South Carolina § 23-3-85 - Confidential communications.

§ 23-3-85. Confidential communications.

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Client" means a public safety employee or a public safety employee's immediate family.

(2) "Immediate family" means the spouse, child, stepchild, parent, or stepparent.

(3) "Peer-support team" means any critical incident support service provider who has received training to provide emotional and moral support to a client involved in a critical incident, including, but not limited to, chaplains, mental health professionals, and public safety peers.

(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as provided in subsection (C), communications between a client and any member of a peer-support team, including other clients involved in the same peer-support process, shall be confidential and privileged as provided by Section 19-11-95(B).

(C) The confidentiality and privilege created by subsection (B) shall not apply when:

(1) the disclosure is authorized by the client making the disclosure, or, if the client is deceased, the disclosure is authorized by the client's executor, administrator, or in the case of unadministrated estates, the client's next of kin. This provision only applies to statements made by the client;

(2) the peer-support team member was an initial responding officer, witness, or party to the critical incident;

(3) the communication was made when the member of the peer-support team was not performing official duties in the peer-support process; or

(4) the disclosure evidences a present threat to the client or to any other individual, or the disclosure constitutes an admission of a violation of state or federal law.

(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this section does not require the disclosure of any otherwise privileged communications and does not relieve any mandatory reporting requirements.

HISTORY: 2016 Act No. 234 (H.4878), SECTION 1, eff June 3, 2016.