2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 16 - Crimes and Offenses
Chapter 3 - OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON
Section 16-3-1350 - Medicolegal examinations for victims of criminal sexual conduct or child sex abuse.

(A) The State must ensure that a victim of criminal sexual conduct in any degree, criminal sexual conduct with a minor in any degree, or child sexual abuse must not bear the cost of his or her routine medicolegal exam following the assault.

(B) These exams must be standardized relevant to medical treatment and to gathering evidence from the body of the victim and must be based on and meet minimum standards for rape exam protocol as developed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Hospital Association, and the Governor's Office Division of Victim Assistance with production costs to be paid from funds appropriated for the Victim's Compensation Fund. These exams must include treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and must include medication for pregnancy prevention if indicated and if desired. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division must distribute these exam kits to any licensed health care facility providing sexual assault exams. When dealing with a victim of criminal sexual assault, the law enforcement agency immediately must transport the victim to the nearest licensed health care facility which performs sexual assault exams. A health care facility providing sexual assault exams must use the standardized protocol described in this subsection.

(C) A licensed health care facility, upon completion of a routine sexual assault exam as described in subsection (B) performed on a victim of criminal sexual conduct in any degree, criminal sexual conduct with a minor in any degree, or child sexual abuse, may file a claim for reimbursement directly to the South Carolina Crime Victim's Compensation Fund if the offense occurred in South Carolina. The South Carolina Crime Victim's Compensation Fund must develop procedures for health care facilities to follow when filing a claim with respect to the privacy of the victim. Health care facility personnel must obtain information necessary for the claim at the time of the exam, if possible. The South Carolina Crime Victim's Compensation Fund must reimburse eligible health care facilities directly.

(D) The Governor's Office Division of Victim Assistance must utilize existing funds appropriated from the general fund for the purpose of compensating licensed health care facilities for the cost of routine medical exams for sexual assault victims as described above. When the director determines that projected reimbursements in a fiscal year provided in this section exceed funds appropriated for payment of these reimbursements, he must direct the payment of the additional services from the Victim's Compensation Fund. For the purpose of this particular exam, the one hundred dollar deductible is waived for award eligibility under the fund. The South Carolina Victim's Compensation Fund must develop appropriate guidelines and procedures and distribute them to law enforcement agencies and appropriate health care facilities.

HISTORY: 1997 Act No. 141, Section 1; 2009 Act No. 59, Section 5, eff June 2, 2009.