South Carolina S 2: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE DR. JAMES "JIM" ST. JOHN UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT, TO COMMEND HIM FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO HIS CONGREGATIONS AND THE SENATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO WISH HIM MUCH HAPPINESS AND FULFILLMENT IN THE YEARS TO COME.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 2 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 09, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 2

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

Amended

April 9, 2025

S. 2

Introduced by Senators Peeler, Alexander, Davis, 
Devine, Garrett, Turner, Jackson and Sutton 

S. Printed 4/9/25--H.

Read the first time March 5, 2025

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A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING chapter 
12 to title 44 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, TO PROVIDE FOR ITS POWERS, DUTIES, AND AUTHORITY, 
TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS COMPRISED OF THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL 
DISABILITIES, THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE OFFICE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 
SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-30-10, RELATING TO DEPARTMENTS OF STATE 
GOVERNMENT, SO AS TO ADD THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL 
DISABILITIES, AND TO REMOVE THE DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE 
SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, AND THE DEPARTMENT 
OF MENTAL HEALTH; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-17-370, RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM THE 
STATE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, ALL EMPLOYEES 
WHO REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE DIRECTOR, AND THE DIRECTOR FOR EACH OF THE COMPONENT 
OFFICES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE STATE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 44-20-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR THE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, 
RELATED DISABILITIES, HEAD INJURIES, AND SPINAL CORD INJURIES ACT, SO AS TO 
CONFORM THE DEFINITIONS TO THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND TO REDESIGNATE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS AS THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL 
DISABILITIES AS A COMPONENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-20-210, RELATING TO CREATION 
OF the SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, MEMBERSHIp, 
TERMS OF OFFICE, REMOVAL, and VACANCIES, SO AS TO ELIMINATE THE COMMISSION AND 
CONFORM TO THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-20-220, RELATING TO DUTIES 
OF THE COMMISSION, SO AS TO TRANSFER THE DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION TO THE HEAD 
OF THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE DIRECTOR 
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 44-20-230, RELATING TO POWERS AND DUTIES OF the DIRECTOR, SO 
AS TO CONFORM TO THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-20-240, RELATING TO the 
CREATION OF the DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, SO AS TO 
ESTABLISH THE SCOPE OF AUTHORITY FOR THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-20-255, RELATING TO OWNERSHIP 
OF PROPERTY CONFIRMED IN the DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, SO 
AS TO TRANSFER OWNERSHIP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-49-10, RELATING TO the 
establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG ABUSE SERVICES, SO AS 
TO ELIMINATE THE DEPARTMENT AND CONFORM TO THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE OFFICE OF SUBSTANCE 
ABUSE SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-49-20, RELATING TO the DIRECTOR OF the 
DEPARTMENT, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE OFFICE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 44-9-10, RELATING TO the CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL 
HEALTH, SO AS TO CONFORM TO THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND CREATE THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, PROVIDE 
FOR THE HEAD OF THE OFFICE, AND PROVIDE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE HEAD OF THE 
OFFICE; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-9-20, RELATING TO TRANSFER OF POWERS, DUTIES, 
RECORDS, AND FILES FROM THE FORMER MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION, SO AS TO FURTHER 
TRANSFER THOSE POWERS, DUTIES, RECORDS, AND FILES TO THE OFFICE OF MENTAL 
HEALTH; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-9-30, RELATING TO the CREATION OF the SOUTH 
CAROLINA MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE POWERS OF THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-3-420, RELATING TO PROCLAMATION 
OF EMERGENCY BY THE GOVERNOR, SO AS TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH 
EMERGENCY PROCLAMATIONS MAY BE LIFTED; BY AMENDING SECTION 25-1-440, RELATING 
TO ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF the GOVERNOR DURING a DECLARED EMERGENCY, SO 
AS TO PROVIDE FOR A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH DECLARATIONS OF EMERGENCY MAY BE 
LIFTED; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-43-86, RELATING TO FACILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR 
PHARMACIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES in