(A) The Department of Crime Victim Services Training, Provider Certification, and Statistical Analysis is created within the Office of the Attorney General, South Carolina Crime Victim Services Division. The Director of the Crime Victim Services Division shall appoint a deputy director of the department.

(B) The Department of Crime Victim Services Training, Provider Certification, and Statistical Analysis shall:

(1) provide oversight of training, education, and certification of victim assistance programs;

(2) in cooperation with the Victim Services Coordinating Council, promulgate training standards and requirements;

(3) approve training curricula for credit hours toward certification;

(4) provide victim service provider certification;

(5) maintain records of certified victim service providers; and

(6) collect and analyze statistical data gathered from providers; grant providers; grant recipients; all victim services funding streams; and local, state, and federal crime data and publish analysis, needs assessments, and reports.

(C) Public crime victim assistance programs shall ensure that all victim service providers employed in their respective offices are certified through the department.

(1) Private, nonprofit programs shall ensure that all crime victim service providers in these nonprofit programs are certified by a Victim Services Coordinating Council-approved certification program. Victim Services Coordinating Council approval must include review of the program to ensure that requirements are commensurate with the certification requirements for public victim assistance service providers.

(2) Crime victim service providers, serving in public or private nonprofit programs and employed on the effective date of this article, are exempt from basic certification requirements but must meet annual continuing education requirements to maintain certification. Crime victim service providers, serving in public or private nonprofit programs and employed after the effective date of this article, are required to complete the basic certification requirements within one year from the date of employment and to meet annual continuing education requirements to maintain certification throughout their employment.

(3) The mandatory minimum certification requirements, as promulgated by the deputy director, may not exceed fifteen hours, and the mandatory minimum requirements for continuing advocacy education, as promulgated by the deputy director, may not exceed twelve hours.

(4) Nothing in this section shall prevent an entity from requiring, or an individual from seeking, additional certification credits beyond the basic required hours.