(A) The Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit is established within the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. (B) In accordance with Article 1, Chapter 35, Title 43, the unit shall receive and coordinate the referral of all reports of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults in facilities operated or contracted for operation by the Office of Mental Health or the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The unit shall establish a toll-free number, which must be operated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to receive the reports. (C) The unit shall investigate or refer to appropriate law enforcement those reports in which there is reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct. The unit also shall investigate vulnerable adult fatalities as provided for in Article 5, Chapter 35, Title 43. (D) The unit shall refer those reports in which there is no reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct to the appropriate investigative entity for investigation in accordance with Article 1, Chapter 35, Title 43. (E) Upon conclusion of a criminal investigation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, the unit or other law enforcement shall refer the case to the appropriate prosecutor when further action is necessary. (F) The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division may develop policies, procedures, and memorandum of agreement with other agencies to be used in fulfilling the requirements of this article. However, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division must not delegate its responsibility to investigate criminal reports of alleged abuse, neglect, and exploitation to the agencies, facilities, or entities that operate or contract for the operation of the facilities. Nothing in this article precludes the Office of Mental Health, the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, or their contractors from performing administrative responsibilities in compliance with applicable state and federal requirements. (G) The definitions provided in Section 43-35-10 shall apply to this section. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, certain references in the S.C. Code to the State Department of Mental Health, South Carolina Mental Health Commission, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs Commission, Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, and other related terms were changed to reflect the restructuring of these agencies into component offices under the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, pursuant to 2025 Act No. 3, SECTION 18. Effect of Amendment The 2010 amendment in subsection (E) substituted "when" for "to determine if". National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact
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