South Carolina § 40-61-80 - Complaints and proceedings against registered environmental sanitarians.

§ 40-61-80. Complaints and proceedings against registered environmental sanitarians.

The board shall receive complaints by any person against a registered environmental sanitarian and shall require a complaint to be submitted in written form specifying the exact charge. Upon receipt of the complaint, the chairman or his designee shall investigate the allegations in the complaint and make a report to the board concerning his investigation. If the board desires to proceed further, it may file a formal accusation charging the registered environmental sanitarian with a violation of a provision of this chapter. The accusation must be signed by the chairman on behalf of the board. When the accusation is filed the board shall set a date and place for hearing thereon and the board must notify the accused in writing not less than thirty days prior to the hearing and a copy of the accusation must be attached to the notice. The accused may appear and show cause why his license should not be suspended or revoked.

The accused has the right to be confronted with and to cross-examine the witnesses against him and he has the right to counsel. For the purposes of such hearing, the board may require by subpoena the attendance of witnesses, the production of documents, may administer oaths and hear testimony, either oral or documentary, for and against the accused. In instances where a board member has made the initial investigation or complaint, he may not sit with the board at the hearing of the complaint.

The notice must be sent to the accused by registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to his last mailing address furnished by the board. The post office registration receipt signed by the accused, his agent, or a responsible member of his household or office staff, or, if not accepted by the person to whom addressed, the postal authority stamp showing the notice refused is prima facie evidence of service of the notice.

All investigations and proceedings undertaken under the provisions of this chapter are confidential.

Every communication, whether oral or written, made by or on behalf of any complainant to the board or member thereof, pursuant to this chapter, whether by way of complaint or testimony, is privileged; and no action or proceeding, civil or criminal, shall lie against any person by whom or on whose behalf the communication is made, except upon proof that the communication was made with malice.

No part of this chapter is construed as prohibiting the respondent or his legal counsel from exercising the respondent's constitutional right of due process under the law nor to prohibit the respondent from normal access to the charges and evidence filed against him as a part of due process under the law.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 56-1546.8; 1962 (52) 1918; 1984 Act No. 512, Part II, SECTION 58A.