(A) The Department of Crime Victim Services Training, Provider Certification, and Statistical Analysis, in collaboration with the Department of Crime Victim Compensation, is authorized to provide the following victim assistance services, contingent upon the availability of funds in the Victim Compensation Fund:

(1) provide information, training, and technical assistance to state and local agencies and groups involved in victim and domestic violence assistance, such as the Attorney General's Office, the solicitors' offices, law enforcement agencies, judges, hospital staff, rape crisis centers, and spouse abuse shelters;

(2) provide recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on needed legislation and services for victims;

(3) serve as a clearinghouse of victim information;

(4) develop ongoing public awareness and programs to assist victims, such as newsletters, brochures, television and radio spots and programs, and news articles;

(5) provide staff support for a Victim Services Coordinating Council representative of all agencies and groups involved in victim and domestic violence services to improve coordination efforts, suggest policy and procedural improvements to those agencies and groups as needed, and recommend needed statutory changes to the General Assembly; and

(6) coordinate the development and implementation of policy and guidelines for the treatment of victims with appropriate agencies.

(B) The Victim Services Coordinating Council shall consist of the following twenty-two members:

(1) the Director of the Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division, or his designee, who shall serve as chairperson;

(2) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, or his designee;

(3) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, or his designee;

(4) the Director of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, or his designee;

(5) the Director of the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination, or his designee;

(6) the deputy directors of the three departments and the ombudsman under the Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division;

(7) the Director of the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association, or his designee;

(8) the President of the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association, or his designee;

(9) the President of the South Carolina Jail Administrators' Association, or his designee;

(10) the President of the Solicitors' Advocate Forum, or his designee;

(11) the President of the Law Enforcement Victim Advocate Association, or his designee;

(12) the Director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, or his designee;

(13) the Attorney General, or his designee;

(14) three representatives appointed by the State Office of Victim Assistance for a term of two years and until their successors are appointed and qualified for each of the following categories:

(a) one representative of university or campus services;

(b) one representative of a statewide child advocacy organization; and

(c) one crime victim; and

(15) three at-large seats elected upon two-thirds vote of the other eighteen members of the Victim Services Coordinating Council for a term of two years and until their successors are appointed and qualified, at least one of whom must be a crime victim and two of which must be representatives of community-based nongovernmental organizations.

The Victim Services Coordinating Council shall solicit input on issues affecting relevant stakeholders when those stakeholders are not explicitly represented. The Victim Services Coordinating Council shall meet at least four times per year.

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 489, Section 2; 2008 Act No. 271, Section 3, eff January 1, 2009. Formerly Section 16-3-1410, renumbered and amended by 2017 Act No. 96 (S.289), Section 6, eff July 1, 2017.

Effect of Amendment

2017 Act No. 96, Pt. II, Section 6, in (A), substituted "Department of Crime Victim Services Training, Provider Certification, and Statistical Analysis, in collaboration with the Department of Crime Victim Compensation," for "Victim Compensation Fund", and added "in the Victim Compensation Fund"; in (B)(1), substituted "Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division" for "State Office of Victim Assistance", and added ", who shall serve as chairperson"; in (B)(6), substituted "deputy directors of the three departments and the Ombudsman under the Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division" for "Governor's Crime Victims' Ombudsman, or his designee"; deleted (B)(14), which related to the administrator of the Office of Justice Programs and redesignated accordingly; in (B)(14), substituted "three" for "four"; deleted (B)(14)(b), which related to one representative of a statewide crime victim organization and redesignated accordingly; in (B)(15), substituted "three" for "four"; and made nonsubstantive changes.