Subcommittee advances multiple health‑care regulations; pharmacy to withdraw USP reference
March 18, 2026 | 2026 Legislative Meetings, South Carolina
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Medical Affairs Subcommittee met to consider a package of regulatory changes for health‑care professions and advanced each item out of subcommittee, often with an expectation that agencies will withdraw and resubmit documents to correct placeholder language or scrivener's errors.
The panel moved first on a Board of Pharmacy regulation (document 54‑22) after members and board representatives raised concerns about a closing provision, item B2, that referenced "United States Pharmacopeia" chapters. Casey Shealy, identified as representing the Board of Pharmacy, said the provision had been intended as placeholder language but could be read as the board "fully adopting these as the standards for the state," a result the board did not intend. Shealy said the board planned to withdraw and resubmit the regulation striking item B2; the subcommittee reported the regulation favorably out of subcommittee with that expectation.
The committee also considered fee and licensure technical changes for a newly established genetic counselors board (document 53‑99). Mr. Hogan and LLR staff told members the agency now projects about 285 licensees; the package would reduce an initial license fee from $600 to $400 and lists a renewal fee of $3.50. Director Farr, present to observe, offered brief remarks. The subcommittee voted to report that regulation favorably out of subcommittee, with the expectation of a withdrawal/resubmission at the full committee to correct scrivener items.
On a separate item, LLR staff presented a code of ethics for anesthesiologist assistants following a statutory change last year that increased the number of assistants a physician may supervise. Holly Beeson, who represented LLR in the hearing, said the proposed code "mirrors a code of ethics from the state of Missouri" and reflected standard professional expectations; members expressed no objection and the subcommittee voted to report the regulation favorably.
The Board of Long Term Care Administrators' package (document 5419) proposed multiple terminology and licensing updates: replacing the administrator-in-training/residency terminology with a nationally recognized term, clarifying dual credentials for nursing‑home and community‑residential‑care administrators (with a 40‑mile radius limitation for administering multiple facilities), establishing a non‑licensure executive designation, aligning criminal background checks with statutory law, clarifying exam and endorsement rules for out‑of‑state licensees, creating provisional licenses that expire in 90 days (with a single extension), and treating retired status as inactive rather than a separate category. Sarah doctor Greenway, introduced as a board member with the Long Term Care Administrators, made a clarification about the residency/training terminology during testimony. The subcommittee reported the package favorably and noted a scrivener's correction would be pursued via withdrawal/resubmission at the next stage.
LLR also presented an update for the Board of Nursing (document 54‑21) to reference the current American Nurses Association code of ethics as the applicable standard for South Carolina nurses going forward and to codify a "limited emergency license" for use during disasters. Holly Beeson described the limited emergency license as a rapid temporary credentialing mechanism for out‑of‑state licensed nurses during a declared emergency, used previously during the 2015 flood and widely during the COVID response. Committee members asked whether authorization carries over between consecutive declared emergencies; staff said the limited license ends with the declared state of emergency and employers typically reapply if a new emergency is declared. The subcommittee voted to report the regulation favorably.
Finally, Mr. Hogan presented technical corrections for the Board of Examiners in Speech‑Language Pathology and Audiology (document 54‑25) to remove language inconsistent with statute and to correct a scrivener's error; the subcommittee reported the document favorably and adjourned.
Votes at a glance: each item was reported favorably out of subcommittee by voice vote; the record shows committee approval for the pharmacy, genetic counselors, anesthesiologist assistants, long‑term care administrators, nursing, and speech‑language packages, typically with an expectation that agencies will withdraw and resubmit specific provisions to correct placeholder language or scrivener's errors.
The subcommittee adjourned after reporting all items favorably. The documents will proceed to full committee consideration, where some will be formally withdrawn and resubmitted with revised language as described during testimony.
The panel moved first on a Board of Pharmacy regulation (document 54‑22) after members and board representatives raised concerns about a closing provision, item B2, that referenced "United States Pharmacopeia" chapters. Casey Shealy, identified as representing the Board of Pharmacy, said the provision had been intended as placeholder language but could be read as the board "fully adopting these as the standards for the state," a result the board did not intend. Shealy said the board planned to withdraw and resubmit the regulation striking item B2; the subcommittee reported the regulation favorably out of subcommittee with that expectation.
The committee also considered fee and licensure technical changes for a newly established genetic counselors board (document 53‑99). Mr. Hogan and LLR staff told members the agency now projects about 285 licensees; the package would reduce an initial license fee from $600 to $400 and lists a renewal fee of $3.50. Director Farr, present to observe, offered brief remarks. The subcommittee voted to report that regulation favorably out of subcommittee, with the expectation of a withdrawal/resubmission at the full committee to correct scrivener items.
On a separate item, LLR staff presented a code of ethics for anesthesiologist assistants following a statutory change last year that increased the number of assistants a physician may supervise. Holly Beeson, who represented LLR in the hearing, said the proposed code "mirrors a code of ethics from the state of Missouri" and reflected standard professional expectations; members expressed no objection and the subcommittee voted to report the regulation favorably.
The Board of Long Term Care Administrators' package (document 5419) proposed multiple terminology and licensing updates: replacing the administrator-in-training/residency terminology with a nationally recognized term, clarifying dual credentials for nursing‑home and community‑residential‑care administrators (with a 40‑mile radius limitation for administering multiple facilities), establishing a non‑licensure executive designation, aligning criminal background checks with statutory law, clarifying exam and endorsement rules for out‑of‑state licensees, creating provisional licenses that expire in 90 days (with a single extension), and treating retired status as inactive rather than a separate category. Sarah doctor Greenway, introduced as a board member with the Long Term Care Administrators, made a clarification about the residency/training terminology during testimony. The subcommittee reported the package favorably and noted a scrivener's correction would be pursued via withdrawal/resubmission at the next stage.
LLR also presented an update for the Board of Nursing (document 54‑21) to reference the current American Nurses Association code of ethics as the applicable standard for South Carolina nurses going forward and to codify a "limited emergency license" for use during disasters. Holly Beeson described the limited emergency license as a rapid temporary credentialing mechanism for out‑of‑state licensed nurses during a declared emergency, used previously during the 2015 flood and widely during the COVID response. Committee members asked whether authorization carries over between consecutive declared emergencies; staff said the limited license ends with the declared state of emergency and employers typically reapply if a new emergency is declared. The subcommittee voted to report the regulation favorably.
Finally, Mr. Hogan presented technical corrections for the Board of Examiners in Speech‑Language Pathology and Audiology (document 54‑25) to remove language inconsistent with statute and to correct a scrivener's error; the subcommittee reported the document favorably and adjourned.
Votes at a glance: each item was reported favorably out of subcommittee by voice vote; the record shows committee approval for the pharmacy, genetic counselors, anesthesiologist assistants, long‑term care administrators, nursing, and speech‑language packages, typically with an expectation that agencies will withdraw and resubmit specific provisions to correct placeholder language or scrivener's errors.
The subcommittee adjourned after reporting all items favorably. The documents will proceed to full committee consideration, where some will be formally withdrawn and resubmitted with revised language as described during testimony.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
