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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 23-23-75 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DIVISION OF TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION SHALL OFFER A MANDATORY TRAINING COURSE ON RESPONDING TO AND TREATING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EPILEPTIC; BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-1070 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WORKERS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS MUST PROVIDE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR A PERSON AND HIS PROPERTY WHEN THEY COME INTO CONTACT WITH A PERSON, AND TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Chapter 23, Title 23 of the 1976 is amended by adding:
"Section 23-23-75. The Division of Training and Continuing Education shall offer a twenty-hour mandatory training course for all law enforcement officers, emergency medical services personnel, and first responders on responding to or treating individuals who are epileptic, or in a postictal epileptic state of being, or both. The course must cover the following topics:
(1) what is epilepsy and postictal epilepsy; and
(2) managing a person who has epilepsy or is in a postictal state of being."
SECTION 2. Article 11, Chapter 3, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 16-3-1070. (A) Law enforcement officers, emergency medical services workers, and first responders must respect the person and property of all persons who they come into contact and:
(1) may not subdue a person experiencing a seizure or who is experiencing postictal with a tazer stun gun;
(2) may only use a tazer stun gun to subdue another person when their life is in danger; and
(3) must determine whether a person they are attempting to assist is wearing a medical bracelet or carrying a wallet card that contains his medical condition if the person is postictal or is having difficulty understanding or communicating.
(B) Law enforcement officers, emergency medical services workers, or first responders who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on December 9, 2009 at 3:02 PM