2025-2026 Bill 697 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 18, 2026)

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

A bill

TO TRANSFER THE SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS; TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 37-6-515 SO AS TO CREATE THE SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 1-11-770, RELATING TO the SOUTH CAROLINA 211 NETWORK, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Effective July 1, 2026, the South Carolina 211 Network, created within the Budget and Control Board pursuant to Section 1-11-770 by Act 339 of 2002, is transferred to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

SECTION 2. Chapter 6, Title 37 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Part 7

211

Section 37-6-710. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "211" means the abbreviated dialing code assigned by the Federal Communications Commission for consumer access to community information and referral services.

(2) "211 services" means information and referral services provided through the use of 2-1-1 and intended to promote and provide access to health and human services and to aid in disaster response and recovery.

(3) "Approved 211 service provider" means a public or nonprofit agency or other organization designated by the lead entity to provide 211 services.

(4) "Lead entity" means a South Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency or organization designated by the department to manage the use of the 211 dialing code for the purposes of providing the public access to information about services provided by government, nonprofit, or other designated organizations to ensure the health and well-being of South Carolina residents and to aid in disaster response and recovery.

Section 37-6-720. (A) Subject to appropriations, the department is authorized to implement the statewide South Carolina 211 Network, which must serve as the single point of coordination for information and referral for health and human services. The objectives for the South Carolina 211 Network are to:

(1) provide comprehensive and cost-effective access to health and human services information;

(2) improve access to accurate information by simplifying and enhancing state and local health and human services information and referral systems and by fostering collaboration among information and referral systems;

(3) electronically connect local information and referral systems to each other, to service providers, and to consumers of information and referral services;

(4) establish and promote standards for data collection and for distributing information among state and local organizations;

(5) promote the use of a common dialing access code and the visibility and public awareness of the availability of information and referral services;

(6) provide a management and administrative structure to support the South Carolina 211 Network and establish technical assistance, training, and support programs for information and referral-service programs;

(7) test methods for integrating information and referral services with local and state health and human services programs and for consolidating and streamlining eligibility and case-management processes;

(8) provide access to standardized, comprehensive data to assist in identifying gaps and needs in health and human services programs; and

(9) provide a unified systems plan with a developed platform, taxonomy, and standards for data management and access.

Section 37-6-730. (A)(1) The department shall contract with the state's established 211 lead entity for the continuation of services required by this section.

(2) The lead entity shall:

(a) implement, study, support, coordinate, and evaluate a statewide 211 system;

(b) establish standards consistent with prevailing national standards established for providing information about and referrals to human services agencies to 211 callers. The standards shall prescribe the technology or manner of delivering 211 calls and shall not exceed any requirements for 211 systems set by the Federal Communications Commission. The standards shall be consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring accessibility for users of Teletypewriters for the Deaf (TTY);

(c) develop and maintain a statewide resources database for the 211 system that meets prevailing national standards for information and referral systems databases and that are integrated with databases maintained by approved 211 providers;

(d) provide periodic programmatic and fiscal reports to the department. The initial report shall be submitted on or before December 31, 2026. Thereafter, the lead entity shall provide a report to the department on or before March first each year for the prior calendar year's activities. The report must include, at a minimum, the following:

(i) call volume and interactions. The total number of inquiries, including calls, chats, texts, or web inquiries, along with trends in monthly, quarterly, and annual call volumes, and average response times for handling inquiries;

(ii) caller demographics. The demographic information of callers, including age, gender, and location, and any other relevant identifiers, highlighting any notable shifts or patterns in demographic data over time;

(iii) reasons for contact. A breakdown of inquiries by category or type of referral request, including the demand for, and need for, human services;

(iv) referrals made and service outcomes. The total number of referrals made, specifying the programs or services to which clients were referred;

(v) service referral gaps. The total number of requests for services or programs for which referral to an existing service provider is not able to be made, including description of services requested; and

(vi) trends and comparisons. Year-over-year trends of the data outlined in subitems (i) through (v).

(3) The Department of Consumer Affairs shall report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the number of individuals by region and county of the State using the system and the type of inquiries made.

(B) The department shall seek the assistance and guidance of the Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications Commission in resolving any disputes arising over jurisdiction related to 211 numbers.

(C) The procurement of services necessary to implement the 211 Network shall be exempt from the entirety of the South Carolina Procurement Code and all of its attendant regulations.

Section 37-6-740 (A) Only a service provider approved by the lead entity may provide 211 telephone services. The lead entity shall approve 211 service providers after considering all of the following:

(1) the ability of the proposed 211 service provider to meet the prevailing national 211 standards and receive and retain accreditation;

(2) the financial stability and health of the proposed 211 service provider;

(3) the community support for the proposed 211 service provider and the relationships with other information and referral services;

(4) ability of the proposed 211 service provider to demonstrate that programs, policies, and procedures are in place to adequately provide for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information systems;

(5) ability of the proposed 211 service provider to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and

(6) any other criteria as the lead entity and department deems appropriate.

(B) A lead entity may remove an approved 211 service provider for failure to meet or otherwise maintain minimum qualifications or for failure to perform activities required in this section or its contract with the lead entity.

SECTION 3. Section 1-11-770 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 1-11-770. (A) Subject to appropriations, the General Assembly authorizes the board to plan, develop, and implement a statewide South Carolina 211 Network, which must serve as the single point of coordination for information and referral for health and human services. The objectives for establishing the South Carolina 211 Network are to:

(1) provide comprehensive and cost-effective access to health and human services information;

(3) electronically connect local information and referral systems to each other, to service providers, and to consumers of information and referral services;

(4) establish and promote standards for data collection and for distributing information among state and local organizations;

(5) promote the use of a common dialing access code and the visibility and public awareness of the availability of information and referral services;

(8) provide access to standardized, comprehensive data to assist in identifying gaps and needs in health and human services programs; and

(9) provide a unified systems plan with a developed platform, taxonomy, and standards for data management and access.

(B) In order to participate in the South Carolina 211 Network, a 211 provider must be certified by the board. The board must develop criteria for certification and must adopt the criteria as regulations.

(1) If any provider of information and referral services or other entity leases a 211 number from a local exchange company and is not certified by the agency, the agency shall, after consultation with the local exchange company and the Public Service Commission, request that the Federal Communications Commission direct the local exchange company to revoke the use of the 211 number.

(2) The agency shall seek the assistance and guidance of the Public Service Commission and the Federal Communications Commission in resolving any disputes arising over jurisdiction related to 211 numbers.The South Carolina 211 Network program authorized by this section is transferred to the Department of Consumer Affairs and is established thereto as set forth in Section 37-6-710.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

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