H*3861 Session 107 (1987-1988)
H*3861(Rat #0800, Act #0674 of 1988) General Bill, By E.C. Lewis
A Bill to amend Section 33-55-210, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina,
1976, relating to the recovery against charitable organizations and liability
of a health care provider for services rendered voluntarily and without
compensation, so as to provide that an action against the charitable
organization, rather than the judgment in an action, under Sections 33-55-210
through 33-55-230 constitutes a complete bar to any recovery, rather than a
complete bar to any action, by the claimant, by reason of the same subject
matter, against the employee of the charitable organization whose act or
omission gave rise to the claim unless it is alleged and proved in the action
that the employee acted in a reckless, wilful, or grossly negligent manner,
provide that, in such a case , the employee must be properly joined as a party
defendant, provide that no judgment against an employee of a charitable
organization may be returned except under specific conditions, provide that if
the charitable organization for which the employee was acting cannot be
determined at the time the action is instituted, the plaintiff may name as a
party defendant the employee, and that the entity for which the employee was
acting must be added or substituted as party defendant when it can be so
reasonably determined, and delete certain provisions; and to repeal Section
33-55-220 relating to the provision that the bar to any action against the
employee does not apply where the employee is adjudged to have acted
recklessly or wantonly or with gross negligence.-amended title
03/01/88 House Introduced and read first time HJ-1549
03/01/88 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-1549
04/06/88 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Judiciary HJ-2495
04/14/88 House Amended HJ-2943
04/14/88 House Read second time HJ-2944
04/14/88 House Unanimous consent for third reading on next
legislative day HJ-2944
04/15/88 House Amended HJ-3007
04/15/88 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-3008
04/19/88 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-20
04/19/88 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-20
05/25/88 Senate Committee report: Majority favorable, minority
unfavorable Judiciary SJ-37
05/31/88 Senate Minority report withdrawn
05/31/88 Senate Read second time SJ-59
05/31/88 Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
legislative day SJ-60
06/01/88 Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-7
06/20/88 Ratified R 800
06/27/88 Signed By Governor
06/27/88 Effective date 06/27/88
06/27/88 Act No. 674
08/01/88 Copies available
(A674, R800, H3861)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 33-55-210, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
1976, RELATING TO THE RECOVERY AGAINST CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND LIABILITY OF
A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR SERVICES RENDERED VOLUNTARILY AND WITHOUT
COMPENSATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN ACTION AGAINST THE CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATION, RATHER THAN THE JUDGMENT IN AN ACTION, UNDER SECTIONS 33-55-210
THROUGH 33-55-230 CONSTITUTES A COMPLETE BAR TO ANY RECOVERY, RATHER THAN A
COMPLETE BAR TO ANY ACTION, BY THE CLAIMANT, BY REASON OF THE SAME SUBJECT
MATTER, AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE OF THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION WHOSE ACT OR OMISSION
GAVE RISE TO THE CLAIM UNLESS IT IS ALLEGED AND PROVED IN THE ACTION THAT THE
EMPLOYEE ACTED IN A RECKLESS, WILFUL, OR GROSSLY NEGLIGENT MANNER, PROVIDE THAT,
IN SUCH A CASE , THE EMPLOYEE MUST BE PROPERLY JOINED AS A PARTY DEFENDANT,
PROVIDE THAT NO JUDGMENT AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE OF A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION MAY BE
RETURNED EXCEPT UNDER SPECIFIC CONDITIONS, PROVIDE THAT IF THE CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATION FOR WHICH THE EMPLOYEE WAS ACTING CANNOT BE DETERMINED AT THE TIME
THE ACTION IS INSTITUTED, THE PLAINTIFF MAY NAME AS A PARTY DEFENDANT THE
EMPLOYEE, AND THAT THE ENTITY FOR WHICH THE EMPLOYEE WAS ACTING MUST BE ADDED OR
SUBSTITUTED AS PARTY DEFENDANT WHEN IT CAN BE SO REASONABLY DETERMINED, AND
DELETE CERTAIN PROVISIONS; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 33-55-220 RELATING TO THE
PROVISION THAT THE BAR TO ANY ACTION AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE DOES NOT APPLY WHERE
THE EMPLOYEE IS ADJUDGED TO HAVE ACTED RECKLESSLY OR WANTONLY OR WITH GROSS
NEGLIGENCE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Charities, recovery against, provisions changed; health care provider, volunteer,
liability, provisions deleted
SECTION 1. Section 33-55-210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by an act of
1988 bearing ratification number 495, is further amended to read:
"Section 33-55-210. (A) Any person sustaining an injury or dying by
reason of the tortious act of commission or omission of an employee of a
charitable organization, when the employee is acting within the scope of his
employment, may only recover in any action brought against the charitable
organization for the actual damages he may sustain in an amount not exceeding two
hundred thousand dollars. An action against the charitable organization under
Sections 33-55-210 through 33-55-230 constitutes a complete bar to any recovery
by the claimant, by reason of the same subject matter, against the employee of
the charitable organization whose act or omission gave rise to the claim unless
it is alleged and proved in the action that the employee acted in a reckless,
wilful, or grossly negligent manner, and, in such case, the employee must be
properly joined as a party defendant. No judgment against an employee of a
charitable organization may be returned unless a specific finding is made that
the employee acted in a reckless, wilful, or grossly negligent manner. If the
charitable organization for which the employee was acting cannot be determined
at the time the action is instituted, the plaintiff may name as a party defendant
the employee, and the entity for which the employee was acting must be added or
substituted as party defendant when it can be so reasonably determined.
(B) No licensed health care provider, as defined in Section 38-79-410, who
renders medical services voluntarily and without compensation or the expectation
or promise of compensation is liable for any civil damage for any act or omission
resulting from the rendering of the services unless the act or omission was the
result of the licensed health care provider's gross negligence or wilful
misconduct. The agreement to provide voluntary noncompensated service must be
made before the rendering of the service by the licensed health care
provider."
Section repealed
SECTION 2. Section 33-55-220 of the 1976 Code is repealed.
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. |