South Carolina H 3027: Vulnerable Adults

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3027 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3027

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 43-35-25, RELATING TO MANDATED REPORTERS OF VULNERABLE ADULT 
MALTREATMENT, SO AS TO EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO REPORT THE LONG-TERM CARE 
OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW.

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

SECTION 1. Section 43-35-25(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) A physician, nurse, dentist, optometrist, 
medical examiner, coroner, other medical, mental health or allied health 
professional, Christian Science practitioner, religious healer, school teacher, 
counselor, psychologist, mental health or intellectual disability specialist, 
social or public assistance worker, caregiver, staff or volunteer of an adult 
day care center or of a facility, or law enforcement officer having reason to 
believe that a vulnerable adult has been or is likely to be abused, neglected, 
or exploited shall report the incident in accordance with this section. Any 
other person who has actual knowledge that a vulnerable adult has been abused, 
neglected, or exploited shall report the incident in accordance with this 
section. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, 
the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and its representatives shall be exempt 
from reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation where such reporting 
would violate the federal requirement that the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program 
is prohibited from disclosing the identity of the complainant or resident 
without appropriate consent or court order, except as otherwise provided in 42 
U.S.C. Section 3058d and 45 C.F.R. 1324.19(b)(3) through (9). Where the ombudsman 
or a representative of the office personally witnesses abuse, neglect, or 
exploitation of a resident, the ombudsman or a representative of the office 
shall seek communication of informed consent from the resident to disclose 
resident-identifying information in accordance with the procedures outlined in 
45 C.F.R. 1324.19(b)(8).

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on December 06, 2024 at 09:52 AM