Please help make Cody's legacy live on. Write, call, and email today. Ask all of South Carolina's Senate and House of Representatives to put into place laws that will support the ideas of those listed here in Cody's law.
Please check back regularly to find out if we have found any sponsors for bills, and if the bills are being voted on. Then you can help to make Cody's legacy live on by continuing to write, call, and to email all of South Carolina's lawmakers and let them know how to help protect our children, and adults of South Carolina.
SC House of Representative Members Alphabetic Listing - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/housemembers.html
SC House of Representative By District - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/housemembersd.html
SC House of Representative Email Address - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/houseemail.html
SC Senate Members Alphabetic Listing - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senatemembers.html
SC Senate By District - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senatemembersd.html
SC Senate Member's Email Address - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senateemail.html
Every child, which dies within the State of South Carolina, ages 18 and under, is required to have a full inquest, which shall be independently done outside of the county, which the child died.
Every adult, which dies within the State of South Carolina in any facility, is required to have a full inquest, which shall be independently done outside of the county, which the adult died.
Every child, which dies within the State of South Carolina, ages 18 and under, is required to have an autopsy order by the coroner, which shall be independently done outside of the county, which the child died.
Every child or adult that dies in any facility in the State of South Carolina, is required to have an autopsy order by the coroner, which shall be independently done outside of the county, which the child or adult died.
Release of Information Pertaining to the Death of a Child in a Facility Parents are to be sent every document, free of charge and without subpoena, all recorded device materials, photographs, the entire facility educational, medical records, and any other facility maintained documents, pertaining to or maintained on or about the deceased child patient, and all other case document information, including but not limited to; autopsy report, diagrams, photos, 911 call, autopsy, coroners report, on the same date and time that any agency obtains said documents, in identical duplication, without charge to the parent/legal guardian.
(a) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
When an autopsy is ordered for a death that may be a homicide, a suspicious death, etc., no body parts may be released for organ, tissue, or other donation by the coroner until they have been autopsied.
An autopsy that is order for a child or adult that died in a facility, no matter what the suspected cause is, are to have a full autopsy, to include:
(1) A complete cavity check for sexual assault, and tests for sperm.
(2) Complete x-ray.
(3) Complete body scans by CT, or MRI, searching for current or previous fractures.
(4) If any fractures are found, additional CT, or MRI tests are to be used if need to determine how old the found fractures are.
Bodies being autopsied of all children 18 and younger are to be photographed every 12 hours, and for a period of 72 hours after the time of death, looking for any bruising that may have occurred from the death, to aid in the cause of death, and in cases of homicide, to aid in the prosecution of the murderer or murderers.
Any adult or child's body being autopsied where the death occurred in a facility in South Carolina, is to be photographed every 12 hours, and for a period of 72 hours after the time of death for any bruising that has occurred from the death to be documented looking for any bruising that may have occurred from the death, to aid in the cause of death, and in cases of homicide, to aid in the prosecution of the murderer or murderers.
Laws we want added to:
Title 20 Domestic Relations
Chapter 7 Children's Code
Any child or adult patient that are placed into any therapeutic facility or group home shall have access to call SC DSS or the local SC DSS office at all times, to report abuse occurring at the facility, which they are placed.
(A) If a facility is found guilty of preventing or trying to prevent a child from calling SC DSS to report child abuse against them or any other person that is in said facility, said facility will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(B) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Any child or adult patient that is placed into any therapeutic facility or group home shall have access to call 911 at all times, to report abuse occurring at the facility, which they are placed.
(A) If a facility is found guilty of preventing or trying to prevent a child from calling 911 to report child abuse against them or any other person that is in said facility, said facility will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
All therapeutic facilities or group home employees and owners are to be held to the same accountability level of child abuse, as parents are held to under South Carolina Children's Code of Laws.
Laws we want added to:
TITLE 44. HEALTH
CHAPTER 24. COMMITMENT OF CHILDREN IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
Therapeutic facility cannot place any child in any bedroom that any person with a history of physical violence or sexual acts or tendencies are housed in, or that become known during their treatment at said therapeutic facility.
