H 4677 General Bill, By Askins
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 4-19-17 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE FIRE DISTRICTS CREATED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS
 OF CHAPTERS 9 AND 19 OF TITLE 4 TO PROVIDE A LIMITED NONTRANSPORTATIVE RESCUE
 SERVICE WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES.

   02/07/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-6
   02/07/02  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means HJ-6

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 4-19-17 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE FIRE DISTRICTS CREATED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTERS 9 AND 19 OF TITLE 4 TO PROVIDE A LIMITED NONTRANSPORTATIVE RESCUE SERVICE WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES.

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

SECTION    1.    The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 4-19-17.    (A)(1)    For the purposes of this section, 'rescue service' means rescue, recovery, and extraction of and the provision of emergency medical care to any person or persons at the scene of a fire or accident or in any other instance in which the person or persons may be trapped, distressed, or injured. Provided, however, rescue service does not include the transportation of these persons to medical care facilities.

        (2)    A special tax district established by a county governing body pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 9 of this title for the purpose of providing fire protection may, by resolution of the governing body, be authorized to provide rescue service within the boundaries of the district as established by the governing body, or without the boundaries to the extent that the district is authorized by general law to provide fire protection service outside of its boundaries. The governing body may, after granting such authorization, levy taxes and impose fees within the district in order to finance the provision of the rescue service, and may issue as a single issue, or from time-to-time as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the county in order to raise monies to provide rescue service in the district. A district authorized by the county governing body to provide rescue service may build, acquire, construct, operate, and maintain the facilities, contract for the use of these facilities, acquire or lease the equipment, and hire, train, and employ the personnel as may be necessary to or helpful in the provision of the rescue service by the district.

    (B)    All other powers of fire protection districts established pursuant to this chapter and Chapter 19 of this title shall continue and are not considered to be changed by the provisions of this section."

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