Department to notify law enforcement officials of patients absent without proper authorization.
S.C. Code Ann. § 44-17-865
in effectIf any person involuntarily committed to a facility under the jurisdiction of the Office of Mental Health is absent without proper authorization, the office shall immediately notify by telephone the appropriate state and local law enforcement officials of such absence. Such notice shall also be confirmed in writing and mailed to such law enforcement officials within twenty-four hours after the absence is discovered. 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.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t44c017.phpFetched: 10/17/2026