Bill > H5164

This bill allows hospitals in South Carolina to temporarily place patient beds in hallways, corridors, or other means of egress, which are areas typically meant for passage and evacuation, during a "justified emergency." A justified emergency is broadly defined to include declared states of emergency, disasters, accidents, certain violent events, disease outbreaks, or when a hospital's emergency department is overwhelmed with patients. This exception to standard fire and building codes requires an on-site emergency department physician to determine and document that all other treatment spaces are exhausted and patient health and safety are at risk. Hospitals must maintain records of these instances and report them quarterly to the Department of Public Health, and they must ensure that these areas are cleared of beds when not in use for patient care during such emergencies, while also maintaining clear pathways and not obstructing fire safety systems. Furthermore, hospitals are required to develop and train staff on written protocols for these emergency conditions.

Health and Social Services

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=5164&session=126&summary=B