[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6277782,"mediaKeyId","2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf","parentId",2646343,"title","Subcommittee delays vote on crisis-stabilization unit rules after debate over child admissions, rooming and 24/7 nurse requirement","audioSeconds",2197,"startMs",2201000,"endMs",3641,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf&start=2201&end=3","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf/thumbnail_2201000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6277782/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-delays-vote-on-crisis-stabilization-unit-rules-after-debate-over-child-admissions-rooming-and-247-nurse-requirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277782-e378f7b1408df449d2e0fa2499b23fb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775794657&Signature=kt7F6Kwq56vzwQ1yr6RzmmmH-W7~M0JL5c0TlVvLOuqlhxuKXEx85wDXhTyNLkOJuqch0nIGQR7c4004fRlrXM2gCu6U3nBPYlO9je40iNPpXQ4MjCHW-MjuDp2J167fJWWtmC61lHeidZqVSV~VloQ3xQkhykvUej-OlAvm2kdYxFlZ3KVJIvE7saxA3K~04CBpckvNnfuKg~Qyobn-YnETR-1XDQDRBduMTu6uqNbbY5gO2YlkinAGvp4pImVK9CriiN86oEqszxKpi37TK63NwrbJ80eVlFuWLIkQM8QdZs98FJwOUPXPh4ilgWXQjzA8oX37lmJf2dKLXfghmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Carolina Legislature","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee carried over regulation 53 50, which updates licensing standards for crisis stabilization unit (CSU) facilities, after extended debate about age-based admissions, sleeping-room arrangements for children and adults, and whether a registered nurse must be present at the facility 24 hours a day.

DPH presented the proposed rule changes to allow CSUs to admit younger patients—statute had been changed to permit admissions from age 5 upward—and proposed that individuals 13 and under not be admitted to a bed in a room with an adult. The draft rule also includes a staffing requirement that at least one registered nurse be on duty at the facility at all times.

Deborah Blaylock, deputy director of the Department of Mental Health, testified that the state’s operating CSU (Charleston) has historically served adults only, that a reopening in 2017 and current operations have worked under a model where a nurse need only be able to respond within 30 minutes, and that requiring a nurse 24/7 could create unintended consequences. Blaylock said the Charleston unit has 10 beds and the Midlands facility about 9 beds; from 2017 to the present the unit sent 64 of slightly more than 1,800 patients (about 3%) to an emergency department. She said the unit has physicians on call daily and that requiring an on-site nurse at all times could force a temporary closure if a nurse were unavailable, potentially sending patients back to emergency departments.

Senators pressed whether the proposed rooming language would allow a 14- or 15-year-old to share a sleeping room with an adult; Blaylock said DMH would not place children and adults in the same unit and that DMH prefers separation, though the proposed regulation could be used by other providers. Senator Cash said he was \"not comfortable\" with allowing juveniles in sleeping quarters with adults and asked whether the age cutoff might be changed to 16.

Because there is disagreement between DPH and DMH over the RN staffing requirement and because senators requested more information from stakeholders, the subcommittee voted to carry the regulation over for further work; the motion passed by voice vote. The subcommittee asked DPH and DMH to attempt compromise language on the nurse-on-duty standard and to clarify rooming provisions and statutory reporting references before returning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 13, 2025 9:30 am Senate Medical Affairs Committee -- Medical Affairs Subcommittee","oneSentenceSummary","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee carried over regulation 53 50, which would allow CSUs to admit younger patients and set staffing and rooming standards, after debate over whether children and adults should share sleeping quarters and whether a registered nurse must be on-site 24/7.","taxTitle","Medical Affairs, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",17644,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277787,"Subcommittee approves licensing standards aligning medication rules with 2022 law for intermediate care facilities",431,1765000,2196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf&start=1765&end=2196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf/thumbnail_1765000.jpg","/articles/6277787/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-approves-licensing-standards-aligning-medication-rules-with-2022-law-for-intermediate-care-facilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277787-870fb393fdf410cf7f3f79983f1d8dc1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775794657&Signature=ayfxj4S8UAR24dHe8wbtOxaZL6p~HljwWzBQtfZekH-u8ZU~bDM0rxvf6oPfUyHAMkA-9XLMBgE2k4r6HEmfIT0CvJjE3WBB~Ty-qgPc4-VJK8IbGLPqkmJr5uO563dsaMeYnZiyC8CFy5bnmQyusXVG~f9zZ4~FHv3fwucXFeQUPYT2tPDZlI2OoBdsZqH0SHLxuuJphmv16wdjQLOPG~BGclYJXMG7yESkCP2mI26jrVjQSdNS7rFQL-GhdjOoGVpTH0iWERwV6mYW2JWr5KV8Dc-~1tpCBzmebq9IzKwF5etX6rctElz1gUwgIVawQLYsVYu69-Fn8WGLQTvEzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee approved regulation 53 47, which updates state licensing standards for immediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities to reflect statutory changes permitting certain unlicensed persons to provide medications under supervision.

