South Carolina H 5002: Community Health Workers

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5002 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 22, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5002

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 CHAPTER 49 TO TITLE 43 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE 
CERTIFICATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA; TO 
ESTABLISH CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORIZED SERVICES; TO REQUIRE THE 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO PROMULGATE CERTAIN REGULATIONS, INCLUDING 
CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS; TO PROVIDE FOR MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT OF 
AUTHORIZED SERVICES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-6-75 SO 
AS TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO SEEK FEDERAL 
APPROVAL FOR A STATE MEDICAID PLAN AMENDMENT OR WAIVER INCLUDING SERVICES 
PROVIDED BY CERTIFIED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

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

SECTION 1. Title 43 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

CHAPTER 49

Certified Community Health Workers

 Section 
43-49-10. As used in this chapter:

 (1) 
"Department" means the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

 (2) 
"Certified community health worker" means an individual who has been certified, 
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, by the department as a 
community health worker.

 (3) 
"Core competencies" means the knowledge and skills a certified community health 
worker is expected to demonstrate in order to carry out the mission and goals 
of the profession as defined by the department through the promulgation of 
regulations.

 Section 
43-49-20. (A) Effective January 1, 2027, no person 
shall represent himself or herself as a community health worker in South 
Carolina unless the person is certified as such in accordance with the 
provisions of this chapter.

 (B) In 
order to be eligible to apply for community health worker certification, an 
individual must:

 (1) 
be a legal United States resident;

 (2)(a) be a resident of South Carolina; or

 (b) 
be employed as a community health worker in the State of South Carolina;

 (3) 
be at least eighteen years of age; and

 (4)(a) complete a competency-based 
community health worker training and mentorship program offered by an 
organization approved by the department to provide community health worker 
training and mentorship; or

 (b) 
meet requirements established by the department through the promulgation of 
regulations for certification based on relevant and verifiable past community 
health worker-related work experience.

 (C) 
Community health worker certifications must be renewed annually and expire on 
October thirty-first of the year following the date of certification or 
recertification.

 (D)(1) In order to be eligible for 
recertification, a certified community health worker annually shall complete 
continuing education, as required by the department in promulgated regulations 
that address the core competencies of community health work.

 (2) 
Continuing education must be offered by an organization approved by the 
department to teach continuing education for certified community health 
workers.

 (3) 
Regulations promulgated pursuant to this subsection must include continuing 
education requirements related to oral health care, infant and maternal 
healthcare, and geriatric healthcare.

 (E) 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an individual is 
eligible to earn college course credit for training, mentorship, and continuing 
education completed pursuant to subsections (B)(4) and (D).

 Section 
43-49-30. (A) If a Medicaid managed 
care organization contracted by the State Department of Health and Human 
Services for the delivery of Medicaid services employs a certified community 
health worker, the services provided by that certified community health worker 
shall not be considered to be duplicative of services, and shall not provide a 
basis to deny services or reimbursement for services, provided by a certified 
community health worker employed by an entity described in Section 44-6-75. 
Provided, however, a certified community health worker is not eligible to 
enroll as an independent Medicaid participating provider.

 (B) A 
certified community health worker may provide the following services:

 (1) 
direct preventative services or services designed to slow the progression of 
chronic diseases, including screenings for basic human needs and referrals to 
appropriate services and agencies to meet those needs;

 (2) 
health promotion education to prevent illness or disease, including the 
promotion of healthy behaviors to increase awareness and prevent the 
development of illness or disease;

 (3) 
facilitation between a beneficiary and a provider when cultural factors, such 
as language, soci