Hallway Beds

2025-2026 Bill 958: Hallway Beds

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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A230, R241, S958

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Senators Verdin and Alexander

Companion/Similar bill(s): 5164

Document Path: SR-0519KM26.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 25, 2026

Introduced in the House on April 1, 2026

Last Amended on May 13, 2026

Governor's Action: May 19, 2026, Signed

Summary: Hallway Beds

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/25/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 7
)

2/25/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Medical Affairs
(
Senate Journal-page 7
)

3/24/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Medical Affairs
(
Senate Journal-page 7
)

3/26/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 42
)

3/26/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-37 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 42
)

3/31/2026

Senate

Read third time and sent to House (
Senate Journal-page 25
)

4/1/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 9
)

4/1/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
(
House Journal-page 9
)

5/5/2026

House

Recalled from Committee on
Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
(
House Journal-page 39
)

5/7/2026

House

Debate adjourned (
House Journal-page 88
)

5/12/2026

House

Debate adjourned (
House Journal-page 75
)

5/13/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 24
)

5/13/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 24
)

5/13/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-113 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 26
)

5/14/2026

House

Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (
House Journal-page 6
)

5/14/2026

Senate

Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (
Senate Journal-page 18
)

5/15/2026

Ratified R 241

5/19/2026

Signed By Governor

6/5/2026

Effective date 05/19/26

6/3/2026

Act No. 230

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

02/25/2026
03/24/2026
03/26/2026
05/05/2026
05/13/2026

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(A230, R241, S958)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-255 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR FIRE AND BUILDING CODE EXCEPTIONS FOR PLACEMENT OF HOSPITAL BEDS IN HALLWAYS, CORRIDORS, OR OTHER MEANS OF EGRESS DURING JUSTIFIED EMERGENCIES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Justified emergencies, patient beds in hallways

SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Section 44-7-255. (A) "Justified emergency" means any of the following:

(1) declared state of emergency;

(2) natural or manmade disaster;

(3) mass transit accident;

(4) industrial or construction accident;

(5) chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear event;

(6) act of crowd, spree, or terrorist violence resulting in injuries;

(7) acute outbreak of contagious or infectious disease; or

(8) the exhaustion of all available treatment space in an emergency department due to the number of patients being treated at that time.

(B) "Hallways," "corridors," and "means of egress" mean the same as defined in the codes and standards in effect at the time of the incident, as identified in Section 1-34-20 and adopted by the Building Codes Council pursuant to Chapter 9, Title 6.

(C) During a justified emergency, patient beds may be used in hallways, corridors, and other means of egress when a designated member of the emergency department leadership team as determined by the hospital's written policy and procedures determines and, within seven calendar days of the start of the justified emergency, documents on an electronic form developed by the Department of Public Health that:

(1) all other appropriate treatment space in the hospital has been exhausted; and

(2) the health and safety of patients is jeopardized without the use of patient beds in these areas.

(D) The form shall include the following:

(1) the beginning date and time of the justified emergency;

(2) the ending date and time of the justified emergency;

(3) the nature of the justified emergency, as described in subsection (A)(1) through (8);

(4) an indication that all other appropriate treatment space in the hospital has been exhausted;

(5) an indication that the health and safety of patients is at an increased risk without the use of patient beds in hallways, corridors, or other means of egress; and

(6) the signature of a designated member of the emergency department leadership team at the onset of the justified emergency.

(E) The hospital shall maintain records referenced in subsection (C) and provide copies of the form described in subsection (D) no less than quarterly to the department that documents each instance when a justified emergency has been determined and patient beds have been used in hallways, corridors, or other means of egress.

(F) When not in use for the care and treatment of patients during a justified emergency, hospitals shall remove any beds from hallways, corridors, or means of egress.

(G) To provide for the safety of hospital staff, patients, and visitors during a justified emergency, hospitals shall maintain a clear pathway in hallways, corridors, and means of egress and shall not block exits. Hospitals shall not erect or construct partitions or structures that obstruct the building's fire protection systems including automatic sprinkler systems or fire alarm and detection system components.

(H) To provide for the safety of hospital staff, patients, and visitors, hospitals shall develop written protocols for justified emergency conditions and shall require all employees responsible for the care or treatment of patients to familiarize themselves with these protocols.

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 19th day of May, 2026.

__________

This web page was last updated on
June 3, 2026 at 12:10 PM