Vito, speaking for Department of Public Health staff, said the regulatory revisions implement 2022 Act 179—an amendment to the Nurse Practice Act—that allows certain unlicensed persons to administer medication in correctional and intermediate care settings when statutory conditions are met. The regulation also aligns state licensing standards with applicable federal rules (CFR) to reduce duplication and to simplify compliance for facilities that receive Medicare or other federal reimbursement.

The subcommittee discussed shifting staffing from fixed shift panels to a need-specific regimen tied to individuals’ needs. A staff member said that approach is intended to reflect patient-specific care and align with federal reimbursement standards. The committee moved the regulation and adopted it by voice vote.

Committee members asked whether the statutory change was temporary and whether unlicensed medication administration had produced safety problems; Vito said there was no known evidence of bad outcomes and that the statutory change had been used since COVID to address workforce shortages in certain settings.","Regulation 53 47, setting licensing standards for immediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICFIIDs), was approved to align state rules with a 2022 statutory change that permits certain unlicensed persons to administer medications.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277792,"Subcommittee delays residential-treatment rule after debate over staff disqualifications and incident reporting",1275,377000,1652000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf&start=377&end=1652","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf/thumbnail_377000.jpg","/articles/6277792/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-delays-residential-treatment-rule-after-debate-over-staff-disqualifications-and-incident-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277792-b5af96a8d01472aca9ad031215b5f911/orig.mp4?Expires=1775794657&Signature=WpSRCAU-70qIf-SOTc-DL9jyUURM3dQRRz7v9KIjirUJ2rZVJNOZtJx4SsSDDM-nEIIfjiJKKfMJPpVjuJnrmnabzJSjyn7IpP24rsaMw0sIEqt7TFptT5P~8PDZi5PIzzyn6O7NWxjHkZTPlI~6T7i5a4STIgbJ44M389JGalA2cjViRsP1l3KFRVyiB6POcaGUOQmLRJJ5TJok752KS8o2Z85gO837hUmNYxwdpWJf4FHJp9AyXQ9FWX5zBHBeF2Muu2L1qVmmZejG~WlCYxFggRbcgQqGv2pYbot2OweFkxF0n2JQdq5PzU37MlKXJ8F9vygp13xbN4LMe9cyPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee voted to carry over proposed regulation 53 42, which sets licensing standards for residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents, after questions from senators about which criminal convictions would disqualify staff and whether incident reporting deadlines should require immediate notification.

Vito, a Department of Public Health staff member, told the subcommittee the regulation “is intended to just clarify, what are the disqualifying convictions for staff members.” The proposed language replaces the prior phrasing—\"abuse, neglect or exploitation\"—with citations to unlawful conduct as defined in the South Carolina Code and adds requirements that staff not have adverse findings on the child abuse and neglect central registry, sex offender registry, or nurse aide registry.

Senator Cash pressed whether the code-based phrasing is more or less expansive than the prior language and whether the change would narrow protections. Vito said the code sections have existed for some time and that the intent was to clarify which convictions disqualify staff.

The regulation also prescribes minimum direct-care staffing numbers and adds a new provision that at least one awake, on-site direct-care staff member or volunteer “of the same sex as the residents” be present; if both male and female residents are present, at least one male and one female direct-care person must be present and awake. The subcommittee discussed inserting a cross-reference to an existing statutory definition for \"sex\" used in another code section.

