Current Status Bill Number:554 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19950222 Primary Sponsor:Thomas All Sponsors:Thomas Drafted Document Number:BR1\18182AC.95 Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee 12 SLCI Subject:Nonconventional medical treatment
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19950222 Introduced, read first time, 12 SLCI
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 40-47-62 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT NO PHYSICIAN IS PROHIBITED FROM USING NONCONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE; TO AMEND SECTION 40-47-5, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF "PHYSICIAN" OR "SURGEON" SO AS ALSO TO DEFINE "NONCONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 40-47-10, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE STATE BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ONE AT-LARGE MEMBER OF THE BOARD MUST BE A PHYSICIAN WHO DEDICATES A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF HIS PRACTICE TO THE USE OF NONCONVENTIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 40-47-62. Nothing in this chapter prohibits a physician or surgeon from using nonconventional medical treatment in the practice of medicine."
SECTION 2. Section 40-47-5 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 40-47-5. As used in this chapter, `physician' or `surgeon' shall mean means a doctor of medicine, and `nonconventional medical treatment' means treatments which differ from customary or prevailing approaches in medicine including, but not limited to, homeopathy, chelation therapy, herbal medicine, and vitamin therapy."
SECTION 3. The first paragraph of Section 40-47-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 77 of 1993, is further amended to read:
"There is created the State Board of Medical Examiners to be composed of ten members, one of whom must be a lay member, one of whom must be a doctor of osteopathy, two of whom must be physicians or surgeons from the State-at-large State at large, and six of whom must be physicians or surgeons representing each of six congressional districts. Of the at-large members, one must be a physician who dedicates a significant portion of his practice to the use of nonconventional medical treatments. All members of the board must be residents of this State, and each member representing a congressional district shall reside in the district the member represents. All physician members of the board must be licensed by the board and must be practicing their profession in South Carolina."
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.