(A) There is created the South Carolina State Trauma Care Fund. In addition to those monies appropriated to the fund in the general appropriations act, the fund may receive gifts, bequests, grants, fees, or other contributions or donations from public or private entities.
(B) The fund must be a separate and distinct fund for the payment of the Department of Health and Environmental Control's expenses in establishing, administering, and overseeing the Trauma Care System. After the payment of the department's operating expenses from the fund, the department may authorize and allocate the distribution of any remaining funds for any or all of the following purposes:
(1) distribution of financial aid to participating providers using a formula based on criteria and factors identified in regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to this article. All providers receiving funds must be located within this State;
(2) distribution of any remaining funds for grants for proposals related to trauma care in this State which may include, but are not limited to, research, injury prevention, education, and planning and development of related services under this article;
(3) other expenses or providers considered appropriate by the department related to the purposes of this article.
(C) If there is adequate funding in the State Trauma Care Fund, the department shall promulgate regulations to establish the distribution of funds in accordance with the purposes stated in subsection (B). The department is solely responsible for determining the priority of distributions and may use contracts with other agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, in the distribution of these funds.
(D) Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year carries forward to the next fiscal year for the purposes stated in this article. If the trauma system ceases to exist and money remains in the Trauma Fund, the remaining money must be distributed in accordance with this article.
(E) All of the department's duties pursuant to this article including the requirement to promulgate regulations are contingent upon adequate funding to cover the department's operating and administrative costs. If adequate funding does not exist in the State Trauma Care Fund, the department is not obligated to carry out any duties pursuant to this article.
HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 232, Section 1, eff May 11, 2004.