2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 16 - Crimes and Offenses
Chapter 3 - OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON
Section 16-3-740 - Testing of certain convicted offenders for Hepatitis B and HIV.

(A) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Body fluid" means blood, amniotic fluid, pericardial fluid, pleural fluid, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, semen or vaginal secretions, or any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood.

(2) "HIV" means the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

(3) "Offender" includes adults and juveniles.

(B) Upon the request of a person who is the victim of a criminal offense which involves the sexual penetration of the victim's body or who has been exposed to body fluids during the commission of a criminal offense, or upon the request of the legal guardian of a person who is the victim of a criminal offense which involves the sexual penetration of the victim's body or who has been exposed to body fluids during the commission of a criminal offense, the solicitor, after the offender is charged, must petition the court for an order to have the offender tested for Hepatitis B and HIV. An offender must be tested pursuant to this section for Hepatitis B and HIV as soon as practicable after the court order is issued but not later than forty-eight hours after the date the person is indicted for the offense or waives indictment for the offense. If the offender is subject to the jurisdiction of the family court, he must be tested not later than forty-eight hours after the petition is filed with the family court alleging he is delinquent for committing the offense. If the offender cannot be located before the end of the forty-eight hour period as provided in this subsection, the forty-eight hour period is tolled until the offender is located by law enforcement. To obtain a court order, the solicitor must demonstrate the following, that the:

(1) victim or the victim's legal guardian requested the tests;

(2) offender has been charged with, indicted for, or waived indictment for an offense which involved the sexual penetration of the victim's body or that there is probable cause that during the commission of the criminal offense there was a risk that body fluids were transmitted from one person to another; and

(3) offender has received notice of the petition and notice of his right to have counsel represent him at a hearing.

The results of the tests must be kept confidential but disclosed to the solicitor who obtained the court order. As soon as practicable, the solicitor shall notify only those persons designated in subsection (C) of the results of the initial Hepatitis B and HIV tests and the results of any follow-up HIV tests.

(C) The tests must be administered by the Department of Health and Environmental Control through the local county health department or the medical professional at the state or local detention facility where the offender is imprisoned or detained. The solicitor shall notify the following persons of the tests results:

(1) the victim or the legal guardian of a victim who is a minor or is a person with intellectual disability or mentally incapacitated;

(2) the victim's attorney;

(3) the offender and a juvenile offender's parent or guardian; and

(4) the offender's attorney.

The results of the tests shall be provided to the designated recipients with the following disclaimer: "The tests were conducted in a medically approved manner, but tests cannot determine infection by Hepatitis B or HIV with absolute accuracy. Additionally, the testing does not determine exposure to, or infection by, other sexually transmitted diseases. Persons receiving the test results should continue to monitor their own health, seek retesting in approximately six months, and should consult a physician as appropriate".

The solicitor also shall provide to the state or local correctional facility where the offender is imprisoned or detained and the Department of Health and Environmental Control the test results for HIV and Hepatitis B which indicate that the offender is infected with the disease. The state or local correctional facility where the offender is imprisoned or detained shall use this information solely for the purpose of providing medical treatment to the offender while the offender is imprisoned or detained. The State shall pay for the tests. If the offender is subsequently convicted or adjudicated delinquent, the offender or the parents of an adjudicated offender must reimburse the State for the costs of the tests unless the offender or the parents of the adjudicated offender are determined to be indigent.

If the tests given pursuant to this section indicate infection by Hepatitis B or HIV, the Department of Health and Environmental Control shall be provided with all test results and must provide counseling to the offender regarding the disease, syndrome, or virus. The Department of Health and Environmental Control must provide counseling for the victim, advise the victim of available medical treatment options, refer the victim to appropriate health care and support services, and, at the request of the victim or the legal guardian of a victim, test the victim for HIV and Hepatitis B and provide post-testing counseling to the victim.

(D) If deemed medically appropriate, the offender must undergo follow-up testing for HIV. The follow-up testing, and any counseling which may be ordered, shall be performed on dates that occur six weeks, three months, and six months following the initial test. Any follow-up testing shall be terminated if the offender obtains an acquittal on, dismissal of, or is not adjudicated delinquent for all charges for which testing was ordered.

(E) If, for any reason, the testing requested under subsection (B) has not been undertaken, upon request of the victim or the victim's legal guardian, the court shall order the offender to undergo testing for Hepatitis B and HIV following conviction or delinquency adjudication. The testing shall be administered by the Department of Health and Environmental Control through the local county health department or the medical professional at the state or local detention facility where the offender is imprisoned or detained. The results shall be disclosed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (C).

(F) Upon a showing of probable cause that the offender committed a crime, the collection of additional samples, including blood, saliva, head or pubic hair may be contemporaneously ordered by the court so that the State may conduct scientific testing, including DNA analysis. The results of the scientific testing, including DNA analysis, may be used for evidentiary purposes in any court proceeding.

(G) Any person or entity who administers tests ordered pursuant to this section and who does so in accordance with this section and accepted medical standards for the administration of these tests shall be immune from civil and criminal liability arising from his conduct.

(H) Any person who discloses information in accordance with the provisions of this section or who participates in any judicial proceeding resulting from the disclosure and who does so in good faith and without malice shall have immunity from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed in an action resulting from the disclosure.

(I) Results of tests performed pursuant to this section shall not be used as evidence in any criminal trial of the offender except as provided for in subsection (F).

HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 490, Section 17; 1994 Act No. 430, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 218, Section 1; 2009 Act No. 59, Sections 2, 3, eff June 2, 2009; 2010 Act No. 292,Section 2, eff August 27, 2010; 2011 Act No. 36, Section 1, eff June 7, 2011.