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A408, R426, H4899
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Edge, Ott, Crawford, Whipper, Huggins, Alexander, Anthony, Bales, Barfield, Battle, Bedingfield, Brady, Branham, Cato, Clemmons, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Davenport, Duncan, Erickson, Funderburk, Gambrell, Govan, Gullick, Hardwick, Hayes, Hosey, Jennings, Leach, Limehouse, Mack, Mahaffey, McLeod, Moss, Mulvaney, J.H. Neal, Parks, Perry, Pinson, M.A. Pitts, Rice, Sandifer, Scott, Sellers, Shoopman, Simrill, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, W.D. Smith, Stavrinakis, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, Viers, White, Witherspoon and Mitchell
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gjk\20561sd08.doc
Introduced in the House on March 27, 2008
Introduced in the Senate on April 3, 2008
Last Amended on June 5, 2008
Passed by the General Assembly on June 5, 2008
Governor's Action: June 16, 2008, Signed
Summary: Behavioral health care services committee
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/27/2008 House Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar without reference HJ-5 4/2/2008 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Mitchell 4/2/2008 House Read second time HJ-33 4/3/2008 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-24 4/3/2008 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-1 4/3/2008 Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-1 5/14/2008 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical Affairs SJ-13 5/15/2008 Senate Committee Amendment Adopted SJ-19 5/15/2008 Senate Read second time SJ-19 5/16/2008 Scrivener's error corrected 5/27/2008 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments SJ-10 6/3/2008 House Debate adjourned on Senate amendments until Wednesday, June 4, 2008 HJ-155 6/4/2008 House Senate amendment amended HJ-92 6/4/2008 House Returned to Senate with amendments HJ-92 6/4/2008 Senate Non-concurrence in House amendment SJ-310 6/5/2008 House House insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Reps. Edge, Crawford, and Ott HJ-80 6/5/2008 House Reconsider the vote whereby the House insists upon its amendment HJ-205 6/5/2008 House House recedes from amendment(s) HJ-205 6/5/2008 Senate Ordered enrolled for ratification SJ-36 6/10/2008 Ratified R 426 6/16/2008 Signed By Governor 6/20/2008 Copies available 6/20/2008 Effective date 06/16/08 8/6/2008 Act No. 408
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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
3/27/2008
3/27/2008
5/14/2008
5/15/2008
5/16/2008
6/4/2008
(A408, R426, H4899)
A JOINT RESOLUTION TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE THE DELIVERY OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY FEBRUARY 15, 2010.
Whereas, the behavioral health care system in South Carolina is in crisis; and
Whereas, already overcrowded hospital emergency rooms have become the "safety net" or "provider of last resort"; and
Whereas, most hospital emergency departments are not equipped to provide psychiatric services, especially in rural areas of the State; and
Whereas, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds in state mental health facilities has been drastically reduced, so behavioral health patients wait in emergency departments until a psychiatric bed somewhere in the State becomes available; and
Whereas, behavioral health patients held in the emergency departments stretch the resources of the hospital, reduce access to care for patients with medical emergencies, and create a dangerous environment for other patients and hospital workers if they become unruly and violent; and
Whereas, the delivery of services that are available to behavioral health patients is fractured and disjointed; and
Whereas, many behavioral health patients in South Carolina have no place to go for the level of care they need, and it is nearly impossible for many people to find the emergency psychiatric treatment they or their loved ones need. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Study committee created
SECTION 1. (A) A study committee is established to examine the delivery of behavioral health care services in South Carolina.
(B) The study committee is composed of ten members of the General Assembly, of whom five must be members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and five must be members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(C) The members of the study committee first shall meet upon the call of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. At its first meeting, the committee shall select a chairman and such other officers as it considers necessary. Members of the committee shall receive mileage, subsistence, and per diem allowed by law to members of the General Assembly when attending meetings on legislative business to be paid from the approved accounts of their respective house.
(D) Staff from the Senate and the House of Representatives shall assist the study committee. The study committee may utilize the expertise of staff from state agencies to assist in the examination of the delivery of behavioral health care services in South Carolina.
(E) The committee shall make a report to the General Assembly together with its findings and recommendations no later than February 15, 2010, at which time it is dissolved.
Time effective
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 10th day of June, 2008.
Approved the 16th day of June, 2008.
This web page was last updated on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 4:16 P.M.