reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
SC Code § 43-35-310 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-310. . Council created; membership; filling vacancies.

 (A) There is created the Adult Protection Coordinating Council under the auspices of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and is comprised of:  (1) one member from the institutional care service provision system who is a consumer or a family member of a consumer of that system and one member from the home and community-based service provision system who is a consumer or a family member of a consumer of that system, both of whom must be appointed by the council for terms of two years; and  (2) these members who shall serve ex officio:  (a) Attorney General or a designee;  (b) Office on Aging, Executive Director, or a designee;  (c) Criminal Justice Academy, Executive Director, or a designee;  (d) South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Commissioner, or a designee;  (e) State Department of Mental Health, Director, or a designee;  (f) South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Director, or a designee;  (g) Adult Protective Services Program, Director, or a designee;  (h) South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Executive Director, or a designee;  (i) Police Chiefs' Association, President, or a designee;  (j) South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination, Executive Director, or a designee;  (k) Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc., Executive Director, or a designee;  (l) South Carolina Sheriff's Association, Executive Director, or a designee;  (m) South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Chief, or a designee;  (n) Long Term Care Ombudsman or a designee;  (o) South Carolina Medical Association, Executive Director, or a designee;  (p) South Carolina Health Care Association, Executive Director, or a designee;  (q) South Carolina Home Care Association, Executive Director, or a designee;  (r) South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Director, or a designee;  (s) executive director or president of a provider association for home and community-based services selected by the members of the council for terms of two years, or a designee;  (t) South Carolina Court Administration, Executive Director, or a designee;  (u) executive director or president of a residential care facility organization selected by the members of council for terms of two years, or a designee.  (B) Vacancies on the council must be filled in the same manner as the initial appointment.  HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 110, Section 1, eff three months after June 11, 1993; 2012 Act No. 239, Section 1, eff June 18, 2012.
SC Code § 43-35-320 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-320. . Responsibilities of council.

 The Adult Protection Coordinating Council shall coordinate the planning and implementation efforts of the entities involved in the adult protection system. Members shall facilitate problem resolution and develop action plans to overcome problems identified within the system. The council shall develop methods of addressing the ongoing needs of vulnerable adults, including increasing public awareness of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The council shall remain abreast of new trends in adult protection from national clearinghouses and other appropriate entities. The Adult Protection Coordinating Council has no authority to direct or require implementing action from any member or entity.  HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 110, Section 1, eff three months after June 11, 1993.
SC Code § 43-35-330 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-330. . Duties of council.

 (A) Duties of the council are subject to the appropriation of funding and allocation of personnel sufficient to carry out the functions of the council. Staffing for the council must be provided by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.  (B) Duties of the council are to:  (1) provide and promote coordination and communication among groups and associations which may be affected by the council's actions and recommended changes in the system;  (2) identify and promote training on critical issues in adult protection, facilitate arrangements for continuing education seminars and credits, when appropriate, and determine and target problem areas for training based on analysis of the data;  (3) coordinate data collection and conduct analyses including periodic monitoring and evaluation of the incidence and prevalence of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation;  (4) assist with problem resolution and facilitate interagency coordination of efforts to address unmet needs and gaps in the system;  (5) promote and enhance public awareness;  (6) promote prevention and intervention activities to ensure quality of care for vulnerable adults and their families; and  (7) annually prepare a report of the council's activities and accomplishments for the calendar year and distribute the report to council members, the Chairman of the Medical Affairs Committee of the Senate, the Chairman of the Medical, Military and Municipal Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, directors or chairs of member agencies or entities who have a designee serving on the council, and other interested parties as well as publishing the report on the department's website.  HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 110, Section 1, eff three months after June 11, 1993; 2012 Act No. 239, Section 2, eff June 18, 2012.
SC Code § 43-35-340 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-340. . Officers; terms of office; quorum.

 The chair of the council must be elected by a majority of the council membership for one two-year term. Other officers may be elected as needed in the same manner as the chair. A majority of the membership of the council constitutes a quorum for official business to be conducted.  HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 110, Section 1, eff three months after June 11, 1993.
SC Code § 43-35-350 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-350. . Meetings.

 Meetings of the council must be held at least quarterly at the call of the chair or may be called by a petition of two-thirds of the council membership.  HISTORY: 1993 Act No. 110, Section 1, eff three months after June 11, 1993.
SC Code § 43-35-500 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-500. . Definitions.

 In addition to the definitions contained in Section 43-35-10, for purposes of this article:  (1) "Committee" means the Vulnerable Adult Fatalities Review Committee.  (2) "Meeting" means both in-person meetings and meetings through telephone conferencing.  (3) "Preventable death" means a death that reasonable medical, social, legal, psychological, or educational intervention may have prevented.  (4) "Provider of medical care" means a licensed health care practitioner who provides, or a licensed health care facility through which is provided, medical evaluation or treatment, including dental and mental health evaluation or treatment.  (5) "SLED" means the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  (6) "Unit" means the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  (7) "Working day" means Monday through Friday, excluding official state holidays.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-510 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-510. . Policy of State regarding health and safety of vulnerable adults.

