South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

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A291, R189, H4935

STATUS INFORMATION

Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Felder, Douglas, Ridgeway and Bryant
Document Path: l:\council\bills\cc\15215vr18.docx

Introduced in the House on February 14, 2018
Introduced in the Senate on April 9, 2018
Passed by the General Assembly on April 26, 2018
Governor's Action: May 3, 2018, Signed

Summary: SC Palliative Care and Quality of Life Study Committee

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/14/2018  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 67)
   2/14/2018  House   Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and 
                        Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 67)
    4/3/2018  House   Recalled from Committee on Medical, Military, Public and 
                        Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 26)
    4/4/2018  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 13)
    4/4/2018  House   Roll call Yeas-103  Nays-3 (House Journal-page 14)
    4/4/2018          Scrivener's error corrected
    4/5/2018  House   Read third time and sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 14)
    4/9/2018  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 17)
    4/9/2018  Senate  Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 17)
   4/19/2018  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs 
                        (Senate Journal-page 10)
   4/20/2018          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/25/2018  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 28)
   4/25/2018  Senate  Roll call Ayes-43  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 28)
   4/26/2018  Senate  Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 18)
    5/1/2018          Ratified R 189
    5/3/2018          Signed By Governor
   5/11/2018          Effective date 05/03/18
  10/16/2018          Act No. 291

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/14/2018
4/3/2018
4/4/2018
4/19/2018
4/20/2018


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

(A291, R189, H4935)

A JOINT RESOLUTION TO CREATE THE "SOUTH CAROLINA PALLIATIVE CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY COMMITTEE"; TO PROVIDE FOR THE PURPOSE, MEMBERSHIP, AND DUTIES OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

South Carolina Palliative Care and Quality of Life Study Committee

SECTION    1.    (A)(1)    There is created the South Carolina Palliative Care and Quality of Life Study Committee. The study committee is comprised of the following members:

(a)    one member of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, appointed by the chairman;

(b)    one member of the Medical Affairs Committee of the Senate, appointed by the chairman;

(c)    two members, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(d)    two members, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;

(e)    three members, appointed by the Governor;

(f)    one representative of the Department of Health and Human Services with experience pertinent to palliative care to act as the research and technical coordinator for issues relating to palliative care; and

(g)    one representative of the Division on Aging of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

(2)    The appointing authorities are encouraged to coordinate appointments to ensure the study committee includes interdisciplinary representation of medical, nursing, social work, pharmacy, and spiritual professionals with palliative care expertise and patient and family caregiver advocate representation. Membership must include health professionals who have palliative care work experience or expertise in palliative care delivery models in a variety of inpatient, outpatient, and community settings, such as acute care, long-term care, or hospice, and with a variety of populations, including pediatric and adult patients. A minimum of two members must be board-certified hospice and palliative care physicians, one with certification and experience in pediatric palliative care and one with certification and experience in adult palliative care.

(3)    The members shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among their membership. The Division on Aging shall provide staff support for the study committee to perform their duties.

(4)    Members of the study committee may not receive compensation but are entitled to mileage, subsistence, and per diem as allowed by law for members of state boards, commissions, and committees.

(B)    The study committee shall consult with and advise the Division on Aging on matters related to the establishment, maintenance, operation, and outcomes evaluation of palliative care initiatives in this State, including needed state policies or responses and ways to provide clear and coordinated services to support and enhance the delivery of palliative care.

(C)    The Division on Aging shall publish on its website information and resources recommended by the study committee on palliative care for the public, health care providers and health care facilities including, but not limited to, continuing educational opportunities for health care providers; information about palliative care delivery in the home, primary, secondary and tertiary environments; best practices for palliative care delivery; and consumer educational materials and referral information for palliative care, including hospice.

(D)    By December 31, 2019, the study committee shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a report on the state of palliative care in South Carolina with findings and recommendations, after which the study committee must be dissolved.

(E)    For purposes of this joint resolution:

(1)    "Health care facility" means a hospital or a specialty care facility including, but not limited to, a pediatric facility, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, assisted living community, personal care home, ambulatory surgical or obstetrical facility, health maintenance organization, home health agency, and diagnostic, treatment, or rehabilitation center.

(2)    "Palliative care" means an approach which improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the issues associated with chronic life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and assessment, reduced hospital readmissions and treatment of pain and other conditions associated with chronic illness, including physical, psychosocial, and spiritual. Palliative care includes, but is not limited to:

(a)    discussions involving a patient's goals for treatment;

(b)    discussions involving treatment options which are appropriate to the patient, including where appropriate, hospice care and how palliative care can be utilized with other curative treatments and in addition to hospice care; and

(c)    comprehensive pain and symptom management.

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 1st day of May, 2018.

Approved the 3rd day of May, 2018.

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This web page was last updated on October 17, 2018 at 9:25 AM