H 4034 Session 111 (1995-1996)
H 4034 General Bill, By J.S. Shissias, Allison, D.W. Beatty, Cato, Cave,
Cobb-Hunter, J.L.M. Cromer, Govan, Harrell, J.L. Harris, Harrison, Inabinett,
Littlejohn, Lloyd, J.T. McElveen, Meacham, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, Neilson,
Rice, Seithel, Sharpe, Simrill, Stuart, C.C. Wells, S.S. Wofford and
Young-Brickell
Similar(S 715)
A Bill to amend Title 44, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding
Chapter 122 so as to direct the South Carolina Human Services Coordinating
Council to develop and coordinate the implementation of community-based
adolescent pregnancy prevention programs through funding available from the
Department of Health and Human Services and to provide requirements for local
projects and selection procedures.
04/12/95 House Introduced and read first time HJ-25
04/12/95 House Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-25
A BILL
TO AMEND TITLE 44, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING CHAPTER 122 SO AS TO
DIRECT THE SOUTH CAROLINA HUMAN SERVICES
COORDINATING COUNCIL TO DEVELOP AND
COORDINATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
COMMUNITY-BASED ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY
PREVENTION PROGRAMS THROUGH FUNDING
AVAILABLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES AND TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR
LOCAL PROJECTS AND SELECTION PROCEDURES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
SECTION 1. Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"CHAPTER 122
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
Section 44-122-10. (A) The South Carolina Human Services
Coordinating Council shall develop and coordinate the
implementation of community-based programs and projects relating
to the problem of adolescent pregnancy in order to most effectively
reduce the numbers of adolescent pregnancies.
(B) Before funds are allocated for adolescent pregnancy
prevention projects, the council shall review the recommendations
of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Committee, as established
in Section 44-122-20, and shall recommend funding priorities to the
Department of Health and Human Services. The council also shall
advise the General Assembly on issues relating to the problem of
adolescent pregnancy in this State.
Section 44-122-20. There is established the Adolescent
Pregnancy Prevention Committee to be appointed by the Human
Services Coordinating Council. Committee membership must be
made up of council members and also must include representatives
from:
(1) South Carolina Council on Adolescent Pregnancy
Prevention;
(2) South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics;
(3) United Way of South Carolina;
(4) March of Dimes;
(5) Alliance for South Carolina's Children;
(6) corporate community;
(7) religious community;
(8) two high school students;
(9) media;
(10) a school guidance counselor;
(11) the South Carolina Obstetrics and Gynecology Society.
Members shall serve terms of four years except student members
shall serve terms of two years.
Section 44-122-30. (A) The South Carolina Human Services
Coordinating Council shall establish and administer a program to
distribute funds appropriated for adolescent pregnancy prevention
projects and shall adopt rules necessary to implement the program.
Projects must be undertaken as pilot projects to serve as successful
models for replication in rural and urban areas of the State where
there are statistically high incidences of adolescent pregnancy,
premature births, and infant mortality.
(B) The council shall evaluate adolescent pregnancy projects
funded as a result of this program at least yearly and shall report its
findings to the General Assembly, the State Budget and Control
Board, and the Governor's Office. The evaluation of these projects
shall include a study of the effectiveness of the project in reducing
the pregnancy rate within the target populations.
Section 44-122-40. The Department of Health and Human
Services shall fund the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program
projects. The Human Services Coordinating Council annually shall
conduct a proposal-writing session that must be attended by a
representative of an agency or organization that wishes to apply for
funding, and the session shall define the criteria for accountability
and evaluation that the department requires of projects. The session
also shall provide information about additional funding sources to
which an agency or organization might turn to satisfy the matching
requirement for funding, as provided for in Section 44-122-50(E).
Section 44-122-50. (A) A local agency or organization or
combination of agencies and organizations may apply to the
department for an allocation of funds to operate adolescent
pregnancy preventive projects. The application shall contain an
analysis of adolescent pregnancy and related problems in the
locality the project would serve and a description of how the project
would attempt, over a period of at least five years, to prevent the
problems. The application also shall contain a project budget.
(B) Projects applying for first-year funding shall:
(1) have a plan of action that extends for at least five years
for prevention of adolescent pregnancy;
(2) have realistic, specific, and measurable goals and
objectives for the prevention of adolescent pregnancy;
(3) before submitting its proposal, send a representative to
the proposal-writing session held by the council;
(4) have an emphasis on abstinence when possible and
must be based on strategies with proven success rates, and use
materials that are factually and scientifically correct.
(C) Each project shall:
(a) have a board of advisors composed of members from
outside the sponsoring agency of the project. The board of advisors
shall include representatives from the medical community, the
educational field, and one student who must be a junior in high
school and who must serve two years. The board also shall include
representatives of the media, government, charitable organizations,
and private business. The board of advisors shall meet at least
quarterly and advise project staff on project policies and operations;
(b) comply with reporting, contracting, and evaluation
requirements of the department;
(c) define and maintain cooperative ties with other
community institutions;
(d) demonstrate its ability to attract financial support from
sources other than the State including sources in the local
community;
(D) These criteria must be applied in selecting projects for
first year funding:
(1) adequacy of proposed resources to meet project
objectives;
(2) appropriateness of project strategies to reduce
adolescent pregnancy with a primary focus of preventing the onset
of early sexual activity;
(3) level of community support, including endorsement
from the appropriate local governmental entity and documentation
from the appropriate local governmental entity and from community
organizations that citizens were given the opportunity to provide
input into the proposed program and that there is community
support for the proposal. Documentation may include letters or
statements of support from citizens or community organizations or
statements that community support was expressed at public
hearings. A public hearing is not required by this item;
(4) degree of need of the locality, including that the county
has a significant adolescent pregnancy problem;
(5) clear demonstration of how the project will coordinate,
collaborate, and utilize the resources of other community entities
that have an interest in positive youth development and adolescent
risk behavior reduction.
(E) If a project that has been selected for first-year funding
continues to meet the requirements of subsections (B) and (C),
funding for that project shall continue, to the extent of available
money, for an additional four years. The level of funding provided
by the council to approved projects must be set according to this
schedule:
(1) first year, eighty percent of the project's annual budget
not to exceed the maximum award established by the department;
(2) second year, ninety percent of the state funds awarded
in the first year;
(3) third year, seventy-five percent of the state funds
awarded in the first year;
(4) fourth year, sixty-five percent of the state funds
awarded in the first year;
(5) fifth year, fifty percent of the state funds awarded in
the first year.
The portion of a project's budget that must come from sources
other than the State may be provided as in-kind contributions as
well as cash.
(F) No project shall receive state funding if it has received
state funding for five full years previously. A project that has
received state funding before July 1, 1995, is eligible for
consideration for an additional five years' state support but the
project must meet the same requirements as other applicants and
must be treated as other applicants in the selection process.
(G) The council shall determine the maximum annual amount
that may be awarded to any one project.
(H) As adolescent pregnancy prevention project grant funds
decrease, a project shall maintain its original budget level, less the
amount expended for start-up costs. The council shall develop
guidelines for determining start-up costs, and these guidelines must
be uniform for all projects. Local match percentage may come
from any in-kind source or newly generated funds, public or
private, available to the project.
(I) Project selection must be based solely on the merits of the
proposals submitted to the council."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the
Governor.
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