South Carolina S 697: Public Service Authority

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 697 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 22, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 697

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Report

April 22, 2026

S. 697

Introduced 
by Senator Gambrell 

S. Printed 4/22/26--H.

Read the first time February 24, 2026

________

The committee on House Labor, 
Commerce and Industry

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 697) to 
transfer the South Carolina 211 Network to the Department of Consumer Affairs; 
to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 37-6-515 so as to 
create, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully 
considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

WILLIAM HERBKERSMAN for 
Committee.

_______

A bill

TO TRANSFER THE SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK TO THE 
DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS; TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY 
ADDING SECTION 37-6-515 SO AS TO CREATE THE SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK WITHIN 
THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 1-11-770, RELATING 
TO the SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 
1. Effective July 1, 2026, the South Carolina 211 Network, created within the 
Budget and Control Board pursuant to Section 1-11-770 by Act 339 of 2002, is 
transferred to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

SECTION 
2. Chapter 6, Title 37 of the S.C. Code is amended 
by adding:

Part 7

211

 Section 
37-6-710. (A) As used in this 
section:

 (1) 
"211" means the abbreviated dialing code assigned by the Federal Communications 
Commission for consumer access to community information and referral services.

 (2) 
"211 services" means information and referral services provided through the use 
of 2-1-1 and intended to promote and provide access to health and human 
services and to aid in disaster response and recovery.

 (3) 
"Approved 211 service provider" means a public or nonprofit agency or other 
organization designated by the lead entity to provide 211 services.

 (4) 
"Lead entity" means a South Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency or organization 
designated by the department to manage the use of the 211 dialing code for the 
purposes of providing the public access to information about services provided 
by government, nonprofit, or other designated organizations to ensure the 
health and well-being of South Carolina residents and to aid in disaster 
response and recovery.

 Section 
37-6-720. (A) Subject to 
appropriations, the department is authorized to implement the statewide South 
Carolina 211 Network, which must serve as the single point of coordination for 
information and referral for health and human services. The objectives for the 
South Carolina 211 Network are to:

 (1) 
provide comprehensive and cost-effective access to health and human services 
information;

 (2) 
improve access to accurate information by simplifying and enhancing state and 
local health and human services information and referral systems and by 
fostering collaboration among information and referral systems;

 (3) 
electronically connect local information and referral systems to each other, to 
service providers, and to consumers of information and referral services;

 (4) 
establish and promote standards for data collection and for distributing 
information among state and local organizations;

 (5) 
promote the use of a common dialing access code and the visibility and public 
awareness of the availability of information and referral services;

 (6) 
provide a management and administrative structure to support the South Carolina 
211 Network and establish technical assistance, training, and support programs 
for information and referral-service programs;

 (7) 
test methods for integrating information and referral services with local and 
state health and human services programs and for consolidating and streamlining 
eligibility and case-management processes;

 (8) 
provide access to standardized, comprehensive data to assist in identifying 
gaps and needs in health and human services programs; and

 (9) 
provide a unified systems plan with a developed platform, taxonomy, and 
standards for data management and access.

 Section 
37-6-730. (A)(1) The department shall contract with 
the state's established 211 lead entity for the continuation of services 
required by this section. 

 (2) 
The lead entity shall: 

 (a) implement, study, support, 
coordinate, and evaluate a statewide 211 system;

 (b) establish standards consistent with 
prevailing national standards established for providing information about and 
referrals to human services agencies to 211 callers. The standards shall 
prescribe the technology or manner of delivering 211 calls and shall n