South Carolina § 43-35-520 Investigations of deaths in facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs; death by natural causes in a veterans' nursing home.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 43-35-520 — Investigations of deaths in facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs; death by natural causes in a veterans' nursing home.

South Carolina § 43-35-520

Title 43SOCIAL SERVICES

Ch. 35ADULT PROTECTION

This text of South Carolina § 43-35-520 (Investigations of deaths in facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs; death by natural causes in a veterans' nursing home.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 43-35-520 (2026).

Text

The Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, created pursuant to Section 23-3-810, shall, in addition to its investigation responsibilities under that section or Article 1, investigate cases of vulnerable adult fatalities in facilities operated or contracted for operation by the Office of Mental Health or the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Provided, that in a nursing home, as defined in Section 44-7-130, contracted for operation by the Office of Mental Health, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit shall investigate those fatalities for which there is suspicion that the vulnerable adult died as a result of abuse or neglect, the death is suspicious in nature, or the death is referred by a coroner or medical examiner as 

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The Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, created pursuant to Section 23-3-810, shall, in addition to its investigation responsibilities under that section or Article 1, investigate cases of vulnerable adult fatalities in facilities operated or contracted for operation by the Office of Mental Health or the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Provided, that in a nursing home, as defined in Section 44-7-130, contracted for operation by the Office of Mental Health, the Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit shall investigate those fatalities for which there is suspicion that the vulnerable adult died as a result of abuse or neglect, the death is suspicious in nature, or the death is referred by a coroner or medical examiner as provided in Section 43-35-35(A). In the event that a coroner rules that the death of an individual in a veterans' nursing home under the authority of the Department of Mental Health results from natural causes, the State Law Enforcement Division is not required to conduct an investigation regarding the individual's death.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 301, SECTION 9, eff May 23, 2006; 2010 Act No. 223, SECTION 8, eff June 7, 2010; 2012 Act No. 128, SECTION 2, eff March 13, 2012. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, certain references in the S.C. Code to the State Department of Mental Health, South Carolina Mental Health Commission, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs Commission, Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, and other related terms were changed to reflect the restructuring of these agencies into component offices under the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, pursuant to 2025 Act No. 3, SECTION 18.