SECTION 40-47-34. Special volunteer licenses; waiver of fees; restrictions; qualifications.

(A) The board shall waive all application fees, examination fees, and annual reregistration fees for an applicant who applies for a special volunteer license and who otherwise meets permanent licensure requirements if the applicant documents, to the satisfaction of the board, that practice is to be exclusively and totally devoted to providing medical care to the needy and indigent in this State. To be eligible for the waiver of these fees, an applicant shall acknowledge that there is no expectation of payment or compensation for any medical services rendered, or compensation or payment to the applicant, either direct or indirect, monetary or in-kind, for the provision of medical services. A special volunteer license entitles the licensee to apply for individual controlled substance registration through the Department of Health and Environmental Control. (B) A special volunteer license may be issued to a qualified applicant upon approval by the board. Practice must be limited to each specific site and practice setting approved by the board. There must be no licensure or other fees associated with a special volunteer license. (C) Requirements for a special volunteer license are as follows: (1) satisfactory completion of a special volunteer license application, including documentation of medical or osteopathic school graduation and practice history; (2) documentation of specific proposed practice location; (3) documentation that the applicant previously has been issued an unrestricted license to practice medicine in South Carolina or in another state of the United States or Canada and that the applicant has never been the subject of any significant disciplinary action in any jurisdiction; (4) documentation that the applicant shall only practice under the supervision of a supervising physician approved by the board. In order to ensure that public health, safety, and welfare are protected, the board shall review the proposed supervisory relationship to ensure that the physician supervisor is competent to supervise the special volunteer licensee. Factors the board shall consider include, but are not limited to, the training and practice experience of the supervising physician, the current nature and extent of the supervising physician's practice, the existence of any recent demonstration of the supervising physician's clinical competency, and the number of special volunteer licensees the physician proposes to supervise; (5) documentation of the name of the supervising physician and that the physician has agreed to accept this supervisory responsibility. Supervising physicians shall possess an active, unrestricted permanent license to practice medicine in this State. An approved supervising physician physically must be on the premises whenever a special volunteer licensee is practicing medicine; (6) documentation and acknowledgement that the applicant may not receive payment or compensation, either direct or indirect, or have any expectation of payment or compensation for medical services rendered, and the supervising physician may not receive compensation or payment as the result of the special volunteer licensee's provision of medical services.