3. Sections 197.300 to 197.366 shall not be construed to apply to litigation pending in state court on or before April 1, 1996, in which the Missouri health facilities review committee is a defendant in an action concerning the application of sections 197.300 to 197.366 to long-term care hospital beds meeting the requirements described in 42 CFR, Section 412.23(e).

4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary:

(1) A facility licensed pursuant to chapter 198 may increase its licensed bed capacity by:

(a) Submitting a letter of intent to expand to the department of health and senior services and the health facilities review committee;

(b) Certification from the department of health and senior services that the facility:

a. Has no patient care class I deficiencies within the last eighteen months; and

b. Has maintained a ninety-percent average occupancy rate for the previous six quarters;

(c) Has made an effort to purchase beds for eighteen months following the date the letter of intent to expand is submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision. For purposes of this paragraph, an "effort to purchase" means a copy certified by the offeror as an offer to purchase beds from another licensed facility in the same licensure category; and

(d) If an agreement is reached by the selling and purchasing entities, the health facilities review committee shall issue a certificate of need for the expansion of the purchaser facility upon surrender of the seller's license; or

(e) If no agreement is reached by the selling and purchasing entities, the health facilities review committee shall permit an expansion for:

a. A facility with more than forty beds may expand its licensed bed capacity within the same licensure category by twenty-five percent or thirty beds, whichever is greater, if that same licensure category in such facility has experienced an average occupancy of ninety-three percent or greater over the previous six quarters;

b. A facility with fewer than forty beds may expand its licensed bed capacity within the same licensure category by twenty percent or ten beds, whichever is greater, if that same licensure category in such facility has experienced an average occupancy of ninety-two percent or greater over the previous six quarters;

c. A facility adding beds pursuant to subparagraphs a. or b. of this paragraph shall not expand by more than fifty percent of the licensed bed capacity in the qualifying licensure category;

(2) Any beds sold shall, for five years from the date of relicensure by the purchaser, remain unlicensed and unused for any long-term care service in the selling facility, whether they do or do not require a license;

(3) The beds purchased shall, for two years from the date of purchase, remain in the bed inventory attributed to the selling facility and be considered by the department of social services as licensed and available for purposes of this section;

(4) Any residential care facility licensed pursuant to chapter 198 may relocate any portion of such facility's current licensed beds to any other facility to be licensed within the same licensure category if both facilities are under the same licensure ownership or control, and are located within six miles of each other;

(5) A facility licensed pursuant to chapter 198 may transfer or sell individual long-term care licensed beds to facilities qualifying pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision (1) of this subsection. Any facility which transfers or sells licensed beds shall not expand its licensed bed capacity in that licensure category for a period of five years from the date the licensure is relinquished.

5. Any existing licensed and operating health care facility offering long-term care services may replace one-half of its licensed beds at the same site or a site not more than thirty miles from its current location if, for at least the most recent four consecutive calendar quarters, the facility operates only fifty percent of its then licensed capacity with every resident residing in a private room. In such case:

(1) The facility shall report to the health and senior services vacant beds as unavailable for occupancy for at least the most recent four consecutive calendar quarters;