Nursing facility closure and resident transfer.

Any nursing facility that is in violation of this section or any rule promulgated under this section may, in an emergency as determined by the department, be subject to closure by the department or to the transfer of residents of the nursing facility to another nursing facility, or both, under criteria promulgated as rules by the department under sub. (14) (c).

A nursing facility may contest closure of the nursing facility or transfer of residents of the nursing facility, if any, by sending a written request for hearing under s. 227.44 to the division of hearings and appeals created under s. 15.103 (1). The administrator may designate a hearing examiner to preside over the case and recommend a decision to the administrator under s. 227.46. The decision of the administrator shall be the final administrative decision. The division shall commence the hearing within 30 days of receipt of the request for hearing and shall issue a final decision within 15 days after the close of the hearing. Proceedings before the division are governed by ch. 227. In any petition for judicial review of a decision by the division, the department, if not the petitioner who was in the proceeding before the division, shall be the named respondent.