N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 2901

§ 2901. General powers and duties. The department of health is\ngenerally authorized and empowered (a) to inventory existing hospitals\nof every character in the state, to survey the need for construction of\nhospitals and to develop programs for construction of such public or\nother nonprofit hospitals as will afford, in conjunction with existing\nfacilities, the necessary physical facilities for furnishing adequate\nhospital services to all the people; and (b) to carry out the plan for\nconstruction of public and nonprofit hospitals and related facilities in\naccordance with such program.\n The department of health shall also (a) keep records of all its\nactivities; (b) prepare and maintain current progress information on\ndevelopment programs, hospital construction and current hospital\nfacilities; (c) maintain liaison with federal officials and agencies\nconcerning hospitals and hospital planning; (d) have all other powers\nnecessary to carry out any state plan adopted in conformity with the\nprovisions of federal law relating thereto and, to effectuate the\nprovisions of this section, take all necessary steps to conform to the\nrequirements of the federal law concerning inventory, survey, planning\nand construction of hospitals; (e) establish rules and regulations\nrelating to the administration of the provisions of this section.\n The department of health shall also establish rules and regulations\nwith regard to hearings which it must allow to every construction\napplicant who may be dissatisfied with action on its application.\n