South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 56

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Massey
Document Path: l:\s-res\asm\013subp.ls.asm.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2015
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Medical Affairs

Summary: Information collected by EMS personnel

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/3/2014  Senate  Prefiled
   12/3/2014  Senate  Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
   1/13/2015  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 60)
   1/13/2015  Senate  Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 60)
    2/5/2015          Scrivener's error corrected

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/3/2014
2/5/2015

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

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 44-61-160(A) OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE DATA COLLECTED OR PREPARED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, TO PROVIDE THAT THE IDENTITIES OF PATIENTS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS MENTIONED, REFERENCED, OR OTHERWISE APPEARING IN INFORMATION AND DATA COLLECTED OR PREPARED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO SUBPOENA IN ANY ADMINISTRATIVE, CIVIL, OR CRIMINAL PROCEEDING.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 44-61-160(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 44-61-160.    (A)    The identities of patients and emergency medical technicians mentioned, referenced, or otherwise appearing in information and data collected or prepared by emergency medical services must be treated as confidential. The identities of these persons are not available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act nor are they subject to subpoena in any administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding, and they are not otherwise available except pursuant to court order. However, the identities of patients and emergency medical technicians and information and data collected or prepared by emergency medical services are subject to subpoena in any administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding and may be released by court order. An individual in attendance at a proceeding must not be required to testify as to the identity of a patient except pursuant to court order. A person, medical facility, or other organization providing or releasing information in accordance with this article must not be held liable in a civil or criminal action for divulging confidential information unless the individual or organization acted in bad faith or with malicious purpose. However, the name of emergency medical technicians, and information and data collected or prepared by emergency medical services must be released to the patient upon his request. In the event the patient is incapacitated or deceased, the name of emergency medical technicians, information, and data collected or prepared by emergency medical services must be released to the patient's immediate family, the patient's legal guardian, or the patient's legal representative upon their request."

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

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This web page was last updated on February 5, 2015 at 12:30 PM