H 3499 General Bill, By Gilliard, Brantley, Whipper, R.L. Brown, Hodges, Hosey, 
Howard, King, Mack and Mitchell
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 44-7-79 SO AS TO PROVIDE A HOSPITAL THAT SCHEDULES A NURSE EMPLOYEE TO WORK A
 SPECIFIC NUMBER OF HOURS IN A SHIFT MAY NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS THE
 NURSE MAY WORK DURING THE SHIFT WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF WHEN THE SHIFT
 BEGINS, UNLESS THE HOSPITAL COMPENSATES THE NURSE FOR THE ENTIRE NUMBER OF
 HOURS THE NURSE WAS SCHEDULED TO WORK.

   02/11/09  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-10
   02/11/09  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-10

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-79 SO AS TO PROVIDE A HOSPITAL THAT SCHEDULES A NURSE EMPLOYEE TO WORK A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF HOURS IN A SHIFT MAY NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS THE NURSE MAY WORK DURING THE SHIFT WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF WHEN THE SHIFT BEGINS, UNLESS THE HOSPITAL COMPENSATES THE NURSE FOR THE ENTIRE NUMBER OF HOURS THE NURSE WAS SCHEDULED TO WORK.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 44-7-79.    A hospital that schedules a nurse employee to work a specific number of hours in a shift may not reduce the number of hours the nurse may work during the shift within twenty-four hours of when the shift begins, unless the hospital compensates the nurse for the entire number of hours the nurse was scheduled to work."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.