passed the Florida House on Wednesday. The bill would allow new hospitals to build facilities without permission from the state. Currently, they need a ‘certificate of need’ from the state.
That bill directly impacts an ongoing battle between Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Venice Regional Bayfront Health. Both have asked for certificates of need to build new hospitals in the Venice area. Both requests were granted, but the hospitals then went to court, challenging each other’s approval.
The bill passed 75-42 Wednesday, but appears unlikely to clear the Senate, where it has not been heard in any committees.