South Carolina Code 40-67-530. State participation in compact
(B) In addition to other requirements established by law and for the purpose of determining an applicant’s eligibility for an initial compact privilege, the department shall require a national criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The results of this criminal records check must be reported to the department. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is authorized to retain the fingerprints for certification purposes and for notification of the department regarding criminal charges. Costs of conducting a criminal history background check must be borne by the applicant. The department shall keep information received pursuant to this section confidential, except that information relied upon in denying licensure may be disclosed as may be necessary to support the administrative action. The results of this criminal records check must not be shared outside the department.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-67-530
- Adverse action: means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action permitted by a state's laws which is imposed by a licensing board or other authority against an audiologist or speech-language pathologist, including actions against an individual's license or privilege to practice such as revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, or restriction on the licensee's practice. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Audiologist: means an individual who is licensed by a state to practice audiology. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Audiology: means the care and services provided by a licensed audiologist as set forth in the member state's statutes and rules. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Board: means the South Carolina State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. See South Carolina Code 40-67-20
- Commission: means the national administrative body whose membership consists of all states that have enacted the compact. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Compact privilege: means the authorization granted by a remote state to allow a licensee from another member state to practice as an audiologist or speech-language pathologist in the remote state under its laws and rules. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Data system: means a repository of information about licensees including, but not limited to, continuing education, examination, licensure, investigative, compact privilege, and adverse action. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Department: means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation;
(5) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or the director's official designee;
(6) "Licensee" means a person granted an authorization to practice pursuant to this article and refers to a person holding a license, permit, certification, or registration granted pursuant to this article;
(7) "Licensing act" means the individual statute or regulations, or both, of each regulated profession or occupation which include, but are not limited to, board governance, the qualifications and requirements for authorization to practice, prohibitions, and disciplinary procedures;
(8) "Person" means an individual, partnership, or corporation;
(9) "Profession" or "occupation" means a profession or occupation regulated or administered, or both, by the department pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20 - Home state: means the member state that is the licensee's primary state of residence. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- License: means an authorization to practice speech-language pathology or audiology issued by the board pursuant to this chapter and includes an authorization to practice as a speech-language pathology intern, an audiology intern, and a speech-language pathology assistant. See South Carolina Code 40-67-20
- licensing board: means the agency of a state that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of audiologists and/or speech-language pathologists. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Member state: means a state that has enacted the compact. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- practice of audiology: means the rendering of or the offering to render any audiology service to an individual, group, organization, or the public. See South Carolina Code 40-67-20
- practice of speech-language pathology: means the rendering of or the offering to render any speech-language pathology services to an individual, group, organization, or the public. See South Carolina Code 40-67-20
- Privilege to practice: means a legal authorization permitting the practice of audiology or speech-language pathology in a remote state. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Remote state: means a member state other than the home state where a licensee is exercising or seeking to exercise the compact privilege. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Single-state license: means an audiology or speech-language pathology license issued by a member state that authorizes practice only within the issuing state and does not include a privilege to practice in any other member state. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Speech-language pathologist: means an individual who is licensed by a state to practice speech-language pathology. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- Speech-language pathology: means the care and services provided by a licensed speech-language pathologist as set forth in the member state's statutes and rules. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
- State: means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States of America that regulates the practice of audiology and speech-language pathology. See South Carolina Code 40-67-520
(C) Upon application for a privilege to practice, the licensing board in the issuing remote state shall ascertain, through the data system, whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of, a license issued by any other state, whether there are any encumbrances on any license or privilege to practice held by the applicant, whether any adverse action has been taken against any license or privilege to practice held by the applicant.
(D) Each member state must require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet the home state’s qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as, all other applicable state laws.
(E) An audiologist must:
(1) meet one of the following educational requirements:
(a) on or before December 31, 2007, graduate with a master’s degree or doctorate in audiology, or equivalent degree regardless of degree name, from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or its successor, or by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board;
(b) on or after January 1, 2008, graduate with a doctoral degree in audiology, or equivalent degree, regardless of degree name, from a program that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor, or by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board;
(c) graduate from an audiology program that is housed in an institution of higher education outside of the United States: (i) for which the program and institution have been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and (ii) the degree program has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a state licensing board-approved program;
(2) complete a supervised clinical practicum experience from an accredited educational institution or its cooperating programs as required by the commission;
(3) pass a national examination approved by the commission;
(4) hold an active, unencumbered license;
(5) not have been convicted or found guilty, and has not entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony related to the practice of audiology, under applicable state or federal criminal law; and
(6) have a valid United States Social Security or National Practitioner Identification number.
(F) A speech-language pathologist must:
(1) meet one of the following educational requirements:
(a) graduate with a master’s degree from a speech-language pathology program that is accredited by an organization recognized by the United States Department of Education and operated by a college or university accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the board; or
(b) graduate from a speech-language pathology program that is housed in an institution of higher education outside the United States: (i) for which the program and institution have been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and (ii) the degree program has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a state licensing board-approved program;
(2) complete a supervised clinical practicum experience from an accredited educational institution or its cooperating programs as required by the commission;
(3) complete a supervised postgraduate professional experience as required by the commission;
(4) pass a national examination approved by the commission;
(5) hold an active, unencumbered license;
(6) not have been convicted or found guilty, and has not entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony related to the practice of speech-language pathology, under applicable state or federal criminal law; and
(7) have a valid United States Social Security or National Practitioner Identification number.
(G) The privilege to practice is derived from the home state license.
(H) An audiologist or speech-language pathologist practicing in a member state must comply with the state practice laws of the state in which the client is located at the time the service is provided. The practice of audiology and speech-language pathology includes all audiology and speech-language pathology practice as defined by the state practice laws of the member state in which the client is located. The practice of audiology and speech-language pathology in a member state under a privilege to practice subjects an audiologist or speech-language pathologist to the jurisdiction of the licensing board, the courts, and the laws of the member state in which the client is located at the time service is provided.
(I) Individuals not residing in a member state may apply for a member state’s single-state license as provided under the laws of each member state. However, the single-state license granted to these individuals is not recognized as granting the privilege to practice audiology or speech-language pathology in any other member state. Nothing in this compact shall affect the requirements established by a member state for the issuance of a single-state license.
(J) Member states may charge a fee for granting a compact privilege.
(K) Member states must comply with the bylaws and rules and regulations of the commission.