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Indicates New Matter
INTRODUCED
May 19, 2005
H. 4155
Introduced by Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee
S. Printed 5/19/05--H.
Read the first time May 19, 2005.
TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, RELATING TO IMPLEMENTATION OF EMERGENCY HEALTH POWERS ACT, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 2962, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The regulations of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, relating to Implementation of Emergency Health Powers Act, designated as Regulation Document Number 2962, and submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to the provisions of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the 1976 Code, are approved.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
The General Assembly added Chapter 4 to Title 44 to: (1) authorize the collection of data and records, the control of property, the management of persons, and access to communications as may be strictly necessary to accomplish the purposes of this act; (2) facilitate the early detection of a qualifying health event or public health emergency, and allow for immediate investigation of such an emergency by granting access to individuals' health and other information under specified circumstances; (3) grant state officials the authority to use and appropriate property as necessary for the care, treatment, and housing of patients, and for the destruction or decontamination of contaminated materials; (4) grant state officials the authority to provide care and treatment to persons who are ill or who have been exposed to infection, and to separate affected individuals from the population at large for the purpose of interrupting the transmission of infectious disease; (5) ensure that the needs of infected or exposed persons will be addressed to the fullest extent possible, given the primary goal of controlling serious health threats; (6) provide state officials with the ability to prevent, detect, manage, and contain emergency health threats without unduly interfering with civil rights and liberties; and (7) require the development of a comprehensive plan to provide for a coordinated, appropriate response in the event of a public health emergency. Code Section 25-1-440(d) authorizes the Governor to appoint a Public Health Emergency Plan Committee to advise him and make recommendations regarding public health emergency preparedness and public health emergency orders.
This new regulation will complement Regulation 61-20, Communicable Diseases, implement the provisions of the Emergency Health Powers Act, and provide for coordination with the Public Health Emergency Plan Committee.
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