South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

South Carolina Senate Bill S0170 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026
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3	3		Bill 170
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5	5		Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter
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7	7		(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
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9		-	Indicates Matter Stricken Indicates New Matter Committee Amendment Adopted March 13, 2025 S. 170 Introduced by Senators Hembree, Kimbrell, Stubbs, Matthews, Garrett, Adams, Graham and Zell S. Printed 3/13/25--S. [SEC 3/19/2025 12:47 PM] Read the first time January 14, 2025 ________
	9	+	Indicates Matter Stricken Indicates New Matter Committee Amendment Adopted March 13, 2025 S. 170 Introduced by Senators Hembree, Kimbrell, Stubbs, Matthews, Garrett, Adams, Graham and Zell S. Printed 3/13/25--S. [SEC 3/18/2025 5:50 PM] Read the first time January 14, 2025 ________
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11	11		Indicates Matter Stricken
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13	13		Indicates New Matter
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17	17		Committee Amendment Adopted
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19	19		March 13, 2025
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23	23		S. 170
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27	27		Introduced by Senators Hembree, Kimbrell, Stubbs, Matthews, Garrett, Adams, Graham and Zell
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31		-	S. Printed 3/13/25--S. [SEC 3/19/2025 12:47 PM]
	31	+	S. Printed 3/13/25--S. [SEC 3/18/2025 5:50 PM]
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33	33		Read the first time January 14, 2025
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39		-	A bill TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-387 SO AS TO REQUIRE A LICENSED FACILITY TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO SURGICAL SMOKE BY REQURING THE USE OF A SMOKE EVACUATION SYSTEM. Amend Title To Conform Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: SECTION 1. Chapter 7, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding: Section 44-7-387. (A) As used in this section: (1) "Surgical smoke" means the gaseous by-product produced by energy-generating devices such as lasers and electrosurgical devices. The term includes, but is not limited to, surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, or lung-damaging dust. (2) "Smoke evacuation system" means equipment that effectively captures and filters surgical smoke at the site of origin before the smoke makes contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of occupants in the room. (3) "Licensed facility" means a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility as defined in Section 44-7-130. (B) A licensed facility must adopt and implement policies to prevent exposure to surgical smoke by requiring the use of a smoke evacuation system during any surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke. SECTION 2. ~~This act takes effect on~~ July 1, 2026, except that for the following hospitals this act takes effect January 1, 2027: (1) hospitals certified as critical access hospitals pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-4; (2) hospitals with fewer than fifty acute care beds in operation; (3) hospitals certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as sole community hospitals; (4) hospitals that qualify as a Medicare dependent hospital; and (5) hospitals with six or fewer operating rooms. ----XX----
	39	+	A bill TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-387 SO AS TO REQUIRE A LICENSED FACILITY TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO SURGICAL SMOKE BY REQURING THE USE OF A SMOKE EVACUATION SYSTEM. Amend Title To Conform Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: SECTION 1. Chapter 7, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding: Section 44-7-387. (A) As used in this section: (1) "Surgical smoke" means the gaseous by-product produced by energy-generating devices such as lasers and electrosurgical devices. The term includes, but is not limited to, surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, or lung-damaging dust. (2) "Smoke evacuation system" means equipment that effectively captures and filters surgical smoke at the site of origin before the smoke makes contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of occupants in the room. (3) "Licensed facility" means a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility as defined in Section 44-7-130. (B) A licensed facility must adopt and implement policies to prevent exposure to surgical smoke by requiring the use of a smoke evacuation system during any surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke. SECTION 2. July 1, 2026, except that for the following hospitals this act takes effect January 1, 2027: (1) hospitals certified as critical access hospitals pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-4; (2) hospitals with fewer than fifty acute care beds in operation; (3) hospitals certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as sole community hospitals; (4) hospitals that qualify as a Medicare dependent hospital; and (5) hospitals with six or fewer operating rooms. ----XX----
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57	57		A bill
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61	61		TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-387 SO AS TO REQUIRE A LICENSED FACILITY TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO SURGICAL SMOKE BY REQURING THE USE OF A SMOKE EVACUATION SYSTEM.
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63	63		Amend Title To Conform
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67	67		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
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71	71		SECTION 1. Chapter 7, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
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75	75		Section 44-7-387. (A) As used in this section:
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77	77		(1) "Surgical smoke" means the gaseous by-product produced by energy-generating devices such as lasers and electrosurgical devices. The term includes, but is not limited to, surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, or lung-damaging dust.
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79	79		(2) "Smoke evacuation system" means equipment that effectively captures and filters surgical smoke at the site of origin before the smoke makes contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of occupants in the room.
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81	81		(3) "Licensed facility" means a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility as defined in Section 44-7-130.
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83	83		(B) A licensed facility must adopt and implement policies to prevent exposure to surgical smoke by requiring the use of a smoke evacuation system during any surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke.
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87		-	SECTION 2. ~~This act takes effect on~~ July 1, 2026, except that for the following hospitals this act takes effect January 1, 2027:
	87	+	SECTION 2. July 1, 2026, except that for the following hospitals this act takes effect January 1, 2027:
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89	89		(1) hospitals certified as critical access hospitals pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1395i-4;
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91	91		(2) hospitals with fewer than fifty acute care beds in operation;
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93	93		(3) hospitals certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as sole community
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95	95		hospitals;
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97	97		(4) hospitals that qualify as a Medicare dependent hospital; and
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99	99		(5) hospitals with six or fewer operating rooms.
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101	101		----XX----
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103		-	This web page was last updated on March 19, 2025 at 12:48 PM
	103	+	This web page was last updated on March 18, 2025 at 05:52 PM