Article 1 General Provisions
Article 3 Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact

Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 40 > Chapter 55 - Psychologists

  • Adaptive parenting equipment: means equipment or any other item that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the parenting capabilities of a person with a disability. See South Carolina Code 63-21-10
  • Adaptive parenting techniques: means strategies for accomplishing childcare and other parenting tasks that enable a person with a disability to execute a task safely for themselves and their children alone or in conjunction with adaptive parenting equipment. See South Carolina Code 63-21-10
  • Administrator: means the individual to whom the director has delegated authority to administer the programs of a specific board or of a professional or occupational group for which the department has regulatory authority or has delegated authority to administer the programs of a specific board;

    (2) "Authorization to practice" or "Practice authorization" means the approval to practice the specified profession, engage in the specified occupation, or use a title protected under this article, which has been granted by the applicable board. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20
  • Adverse action: means any action taken by a state psychology regulatory authority which finds a violation of a statute or regulation that is identified by the state psychology regulatory authority as discipline and is a matter of public record. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Authority to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology: means a licensed psychologist's authority to practice telepsychology, within the limits authorized under this compact, in another compact state. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Bylaws: means those bylaws established by the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Commission pursuant to § 40-55-400 for its governance, or for directing and controlling its actions and conduct. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Child: means a person under the age of eighteen. See South Carolina Code 63-1-40
  • commission: means the national administration of which all compact states are members. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Commissioner: means the voting representative appointed by each state psychology regulatory authority pursuant to § 40-55-400. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Compact state: means a state, the District of Columbia, or United States territory that has enacted this compact legislation and which has not withdrawn pursuant to § 40-55-430(C) or been terminated pursuant to § 40-55-420(B). See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • coordinated database: means an integrated process for collecting, storing, and sharing information on psychologists' licensure and enforcement activities related to psychology licensure laws, which is administered by the recognized membership organization composed of state and provincial psychology regulatory authorities. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Day: means any part of a day in which psychological work is performed. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Department: means the South Carolina Department of Social Services. See South Carolina Code 63-21-10
  • 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
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Disability: means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual, a record of an impairment, or being regarded as having an impairment, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, and as interpreted broadly under that act. See South Carolina Code 63-21-10
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Distant state: means the compact state where a psychologist is physically present (not through the use of telecommunications technologies), to provide temporary in-person, face-to-face psychological services. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Donee: The recipient of a gift.
  • Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) Source: OCC
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Guardian: means a person who legally has the care and management of a child. See South Carolina Code 63-1-40
  • Home state: means a compact state where a psychologist is licensed to practice psychology. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Identity history summary: means a summary of information retained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or other designee with similar authority, in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Judge: means the judge of the family court. See South Carolina Code 63-1-40
  • 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.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • License: means authorization by a state psychology regulatory authority to engage in the independent practice of psychology, which would be unlawful without the authorization. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Noncompact state: means any state which is not at the time a compact state. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Parent: means biological parent, adoptive parents, step-parent, or person with legal custody. See South Carolina Code 63-1-40
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Psychologist: means an individual licensed for the independent practice of psychology. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Receiving state: means a compact state where the client/patient is physically located when the telepsychological services are delivered. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
  • Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
  • Rule: means a written statement by the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Commission promulgated pursuant to § 40-55-410 of the compact that is of general applicability, implements, interprets, or prescribes a policy or provision of the compact, or an organizational, procedural, or practice requirement of the commission and has the force and effect of statutory law in a compact state, and includes the amendment, repeal, or suspension of an existing rule. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Significant investigatory information: means :

    (a) investigative information that a state psychology regulatory authority, after a preliminary inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity to respond if required by state law, has reason to believe, if proven true, would indicate more than a violation of a state statute or ethics code that would be considered more substantial than a minor infraction; or

    (b) investigative information that indicates that the psychologist represents an immediate threat to public health and safety regardless of whether the psychologist has been notified or had an opportunity to respond. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • State: means a state, commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • State psychology regulatory authority: means the board, office or other agency with the legislative mandate to license and regulate the practice of psychology. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Supportive services: means services that help a person with a disability compensate for those aspects of the disability that affect the ability to care for a child and that enables the person to fulfill parental responsibilities including, but not limited to, specialized or adapted training, evaluations, and assistance with effective use of adaptive equipment, and accommodations that enable a person with a disability to benefit from other services, such as braille text or sign language interpretation. See South Carolina Code 63-21-10
  • Telepsychology: means the provision of psychological services using telecommunication technologies. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Temporary authorization to practice: means a licensed psychologist's authority to conduct temporary in-person, face-to-face practice, within the limits authorized under this compact, in another compact state. See South Carolina Code 40-55-320
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.