(a) Violation of this law will result in a fine to violating facility of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Any child bruised, injured or hurt by a staff member or employee of any therapeutic facility or group home shall be suspended immediately until the incident is fully investigated by SC DSS, and the local police department, independent of said facility.
(1) All facility videos will be turned over to SC DSS and the local police department for said investigation immediately.
(2) The facility or group home is mandated to notify the local police authority and SC DSS immediately, and file a police report.
(3) Local law enforcement and SC DSS will respond immediately to assist in the investigation.
(4) If any person dies, is critically injured, administered CPR, or any other life sustaining assistance is used, SC DSS must immediately be called to the scene and remove all children from said facility, until any and all official investigations are officially closed.
(5) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(6) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Release of Information Pertaining to the Death of a Child in a Facility Parents are to be sent every document, free of charge and without subpoena, all recorded device materials, photographs, the entire facility educational, medical records, and any other facility maintained documents, pertaining to or maintained on or about the deceased child patient, and all other case document information, including but not limited to; autopsy report, diagrams, photos, 911 call, on the same date and time that any agency obtains said documents, in identical duplication, without charge to the parent/legal guardian.
(a) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
All parents or legal guardians of any child or adult that is to be placed into any therapeutic facility or group home are to be informed of any and all fatalities, and/or serious injuries, which have occurred in said facility and/or group home, prior to placement into said facility and/or group home, of said child or adult.
(1) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, said facility will be ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(2) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
There shall be working video recording equipment in all therapeutic facilities, which will monitor the patients and the staff continuously, around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
(1) Every therapeutic facility shall have working video recording equipment in every bedroom, every main area room, and every hallway.
(2) Every therapeutic facility shall have two (2) working video recording equipment placed in every hallway. The video recording equipment shall have one (1) camera placed at both ends of each hall, aimed towards the center, which is capable of capturing the entire width of each hallway.
(3) If two (2) working video recording equipment devices cannot capture the entire width of all hallway, four (4) working video recording equipment devices shall be required, which shall have two (2) cameras placed at both ends of each hallway, aimed towards the center, which is capable of capturing the entire width of each hallway.
(4) There shall be working video recording equipment in all therapeutic facility main areas, including social areas, eating / cafeteria areas, school / educational areas, gymnasium, dens, living rooms, social halls, & any other area, which a child has access to, and in a manner, which no area of said areas have blind spots from the working video recording equipment.
(5) At no time shall any child or adult patient be placed in any area of any therapeutic facility, which is not viewed by a working video recording equipment device.
(6) All therapeutic facility video recordings shall be maintained for 90 days from the date of recording.
(7) Violation of this law will result in a fine to violating facility of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(8) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Belts, shoestrings, ropes, cords, or any other similar device or items, shall not ever be permitted on any therapeutic facility or high management group home premises.
(c) No employee or staff, patient, patient visitor, facility medical physicians, facility therapist, facility psychologist or psychiatrist, nurse, or any other person, shall never be allowed to wear or bring belts, shoestrings, ropes, cords, or any other similar device or items, on or into any therapeutic facility or high management group home premises at any time.
(d) Law enforcement and EMS personnel are excluded from this bill / law, when responding to an emergency call or delivering a patient to said facility.
(e) Violation of this law will result in a fine to violating facility of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(f) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Therapeutic holds in any form are never allowed in any therapeutic facility or group home.
(1) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) and/or ten (10) years in prison, and facility shall permanently be closed immediately.
All parents or legal guardians are allowed to inspect any area, which their child(ren) are housed and have access to on a daily basis, on every visit to any therapeutic facility or group home.
(a) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Every facility is required to have a list of all agencies for a parent or legal guardian of a child placed in a therapeutic facility or group home, to contact, to voice a complaint about the facility.
(a) This complaint contact list is to be given to each parent upon entrance to the facility, and it is to be posted in the lobby of the facility, and the parent and child patient must sign a copy of the list which states, "I have received a copy of the names of every agencies that I may contact with any issues I have on the care of my child or on the manner in which this facility operates."