 It is the policy of this State that:  (1) Every vulnerable adult is entitled to live in safety and in health.  (2) Responding to deaths of vulnerable adults is a state and a community responsibility.  (3) When a vulnerable adult dies, the response by the State and the community to the death must include an accurate and complete determination of the cause of death, the provision of services to surviving family members, and the development and implementation of measures to prevent future deaths from similar causes and may include court action, including prosecution of persons who may be responsible for the death and family court proceedings to protect other vulnerable adults in the care of the responsible person.  (4) Professionals from disparate disciplines and agencies that have responsibilities for vulnerable adults and expertise that can promote safety and well-being of vulnerable adults should share their expertise and knowledge toward the goals of determining the causes of deaths of vulnerable adults, planning and providing services to nonoffending family members, and preventing future vulnerable adult deaths.  (5) A greater understanding of the incidence and causes of deaths of vulnerable adults is necessary if the State is to prevent future vulnerable adult deaths.  (6) Multidisciplinary and multiagency reviews of vulnerable adult deaths can assist the State in the investigation of vulnerable adult deaths, in the development of a greater understanding of the incidence and causes of vulnerable adult deaths and the methods for preventing such deaths, and in identifying gaps in services to vulnerable adults and families.  (7) Access to information regarding vulnerable adults and their families is necessary to achieve the mandates and purposes of this article.  (8) Competent investigative services must be sensitive to the needs of South Carolina's vulnerable adults and their families and not be unnecessarily intrusive and should be achieved through training, awareness, and technical assistance.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-520 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-520. Investigations of deaths in facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs; death by natural causes in a veterans' nursing home.

 The Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, created pursuant to Section 23-3-810, shall, in addition to its investigation responsibilities under that section or Article 1, investigate cases of vulnerable adult fatalities in facilities operated or contracted for operation by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. Provided, that in a nursing home, as defined in Section 44-7-130, contracted for operation by the Department of Mental Health, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit shall investigate those fatalities for which there is suspicion that the vulnerable adult died as a result of abuse or neglect, the death is suspicious in nature, or the death is referred by a coroner or medical examiner as provided in Section 43-35-35(A). In the event that a coroner rules that the death of an individual in a veterans' nursing home under the authority of the Department of Mental Health results from natural causes, the State Law Enforcement Division is not required to conduct an investigation regarding the individual's death.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006; 2010 Act No. 223, Section 8, eff June 7, 2010; 2012 Act No. 128, Section 2, eff March 13, 2012.
SC Code § 43-35-530 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-530. . Conduct of investigations.

 Upon receipt of a report of a vulnerable adult death, as required by Section 17-5-555 or Section 43-35-35, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shall:  (1) investigate and gather all information on the vulnerable adult fatality pursuant to Section 43-35-520. The coroner or medical examiner immediately must request an autopsy if the unit determines that an autopsy is necessary. The autopsy must be performed by a pathologist with forensic training as soon as possible. The forensic pathologist must inform the unit of the findings within forty-eight hours of completion of the autopsy. If the autopsy reveals the cause of death to be pathological or an unavoidable accident, the case must be closed by the unit. If the autopsy reveals physical or sexual trauma, suspicious markings, or other findings that are questionable or yields no conclusion to the cause of death, the unit immediately must begin an investigation;  (2) request assistance of any other local, county, or state agency to aid in the investigation;  (3) upon receipt of additional investigative information, reopen a case for another coroner's inquest;  (4) upon receipt of the notification required by item (1), review agency records for information regarding the deceased vulnerable adult or family. Information available to the department pursuant to Section 43-35-570 and information that is public under Chapter 4, Title 30, the Freedom of Information Act, must be available as needed to the county coroner or medical examiner, the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Adult Protective Services Program of the Department of Social Services;  (5) report the activities and findings related to vulnerable adult deaths to the Vulnerable Adults Fatalities Review Committee; and  (6) develop a protocol for vulnerable adult death investigations.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-540 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-540. . Access to medical information.

 Upon request of the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and as necessary to carry out the unit's duties, the unit immediately must be provided:  (1) by a provider of medical care, access to information and records regarding a vulnerable adult whose death is being investigated by the unit or reviewed by the committee;  (2) access to all information and records maintained by any state, county, or local government agency including, but not limited to, birth certificates, law enforcement investigation data, county coroner or medical examiner investigation data, parole and probation information and records, and information and records of social services and health agencies that provided services to the vulnerable adult or family.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-550 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-550. . Subpoena of medical information.

