(a) Any person or persons responsible for the operation of any institution, or who may hereafter propose to establish and operate an institution, shall submit an application to the department for a permit to operate the institution, such application to be made on forms prescribed by the department. No institution shall be operated in this state without such a permit, which shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on the premises. Failure or refusal to file an application for a permit shall constitute a violation of this chapter and shall be dealt with as provided for in Article 1 of Chapter 5 of this title. Following inspection and classification of the institution for which a permit is applied for, the department may issue or refuse to issue a permit or a provisional permit. Permits issued shall remain in force and effect until revoked or suspended; provisional permits issued shall remain in force and effect for such limited period of time as may be specified by the department.

(b) The department may accept the certification or accreditation of an institution by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals, the American Osteopathy Association, or other accreditation body, in accordance with specific standards, as evidence of that institution's compliance with the substantially equivalent departmental requirements for issuance or renewal of a permit or provisional permit, provided that such certification or accreditation is established prior to the issuance or renewal of such permits. The department may not require an additional departmental inspection of any institution whose certification or accreditation has been accepted by the department, except to the extent that such specific standards are less rigorous or less comprehensive than departmental requirements. Nothing contained in this Code section shall prohibit departmental inspections for violations of such standards or requirements nor shall it prohibit the revocation of or refusal to issue or renew permits, as authorized by Code Section 31-7-4, or for violation of any other applicable law or regulation pursuant thereto.

(c) The department shall require a facility licensed under this article and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto to have a written and regularly rehearsed disaster preparedness plan, approved by the department, for staff and residents to follow in case of fire, explosion, or other emergency, including interruption of electrical power supply, gas-heating supply, and water supply. The plan shall include written procedures for personnel to follow in an emergency including care of the resident; notification of attending physician and other persons responsible for the resident; and arrangements for transportation, for hospitalization, for alternate living arrangements, for emergency energy sources, or for other appropriate services.

(d)(1) When an application for licensure to operate a personal care home, as defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 31-7-12, has been made, the department shall inform the office of the state long-term care ombudsman of the name and address of the applicant prior to issuing authority to operate or receive residents and shall provide to the ombudsman program an opportunity to provide to the department information relevant to the applicant's fitness to operate as a licensed personal care home. (2) The department may consider any information provided under this subsection, where verified by appropriate licensing procedures, in determining whether an applicant meets the requirements for licensing.

(3) The department shall promulgate regulations setting forth the procedures by which the long-term care ombudsman program shall report information to the department or its designee as required by this subsection, including a consistent format for the reporting of information, safeguards to protect confidentiality, and specified types of information which shall be routinely provided by the long-term care ombudsman program.

(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to provide any authority to the long-term care ombudsman program to license or refuse to license the operation of a personal care home.