South Carolina General Assembly
118th Session, 2009-2010

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Bill 619


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-2430, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE COLLECTION OF DATA PURSUANT TO THE "HOSPITAL INFECTIONS DISCLOSURE ACT", SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO COMBINE DATA FROM MULTIPLE REPORTING PERIODS IN COMPILING THE DEPARTMENT'S REPORTS AND TO REQUIRE THE BOARD OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, RATHER THAN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT, TO APPOINT AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-2440, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO REPORTS COMPILED BY THE DEPARTMENT ON HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE REPORTS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO BE SUBMITTED BEFORE APRIL SIXTEENTH OF EACH YEAR; AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-2460, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ACT IS A CONDITION OF HOSPITAL LICENSURE AND PERMITTING, SO AS TO ALSO AUTHORIZE THE IMPOSITION OF CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 44-7-2430(B)(1) and (C)(1) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 293 of 2006, is amended to read:

"(B)(1)    Hospitals shall submit reports at least every six months on their hospital acquired infection rates to the department. Reports must be submitted in a format and at a time as provided for by the department. Data in these reports must cover a period ending not earlier than one month prior to submission of the report. These reports must be made available to the public at each hospital and through the department. The first report must be submitted before February 1, 2008. Subsequent reports must be submitted at least every six months on dates determined by the department. When compiling its reports, the department may combine data from multiple reporting periods in order to better demonstrate hospital acquired infection rates.

(C)(1)    The commissioner of the department Board of Health and Environmental Control shall appoint an advisory committee that must have an equal number of members representing all involved parties. The department board shall seek recommendations for appointments to the advisory committee from organizations that represent the interests of hospitals, consumers, businesses, purchasers of health care services, physicians, and other professionals involved in the research and control of infections."

SECTION    2.    Section 44-7-2440(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 293 of 2006, is amended to read:

"(A)    The department shall annually shall submit to the General Assembly a report summarizing the hospital reports submitted pursuant to Section 44-7-2430 and shall publish the annual report on its website. The first annual report must be submitted and published before February 1, 2009. Subsequent annual reports to the General Assembly must be submitted before April sixteenth of each year. The department may issue quarterly informational bulletins at its discretion, summarizing all or part of the information submitted in the hospital reports."

SECTION    3.    Section 44-7-2460 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 293 of 2006, is amended to read:

"Section 44-7-2460.    (A)    The department shall ensure and enforce compliance with this article and regulations promulgated pursuant to this article by the imposition of civil monetary penalties and as a condition of licensure or permitting under this chapter pursuant to Section 44-7-320 and shall enforce such compliance.

(B)    The department may promulgate regulations as necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this article."

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on March 25, 2009 at 3:03 PM