 When necessary in the discharge of the duties of the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and upon application of the unit, the clerks of court shall issue a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum to any state, county, or local agency, board, or commission or to any representative of any state, county, or local agency, board, or commission or to a provider of medical care to compel the attendance of witnesses and production of documents, books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, and other relevant records to the discharge of the unit's duties. Failure to obey a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum issued pursuant to this section may be punished as contempt.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-560 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-560. . Vulnerable Adults Fatalities Review Committee; members; terms; meetings; administrative support.

 (A) There is created a multidisciplinary Vulnerable Adults Fatalities Review Committee composed of:  (1) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services;  (2) the Commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control;  (3) the Executive Director of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy;  (4) the Chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division;  (5) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services;  (6) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health;  (7) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs;  (8) the Director of the Office on Aging;  (9) the Executive Director of Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc.;  (10) two representatives from two county boards of disabilities and special needs established pursuant to Section 44-20-375;  (11) a county coroner or medical examiner;  (12) an attorney with experience in prosecuting crimes against vulnerable adults;  (13) a physician with experience in treating vulnerable adults, appointed from recommendations submitted by the South Carolina Medical Association;  (14) a solicitor;  (15) a forensic pathologist; and  (16) two members of the public at large, one of whom must represent a private nonprofit community residential care facility and one of whom must represent a public for profit community residential care facility, both of which must provide services to vulnerable adults.  (B) Those members enumerated in items (1) through (10) shall serve ex officio and may appoint a designee, who has administrative or program responsibilities for vulnerable adults, to serve in their place from their particular departments or agencies. The remaining members, including the coroner or medical examiner and solicitor, who shall serve ex officio, must be appointed by the Governor for terms of four years and until their successors are appointed and qualify.  (C) A chairman and vice chairman of the committee must be elected from among the members by a majority vote of the membership for a term of two years.  (D) Meetings of the committee must be held at least quarterly. A majority of the committee constitutes a quorum.  (E) Each ex officio member shall provide sufficient staff and administrative support to carry out the responsibilities of this article.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-570 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-570. . Purpose of Vulnerable Adult Fatalities Review Committee.

 (A) The purpose of the Vulnerable Adult Fatalities Review Committee is to decrease the incidence of preventable vulnerable adult deaths by:  (1) developing an understanding of the causes and incidences of vulnerable adult deaths;  (2) developing plans for and implementing changes within the agencies represented on the committee which will prevent vulnerable adult deaths; and  (3) advising the Governor and the General Assembly on statutory, policy, and practice changes that will prevent vulnerable adult deaths.  (B) To achieve its purpose, the committee shall:  (1) meet with the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division no later than one month after the unit receives notification by the county coroner or medical examiner pursuant to Section 17-5-555 or Section 43-35-35 to review the investigation of the death;  (2) undertake annual statistical studies of the incidence and causes of vulnerable adult fatalities in this State. The studies shall include an analysis of community and public and private agency involvement with the decedents and their families before and subsequent to the deaths;  (3) consider training, including cross-agency training, consultation, technical assistance needs, and service gaps;  (4) educate the public regarding the incidences and causes of vulnerable adult deaths, the public role in preventing these deaths, and specific steps the public can undertake to prevent vulnerable adult deaths. The committee shall enlist the support of civic, philanthropic, and public service organizations in performing the committee's educational duties;  (5) develop and implement policies and procedures for its own governance and operation;  (6) submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an annual written report and any other reports prepared by the committee including, but not limited to, the committee's findings and recommendations for changes to any statute, regulation, policy, or procedure that the committee determines is needed to decrease the incidence of preventable vulnerable adult deaths. Annual reports must be made available to the public.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.
SC Code § 43-35-580 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 43 - Social Services|Chapter 35 - Adult Protection|Section 43-35-580. . Meetings discussing individual cases closed; disclosure of information identifying vulnerable adult or family member.

 (A) Meetings of the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and of the Vulnerable Adult Fatalities Review Committee are closed to the public and are not subject to Chapter 4, Title 30, the Freedom of Information Act, when the unit and committee are discussing individual cases of vulnerable adult deaths.  (B) Except as provided in subsection (C), meetings of the committee are open to the public and subject to the Freedom of Information Act when the committee is not discussing individual cases of vulnerable adult deaths.  (C) Information identifying a deceased vulnerable adult or a family member, guardian, or caretaker of a deceased vulnerable adult, or an alleged or suspected perpetrator of abuse or neglect upon a vulnerable adult may not be disclosed during a public meeting and information regarding the involvement of any agency with the deceased vulnerable adult or family may not be disclosed during a public meeting.  (D) Violation of this section is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, a person must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.  HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, Section 9, eff May 23, 2006.