Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:4692 Primary Sponsor:Cromer Committee Number:27 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Inmate's account, medical costs Residing Body:House Current Committee:Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Computer Document Number:DKA/3226AL.94 Introduced Date:19940208 Last History Body:House Last History Date:19940208 Last History Type:Introduced, read first time, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Cromer Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved
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4692 House 19940208 Introduced, read first time, 27
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 24-13-80 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN DEDUCTIONS FROM AN INMATE'S ACCOUNT FOR DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND OTHER CAUSES, AND TO PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS FOR MEDICAL COSTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 24-13-80. (A) As used in this section:
(1) `Detention facility' means a municipal or county jail or state correctional facility used for the detention of persons charged with or convicted of either a felony, a misdemeanor, or a municipal offense.
(2) `Inmate' means a person who is detained in a detention facility by reason of being charged with or convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor, or a municipal offense.
(3) `Medical treatment' means each visit initiated by the inmate to an institutional physician; physician's extender, including a physician's assistant or a nurse practitioner; dentist; optometrist; or psychiatrist for examination or treatment.
(4) `Officer in charge' means the sheriff, if the detention facility is under his supervision, or the warden or superintendent having the supervision of another detention facility.
(B) The officer in charge may establish, by rules, criteria for a reasonable deduction from money credited to the account of an inmate to:
(1) repay the costs of:
(a) public property wilfully damaged or destroyed by the inmate during his incarceration;
(b) medical treatment for injuries inflicted by the inmate upon himself or others;
(c) searching for and apprehending the inmate when he escapes or attempts to escape, the costs to be limited to those extraordinary costs incurred as a consequence of the escape; or
(d) quelling a riot or other disturbance in which the inmate is unlawfully involved.
(2) defray the costs paid by a municipality or county for medical treatment for an inmate, which medical treatment has been requested by the inmate, provided that the deduction from money credited to the account of an inmate does not exceed ten dollars for each occurrence of treatment received by the inmate at the inmate's request. If the balance in an inmate's account is ten dollars or less, the fee must not be charged.
The provisions of this item do not apply to medical costs incurred as a result of injuries sustained by an inmate or other medically necessary treatment for which that inmate is determined not to be responsible.
(C) All sums collected for medical treatment must be reimbursed to the inmate if the inmate is acquitted or otherwise exonerated of all charges for which the inmate was being held.
(D) The detention facility must initiate an action for collection of recovery of medical costs incurred pursuant to this section against an inmate upon his release or his estate if the inmate was executed or died while in the custody of the detention facility."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.