Senator GROOMS proposed the following amendment (3707R005.KMM.LKG):

Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, SECTION 5.A., by striking subsection (B) and inserting:

/ (B)DHEC shall allocate vaccines so that they are distributed in a manner that ensures that each of its four public health regions shall receive a per-capita allocation, as described in subsection (A). DHEC's allocations to specific vaccine providers must:

(1) take into consideration recommendations from affected stakeholders and vaccine providers within the region, including, but not limited to, hospitals, primary care practices, pharmacies, rural health clinics, and the South Carolina Primary Care Association and any other federally qualified health centers; and

(2) be based upon the following priorities:

(a) rural and underserved communities must have equitable access to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine;

(b) available vaccines must be administered to South Carolinians as rapidly as possible, to ensure that no doses are permitted to expire and to position South Carolina favorably in the event that any future federal allocations to states may be based in part upon a state's ability to expeditiously administer the vaccine;

(c) which providers are best equipped to handle specific manufacturers' forms of the vaccine, such as those requiring ultra-cold storage; and

(d) the most current and comprehensive data available concerning how vaccines have already been administered within each region, including how the vaccination rate varies by geography, race, age, income, or other relevant factors. /