1.__Authority.__A covered entity may negotiate and enter into a cooperative agreement with another covered entity and may file an application for a certificate of public advantage pursuant to this section.__The approval of an application for a certificate of public advantage is governed by the standards of subsection 5.

2.__Application for certificate.__The application process for a certificate of public advantage is as follows.

A.__At least 45 days prior to filing an application for a certificate of public advantage for a merger, the parties to a merger agreement shall file a letter of intent with the department describing the proposed merger.__Copies of the letter of intent and all accompanying materials must be submitted to the Attorney General and to the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance at the time the letter of intent is filed with the department.

B.__The parties to a cooperative agreement shall file with the department an application for a certificate of public advantage with regard to the cooperative agreement and pay the application fee established under section 1851.

C.__The application must include a signed copy of the original cooperative agreement and must state all consideration passing to any party under the agreement.

D.__The parties to a cooperative agreement shall submit copies of the application and all the accompanying materials to the Attorney General and the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance at the time they file the application with the department.

Copies of the application and all accompanying materials filed by the applicant, public comments, records of the department maintained with regard to the application and copies of the letter of intent filed for a merger may be examined at an office of the department.

3.__Public notice.__Within 10 business days of the filing of an application under this section, the department shall give public notice of the filing as follows.

A.__The department shall publish notice in a newspaper of general circulation in Kennebec County and in a newspaper