South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008
S. 297
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Peeler
Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\11152ac07.doc
Introduced in the Senate on January 18, 2007
Introduced in the House on January 30, 2008
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Emergency Medical Services Employment Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
DateBodyAction Description with journal page number
1/18/2007SenateIntroduced and read first time SJ8
1/18/2007SenateReferred to Committee on Medical AffairsSJ8
1/23/2008SenateCommittee report: Favorable with amendment Medical AffairsSJ15
1/24/2008SenateCommittee Amendment Adopted SJ9
1/24/2008SenateRead second time SJ9
1/29/2008SenateRead third time and sent to House SJ6
1/30/2008HouseIntroduced and read first time HJ9
1/30/2008HouseReferred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal AffairsHJ9
5/21/2008HouseRecalled from Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal AffairsHJ73
5/28/2008HouseDebate adjourned until Thursday, May 29, 2008 HJ24
5/29/2008HouseDebate adjourned until Tuesday, June 3, 2008 HJ17
6/3/2008HouseDebate adjourned until Wednesday, June 4, 2008 HJ26
6/4/2008HouseDebate adjourned until Friday, June 6, 2008 HJ54
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/18/2007
1/23/2008
1/24/2008
5/21/2008
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
RECALLED
May 21, 2008
S.297
Introduced by Senator Peeler
S. Printed 5/21/08--H.
Read the first time January 30, 2008.
STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT
ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES:
A Cost to the General Fund (See Below)
ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON FEDERAL & OTHER FUND EXPENDITURES:
$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)
EXPLANATION OF IMPACT:
Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC)
The department indicates that an Administrative Assistant (0.50 FTE) would be needed to process fingerprint cards and money orders, answer telephone inquiries, respond to written requests and perform other related duties. The annual cost is estimated at $21,000 ($18,000 for salary and fringe benefits and $3,000 for operating expenses). Assuming the State Law Enforcement Division accepts $8.00 for the criminal records check, there would not be any additional cost to DHEC for the record check.
State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
Section 44-61-80 indicates the cost of the background check may be paid by the EMT or the EMT agency and that the cost of the state criminal records check must not exceed eight dollars. Assuming other funds revenue will cover the operating cost of conducting the state background check there should be no additional cost to the state general fund upon enactment. However, because the bill requires that the results of these criminal records checks must be reported to DHEC, there will be a one-time cost of $159,200 to the General Fund of the State to modify the current system for transmitting this information to DHEC. SLED indicates the cost for the federal criminal record check is $13.25 if submitted electronically and $30.25 if mailed.
It should be noted that Proviso 56DD.7 of the FY 2007-08 Appropriation Act allows the agency to collect and retain criminal record search fees in excess of $4,461,000 to be expended for agency operations.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IMPACT:
The eight local governments that responded to our survey indicated minimal or no impact with the adoption of this bill. Most indicated they have this requirement already in force.
Approved By:
Harry Bell
Office of State Budget
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A BILL
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 7 TO CHAPTER 61, TITLE 44 SO AS TO ENACT THE “SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES EMPLOYMENT ACT” AND TO REQUIRE AFTER JUNE 30, 2007, A PERSON SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (EMT) TO UNDERGO A CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK PRIOR TO EMPLOYMENT, TO PROHIBIT EMPLOYMENT OF A PERSON AS AN EMT IF THE PERSON HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF CERTAIN FELONY CRIMES OR CRIMES AGAINST CERTAIN VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, TO EXEMPT AN EMT EMPLOYED ON JULY 1, 2007, FROM A CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK UNLESS AND UNTIL THE EMT CHANGES HIS EMT EMPLOYMENT, AND TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION DURING A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION1.Section 446180(d) and (e) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 271 of 2004, is further amended to read:
“(d)A person seeking EMT certification or recertification must undergo a state criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and a national criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The results of these criminal records checks must be reported to the department. SLED is authorized to retain the fingerprints for certification purposes and for notification of the department regarding criminal charges. The cost of the state criminal records check must not exceed eight dollars and must be paid to the department by the EMT or the EMS agency upon application for the state check. The cost of the national records check is established by the FBI and must be paid to the department by the EMT or the EMS agency upon application for the national check. The state and national criminal records checks are not required for an EMT employed as of July 1, 2008, until the EMT applies for recertification. The department may deny certification to applicants with certain past felony convictions and to those who are under felony indictment. Applications for certification of individuals convicted of or under indictment for the following crimes will be denied in all cases:
(1)felonies involving criminal sexual conduct;
(2)felonies involving the physical or sexual abuse of children, the elderly, or the infirm including, but not limited to, criminal sexual misconduct with a child, making or distributing child pornography or using a child in a sexual display, incest involving a child, assault on a vulnerable adult;
(3)a crime in which the victim is a patient or resident of a health care facility, including abuse, neglect, theft from, or financial exploitation of a person entrusted to the care or protection of the applicant.
Applications from individuals convicted of, or under indictment for, other offenses not listed above will be reviewed by the department on a case by case basis.
(e)EMT certification is valid for a period not exceeding three years from the date of issuance and must be renewed by undergoing a state and national criminal records check as provided for in subsection (d) and completing a refresher course and examination during the threeyear certification period as required by the department and provided for by this article. Upon successful completion of an approved inservice training program directed by the medical control physician during the threeyear certification period and passage of the skills evaluation as provided for by the department, the refresher course requirements and the practical skills evaluation may be waived. Failure to pass the written examination after three attempts will require completion of another refresher course and reexamination. The curriculum for inservice training programs required in this subsection must include, but not be limited to, subject matter prescribed by the department. The inservice training programs shall consist of classroom and skills phases that may be conducted at licensed services, educational facilities, or hospitals throughout the State. The medical control physician who evaluates the skills of an emergency medical technician applying for certificate renewal may also grant a waiver of taking the written exam. The waiver must certify that the emergency medical technician is knowledgeable, proficient, and capable of performing the duties of an emergency medical technician. The accomplished waiver substitutes for the written exam, but all others are required to take the prescribed written exam before renewal. Those who are nationally registered may exempt the state practical and written exam upon submission of appropriate documentation.”
SECTION2.This act takes effect July 1, 2008.
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