South Carolina H 3281: Fallen First Responders

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3281 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 05, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3281

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 
18 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 23 SO AS TO CREATE THE "FALLEN FIRST RESPONDER SURVIVOR 
ADVOCATE" POSITION WITHIN THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION AND TO PROVIDE ITS 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Whereas, law 
enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, and emergency 
medical service technicians face many dangers in the honorable mission to 
protect and serve the citizens of and visitors to our State; and

Whereas, during the 
past thirty years, over one hundred of these public servants lost their lives 
in the line of duty; and

Whereas, many of these 
deceased brave men and women have left family survivors including spouses, 
children, and other family members, who in their time of grief were often left 
to fend for themselves with no guidance as to where to turn for help with grief 
counseling, bureaucratic processes, burdensome paperwork, special benefits, and 
reluctant cooperation by third parties, all while facing the tragic 
circumstances of losing loved ones; and

Whereas, many of them 
were faced with identifying and filing documents to obtain medical, insurance, 
monetary, educational, workers compensation, property tax exemption and other 
benefits that accrued to them and their children; and

Whereas, the members of 
the General Assembly believe it would be beneficial to the survivors to have 
one person, filling the role of a statewide advocate, within the State Law 
Enforcement Division charged with assisting them in obtaining appropriate 
guidance, help and benefits that may accrue from the tragic loss of their 
fallen heroes. Now therefore,

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 23 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 18

Fallen First Responder Survivor Advocate

 Section 
23-3-1600. (A) The Fallen First 
Responder Survivor Advocate position is created within the State Law 
Enforcement Division (SLED). SLED shall employ only one full-time person who 
shall issue a report to the General Assembly after one full year as to whether 
an administrative assistant is needed to fulfill the mandates of this article.

 (B) 
The Fallen First Responder Survivor Advocate must possess a four-year college 
degree, with at least four years of experience in insurance claims, consumer 
advocacy, benefits, dispute resolution, legal or similar work, and shall 
receive pay commensurate with qualifications and experience.

 (C) 
As contained in this article:

 (1) 
"Survivor" means a spouse, child, immediate family member, dependent and other 
persons, who may be entitled to benefits that may accrue to them because of the 
death of a fallen first responder.

 (2) 
"Fallen first responder" means a law enforcement officer, firefighter, 
corrections officer, and emergency medical technician personnel who volunteers 
for or are employed by the State of South Carolina or any political subdivision 
of the State of South Carolina or who volunteers for and is employed by any 
combination of these governmental entities, who is killed in the line of duty 
or who is injured in the line of duty and death results from an injury 
sustained in the line of duty.

 (D) 
In cases of doubt, the definitions contained in subsection (C) must be 
construed liberally to include all types of first responders who sacrificed 
their lives for our State and their loved ones.

 Section 
23-3-1610. The Fallen First Responder Survivor 
Advocate shall immediately notify survivors of fallen first responders of the 
availability of an advocate to advise and assist them regarding any and all 
issues that arise as a result of the death of their family member to include, 
but not be limited to:

 (1) 
mental health counseling;

 (2) 
life insurance;

 (3) 
health insurance;

 (4) 
special death benefits;

 (5) 
workers' compensation benefits;

 (6) 
educational benefits;

 (7) 
social security and other federal benefits;

 (8) 
state property tax exemptions; and

 (9) 
any other assistance the advocate or the survivor identifies.

 Such assistance shall 
continue, as needed, for the life of the survivors and shall be retroactively 
applied to current survivors.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor and is contingent upon funding by the General Assembly.

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This web page was last updated on February 05, 2025 at 12:03 PM