A major point of contention was a change to incident reporting language that replaces phrasing such as \"at the earliest practical hour, not to exceed 24 hours\" and \"immediately\" with a requirement to notify within 24 hours. Senator Cash and other members objected, arguing immediate reporting better protects evidence for criminal investigations. Senator Cash said, “I don't want somebody waiting 24 hours where everybody gets together in a room and says, now this is our story about what happened.”

DPH staff said the intent of the amendments was to clarify reporting timelines and to include a distinct 24-hour report and a separate five-day report with more comprehensive investigation information for DPH. Staff also said statutory mandatory reporting requirements for alleged criminal acts to DSS and law enforcement already exist and that the regulation should avoid duplicating statutory duties.

The subcommittee carried the regulation over to allow agencies to provide stakeholder comments and to consider restoring or tightening the \"immediate\" language. The motion to carry over passed by voice vote; the record does not show a roll-call tally.","The subcommittee carried over regulation 53 42, which would tighten staff disqualification language, add staffing minimums, and revise incident reporting timelines for residential treatment facilities for children and adolescents, after senators pressed for clearer language on disqualifying convictions and for immediate incident reporting.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6277797,"Subcommittee approves transfer of three DHEC regulatory items to Department of Public Health",245,47000,292000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf&start=47&end=292","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2646343-9ba45a2a676a725600669f92ca9fcedf/thumbnail_47000.jpg","/articles/6277797/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-approves-transfer-of-three-DHEC-regulatory-items-to-Department-of-Public-Health","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6277797-c4a0ff1e0930043480d696c9f82b2a08/orig.mp4?Expires=1775794657&Signature=auj298jqZN8lMl5Whj-IQqrrPp4Mt3qbAm-aC8S~6Xudu5fdY8Bio~g9pCkOvERHSYtZ6IjEYnqwTu~JwQOOISFTq0vYF6JFm8WOKBd3h-yLtu5x-ndQxpJObtw9wL8Yn6ntJ0d5CT6sqoxx1smefefoDBpgeyViBo7W7IZd4RmqaaBM1o8xiW5-dXhGrcuOLp0bHVOlN94kNjFhc3XC03~iIu-oO9lY3MQ8BZk8grOERDrKc0u0UP1hGgDaldFlGhLY9d6YhWjmarkDCNTYWYDnrG3bDH11wI9eZ5CcLxJWomjlmC7Wi3me7yqOUroHdHhuR1WE4KFMe-4wVupP8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee approved three regulatory housekeeping actions that move existing regulatory text from the former Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) into the new Department of Public Health (DPH) chapter, remove athletic trainers from DPH regulation, and rename the chapter previously numbered 61 to the new chapter 60.

The changes were presented as non-substantive, technical transfers needed because DPH inherited rules that had formerly been codified under DHEC. A staff member described the first item (regulation 5,341) as replicating FOIA-related access-to-restricted-information text in DPH’s chapter so that “DES is taking over the area of the code that the former DHEC had,” and the move requires DPH to populate the new chapter 60 with the inherited language.

Another item (regulation 5,344) removes athletic trainers from the DPH regulatory text because state statute moved athletic trainers out of DHEC’s umbrella and into the jurisdiction of the licensing agency LLR; the change deletes the now-obsolete language. The third housekeeping action renames or re-allocates rules from chapter 61 to chapter 60 to reflect the agency transition.

Committee members treated the items as technical and moved to approve them together. The subcommittee approved the three items by oral vote; the record indicates a voice vote and did not include a roll-call tally.

The subcommittee noted that DHEC personnel, including Caitlin Foran and DPH staff, were available to answer questions but that the items were routine transfers rather than new substantive policy changes.","The Medical Affairs Subcommittee voted to approve three noncontroversial regulatory transfers and technical changes that move existing DHEC rules into the new Department of Public Health (DPH) chapter and remove athletic trainers from DPH regulatory text following legislative changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee delays vote on crisis-stabilization unit rules after debate over child admissions, rooming and 24/7 nurse requirement

Subcommittee approves licensing standards aligning medication rules with 2022 law for intermediate care facilities

Subcommittee delays residential-treatment rule after debate over staff disqualifications and incident reporting

Subcommittee approves transfer of three DHEC regulatory items to Department of Public Health