(b) Every child in any therapeutic facility or group home shall have access to a 911 emergency phone at all times.
(c) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(d) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Release of Information Pertaining to the Death of a Child in a Facility Parents are to be sent every document, free of charge and without subpoena, all recorded device materials, photographs, the entire facility educational, medical records, and any other facility maintained documents, pertaining to or maintained on or about the deceased child patient, and all other case document information, including but not limited to; autopsy report, diagrams, photos, 911 call, on the same date and time that any agency obtains said documents, in identical duplication, without charge to the parent/legal guardian.
(a) If a facility is found guilty of violating this section, said facility, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall be notified and requested to conduct an investigation immediately, independent of any and all State of South Carolina agencies, to include any and all private investigating agencies, into all facilities where a death has occurred to a child or adult.
(A) A record of said investigation shall be maintained for a period of no less than 3 years from the date of death to a child or adult, which shall state any and all names of contacting State of South Carolina officials, to include dates, times, names, and addresses.
(B) A record of said investigation shall be maintained for a period of no less than 3 years from the date of death to a child or adult, which shall state any and all names of contacted Federal Bureau of Investigation officials, to include dates, times, names and addresses.
(C) The entire Federal Bureau of Investigation record shall be provided to the parents, legal guardians, or spouse of the deceased child or adult, without subpoena or charge, immediately, upon said investigation completion.
Additional laws we would like added:
Incident reports are to be documented for lying; stealing; suicidal threats or attempts; physical assaults and altercations; weapons including homemade weapons found on any child or adult; weapons including homemade weapons found in the child or adults room; any and all threatening behaviors exhibited by any staff member, or visitor; any and all threatening behavior by a child or adult in a facility; sexual assaults, attempted sexual assault, exposure of male or female private body parts, and sexual harassment.
Anytime a child or adult is residing in a facility or group home in the State of South Carolina, and an incident report is documented on the child or adult of a behavior that could possibly cause harm to the child or adult, the facility must immediately notify the parent, spouse or legal guardian of the behavior that was documented by the child or adult or other child or adult, or staff of the facility including but not limited to those listed in the above section. In addition, any follow up measures that will be pursued as a result of such incident must be identified and given to the parent, spouse or legal guardian (emergency room trip, admittance to the hospital, an appointment with a specialist, medication, etc.).
The parent, spouse, or guardian is to be informed of all medications that the child or adult in a facility or a child placed in foster care is on, they are to be advised of the side effects of each medication, and how the medication interacts with other medications the child is on. They are to be given verbal and written information, and any and all questions are to clearly be answered, and explained by the prescribing doctor. Medications are not to be changed without the parent, spouse, or guardian's permission each and everytime the medication is to be changed unless there is a court order in place appointing another person or a particular agency to make medication changes. If there is a court order in place authorizing another person or an agency to make decisions about medications; the parent, spouse, and guardian must still contacted and given all information in this section.
(Section to be posted later)(a) If a police department is found guilty of violating this section, said police department, will be fined ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) first offense and/or one (1) year in prison; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) second offense and/or one (2) years in prison; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and/or one (3) years in prison, and facility permanently closed for a third offense.
(b) Each offense shall be a separate offense from the date this law comes into effect to the date said facility shutting down its operation, or from the date of operation to the date of shutting down its operation, after this law comes into effect.
Please help make Cody's legacy live on. Write, call, and email today. Ask all of South Carolina's Senate and House of Representatives to put into place laws that will support the ideas of those listed here in Cody's law.
Please check back regularly to find out if we have found any sponsors for bills, and if the bills are being voted on. Then you can help to make Cody's legacy live on by continuing to write, call, and to email all of South Carolina's lawmakers and let them know how to help protect our children, and adults of South Carolina.
SC House of Representative Members Alphabetic Listing - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/housemembers.html
SC House of Representative By District - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/housemembersd.html
SC House of Representative Email Address - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/houseemail.html
SC Senate Members Alphabetic Listing - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senatemembers.html
SC Senate By District - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senatemembersd.html
SC Senate Member's Email Address - http://www.scstatehouse.net/html-pages/senateemail.html