Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format
Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.4203 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19990601 Primary Sponsor:Lucas All Sponsors:Lucas and Neilson Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\psd\7483ac99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 25 HJ Subject:Fetal death outside of hospital and unattended by physician, mother to report to State Registrar; Medical, Health History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19990601 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 44-63-72 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE MOTHER TO REPORT A FETAL DEATH TO THE STATE REGISTRAR WHEN THE DEATH OCCURS OUTSIDE OF AN INSTITUTION AND UNATTENDED BY A PHYSICIAN AND TO PROHIBIT DISPOSAL OF THE FETUS UNTIL THE REPORT IS MADE AND ONLY THEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 44-63-72. (A) When a fetal death occurs in this State outside of an institution and unattended by a physician, the mother shall report the fetal death to the State Registrar within seventy-two hours after the delivery. The fetus may not be disposed of until the fetal death report is made and only then in accordance with procedures available from and provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
(B) A person who violates subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(C) The purposes of this section:
(1) 'Fetal death' means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception of twenty completed weeks' gestation or more or a weight of three hundred fifty grams or more; the death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.
(2) 'Institution' means any establishment, public or private, which provides in-patient medical, surgical, or diagnostic care or treatment, or nursing, custodial, or domiciliary care, or to which persons are committed by law."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 9:27 A.M.