A person confined in a state institution or a person confined in a state or private mental health or intellectual disability facility may be transferred to another mental health or intellectual disability facility if: (1) the director of a state institution not under the jurisdiction of the Office of Mental Health requests the admission of a person confined there to a state mental health facility if the person is suspected of having a mental illness. If after full examination by two designated examiners, one of whom must be a licensed physician, the director of the mental health facility is of the opinion that the person has a mental illness, the office director shall notify the director of the institution or the facility to which the person was admitted who shall commence proceedings pursuant to Sections 44-17-510 through 44-17-610; (2) the director of a facility in which the patient resides determines that it would be consistent with the medical needs of the person, the Office of Mental Health may transfer or authorize the transfer of the patient from one facility to another. If the transfer is from a less restricted facility to a substantially more secure facility and the patient objects to the transfer, a hearing to give the patient a reasonable opportunity to contest the transfer must be held pursuant to Sections 44-17-540 through 44-17-570. When a patient is transferred, written notice must be given to the patient's legal guardian, attorney, parents, or spouse or, if none be known, to the patient's nearest known relative or friend. This section may not be construed to apply to transfers of a patient within a mental health facility; or (3) the legal guardian, parent, spouse, relative, or friend of an involuntary patient submits a request for the transfer of the patient from one Office of Mental Health facility to another and the reasons for desiring the transfer and unless the Office of Mental Health reasonably determines that it would be inconsistent with the medical needs of the person, the transfer must be made. If the transfer is from a less restricted to a substantially more secure facility, item (2) governs. 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.
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