South Carolina Code 40-1-77. Initial license
(B) For purposes of this section:
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-1-77
- Commission: means the group of individuals charged by law with the responsibility of licensing or otherwise regulating an occupation or profession within the State. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Department: means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation;
(5) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or the director's official designee;
(6) "Licensee" means a person granted an authorization to practice pursuant to this article and refers to a person holding a license, permit, certification, or registration granted pursuant to this article;
(7) "Licensing act" means the individual statute or regulations, or both, of each regulated profession or occupation which include, but are not limited to, board governance, the qualifications and requirements for authorization to practice, prohibitions, and disciplinary procedures;
(8) "Person" means an individual, partnership, or corporation;
(9) "Profession" or "occupation" means a profession or occupation regulated or administered, or both, by the department pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20 - Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
(1) "Apprenticeship" means a United States Department of Labor-approved and registered apprenticeship or an industry-recognized apprenticeship for an occupation or profession licensed by a South Carolina regulatory board or commission under the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, as approved by the applicable licensing board.
(2) "Board" means a board, commission, or panel under the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation that regulates a profession or occupation and issues a license to an individual. This definition of "board" does not include boards and commissions established and operating pursuant to Chapter 15 of Title 54.
(3) "License" means a license, certificate, registration, permit, or other evidence that an individual is qualified to engage in an occupation or profession before that person may engage in or represent himself as a member of an occupation or profession.
(4) "Scope of practice" means the procedures, actions, processes, and work that a person may perform pursuant to a license issued by an occupation’s or profession’s regulatory board.
(C) A board shall issue an initial license pursuant to this section to an applicant, if the applicant:
(1) completes an apprenticeship in an occupation or profession that has a similar scope of practice, as determined by the board, to an occupation or profession regulated by this State through license requirements;
(2) successfully passes requisite examinations;
(3) submits a completed application and pays all applicable fees;
(4) is not otherwise disqualified from licensure because of an applicable criminal conviction; and
(5) completes all other requirements for initial licensure as required by the applicable licensing board in accordance with state law, only if the board imposes the same requirements on other license applicants. A board shall not require an applicant pursuant to this section to complete requirements that exceed the requirements of other license applicants for initial licensure.
(D) If a board denies a license to an applicant under this section, then the board shall:
(1) provide the applicant with a denial in writing; and
(2) explain the reason for the denial in the written decision, such as whether the licensing entity determined that the applicant’s apprenticeship program does not correspond to the profession or occupation or level of license for which the applicant applied.
(E) A license issued pursuant to this section is subject to the same provisions of law governing a license for the occupation or profession.
(F) A board shall not require an applicant pursuant to this section to complete an apprenticeship for a greater duration of time than that which is required pursuant to federal law.
(G) A board may require an applicant pursuant to this section to successfully pass an examination only if the board imposes the same examination requirement on other license applicants. A board shall not require an applicant pursuant to this section to receive a higher score on an examination than the score required of other license applicants.
(H) A board may require an applicant pursuant to this section to pay a licensing fee only if the board imposes a licensing fee on other license applicants. A board shall not impose on an applicant pursuant to this section a licensing fee greater than the licensing fee imposed on other applicants.
(I) A board may promulgate regulations necessary for the implementation of this act.
(J) This section does not apply to:
(1) a licensing entity that does not license individual workers for which there is a board-approved apprenticeship program;
(2) a license that requires the educational equivalent of a bachelor’s degree or higher; or
(3) apprenticeship programs that are established by state law.