Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:3624 Primary Sponsor:Corning Committee Number:27 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:County social services departments, evaluations Residing Body:House Current Committee:Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Computer Document Number:NO5/7231.BD Introduced Date:Feb 28, 1991 Last History Body:House Last History Date:Feb 28, 1991 Last History Type:Introduced, read first time, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Corning Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
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3624 House Feb 28, 1991 Introduced, read first time, 27
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 43-1-95 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF WRITTEN CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING A COUNTY DEPARTMENT, AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, EVALUATIONS, CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, IMPROVEMENTS, ESCROW OF FUNDS, AND COUNTY DIRECTORS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 43-1-95. (A) Before July 1, 1993, the State Department of Social Services shall establish written criteria for evaluating the quality of services provided by a county department of social services in consultation with the county director, county advisory council chairmen, and other knowledgeable persons. The criteria include, but are not limited to:
(1) compliance with federal and state regulations;
(2) cooperation with other governmental and nonprofit agencies in the county in which it is located and adjacent counties;
(3) development of staff activities, including participation in training;
(4) retention of staff;
(5) improvement of performance through specific criteria;
(6) compliance with professional standards of social work developed by national accrediting agencies including, but not limited to, the American Humane Association and the American Public Welfare Association;
(7) compliance with equal employment opportunity standards;
(8) methods to obtain information from its clients about its performance;
(9) methods to obtain information from other governmental and nonprofit agencies about its performance.
(B) The department shall create an advisory committee pursuant to Section 43-1-60 to assist in the design of a review procedure for county operations to take effect January 1, 1992. The members include, but are not limited to, the faculty of the schools of social work at the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State College; county directors; county board chairmen; nonprofit agencies; and clients of the department. The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the South Carolina Board of Social Services based on the data counties provide to the department.
(C) Beginning January 1, 1994, and before January 2 of each year, the department shall evaluate each county department based on the criteria provided in this section.
(D) If the county department does not comply with the criteria, the county director shall develop a corrective action plan to be submitted to the board within thirty days of receipt of the evaluation. The board shall review the corrective action plan and, in consultation with the county director, make necessary changes.
(E) If the county department does not comply with the corrective action within the time specified by the department, the board shall take action it considers necessary to improve the operation of the county department including, but not limited to, disciplining or terminating the county director.
(F) During implementation of the corrective action plan, the board may cause state and federal funds for programs administered by the county department to be escrowed until the corrective action plan has been implemented to the satisfaction of the board. The board may release funds from escrow for a program which it determines has been restored to at least the level of the minimum criteria even though the corrective action plan as a whole has not been completed. When the board determines that the corrective action plan has been completed, it shall release the escrowed funds to the county department.
(G) If the board determines that the county department's performance is substantially below the minimum criteria and prevents the effective delivery of social services in the county, it may remove the county director immediately and appoint an interim director until the resolution of an appeal by the county director or until a new director is selected in accordance with Section 43-3-40.
(H) The board, in cooperation with the advisory committee, shall establish criteria for the employment, evaluation, and retention of county directors."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.