South Carolina General Assembly
107th Session, 1987-1988

Bill 3742


                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3742
Ratification Number:       790
Act Number                 667
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Medical Advisory Board
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A667, R790, H3742)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-1-221 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD TO ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ON THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL FITNESS OF PERSONS TO BE LICENSED TO OPERATE MOTOR VEHICLES AND ON THE MEDICAL CRITERIA AND VISION STANDARDS RELATING TO THE LICENSING OF DRIVERS.

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

Medical advisory board

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 56-1-221. (A) There is created an advisory board composed of thirteen members. One member must be selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control from his staff, ten members must be appointed by the South Carolina Medical Association, and two members must be appointed by the South Carolina Optometric Association. The member selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control must be the administrative officer of the advisory board. To the maximum extent possible, the members of the board appointed by the South Carolina Medical Association and the South Carolina Optometric Association must be representative of the disciplines of the medical and optometric community treating the mental or physical disabilities that may affect the safe operation of motor vehicles. The identity of physicians and optometrists serving on the board, other than the administrative officer, may not be disclosed except as necessary in proceedings under Sections 56-1-370 or 56-1-410. The members of the board may receive no compensation.

(B) The board shall advise the executive director of the department on medical criteria and vision standards relating to the licensing of drivers.

(C) Having cause to believe that a licensed driver or applicant may not be physically or mentally qualified to be licensed, the department may obtain the advice of the board. The board may formulate its advice from records and reports or may cause an examination and report to be made by one or more members of the board or any other qualified person it may designate. The additional examination is at the expense of the applicant or licensed driver. The licensed driver or applicant may cause a written report to be forwarded to the board by a physician or optometrist of his choice, and it must be given consideration by the board.

(D) Members of the board and other persons making examinations are not liable for their opinions and recommendations presented pursuant to subsection (C).

(E) Reports received or made by the board or its members for the purpose of assisting the department in determining whether a person is qualified to be licensed are for the confidential use of the board and the department and may not be divulged to a person or used as evidence in a trial except that the reports may be admitted in proceedings under Sections 56-1-370 and 56-1-410, and a person conducting an examination pursuant to subsection (C) may be compelled to testify concerning his observations and findings in those proceedings."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.