COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Senate has unanimously passed a bill that aims to split the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) into two new agencies.
Senate Bill 2 restructures the state's health agency by dividing its public health and environmental responsibilities into the Department of Behavioral and Public Health and the Department of Environmental Services.
Lead sponsor of the bill Senator Harvey Peeler called the move "past due" and said it garnered bipartisan support because it makes public services more accessible.
“Separating DHEC into two cabinet agencies makes it more efficient and more citizen-friendly,” Peeler told reporters after the Senate session Thursday.
The potential new health agency would take over mental health and drug abuse services, while the environmental agency would overlook things like water and air quality.
If the bill becomes law, it’ll be enacted in July 2022. The agencies would then have a year to implement the changes.
According to Peeler, DHEC’s director Dr. Edward Simmer would stay on during the changeover. Then the governor would decide whether to keep him as head of the health agency or appoint someone else.
"Quite frankly, there was somewhat reluctance. Dr. Simmer was new coming on board after the bill was introduced but he came around and is very supportive of it now,” said Peeler.
Senator Gerald Malloy co-sponsored the bill because he said he sees the need for change in one of the biggest state agencies.
“I think that every time we see something that would cause a hiccup, we want to make it a little bit better," Malloy said referencing DHEC. "This is just an attempt. Are we successful? I guess we’re yet to see.”
Malloy added that he’s optimistic about the bill’s future in the House.
News19 reached out to DHEC about the potential change. The agency wrote in part, “We stand ready to work with our partners and employees to put into place any changes to our structure should this or any other bill become law with the ultimate goal of ensuring the implementation is as seamless as possible for the people we serve and our employees.”