South Carolina General Assembly
118th Session, 2009-2010

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A154, R180, S170

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Cleary and Rose
Document Path: l:\s-res\rec\007chil.dag.rec.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2009
Introduced in the House on May 19, 2009
Last Amended on April 20, 2010
Passed by the General Assembly on May 4, 2010
Governor's Action: May 12, 2010, Signed

Summary: Family Court

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  12/10/2008  Senate  Prefiled
  12/10/2008  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   1/13/2009  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-151
   1/13/2009  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-151
   1/23/2009  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Sheheen (ch), Knotts, Campsen, 
                        Lourie, Campbell
   3/11/2009  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary SJ-8
   3/12/2009          Scrivener's error corrected
   5/13/2009  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted SJ-48
   5/13/2009  Senate  Amended SJ-48
   5/13/2009  Senate  Read second time SJ-48
   5/14/2009          Scrivener's error corrected
   5/14/2009  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-26
   5/19/2009  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-11
   5/19/2009  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-11
   3/24/2010  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary 
                        HJ-29
   4/20/2010  House   Amended HJ-18
   4/20/2010  House   Read second time HJ-19
   4/21/2010  House   Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments 
                        HJ-11
    5/4/2010  Senate  Concurred in House amendment and enrolled SJ-34
    5/6/2010          Ratified R 180
   5/12/2010          Signed By Governor
   5/21/2010          Effective date 07/22/10
   5/25/2010          Act No. 154

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/10/2008
3/11/2009
3/12/2009
5/13/2009
5/14/2009
3/24/2010
4/20/2010


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

(A154, R180, S170)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 63-17-385 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE FAMILY COURT TO ISSUE A RULE TO SHOW CAUSE UPON THE FILING OF A PETITION AND AN AFFIDAVIT THAT A PARENT HAS FAILED TO PAY COURT-ORDERED SUPPORT FOR A CHILD, OTHER THAN PERIODIC CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONTENTS OF THE AFFIDAVIT AND TO REQUIRE COURT ADMINISTRATION TO PREPARE AND MAKE THE AFFIDAVIT FORM AVAILABLE TO PETITIONERS; TO SPECIFY OTHER DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION THAT MAY ACCOMPANY THE AFFIDAVIT; TO ESTABLISH THE BURDEN OF PROOF; TO REQUIRE THE PETITIONER TO BE PRESENT AT THE HEARING; AND TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH ATTORNEY'S FEES AND LITIGATION COSTS MAY BE AWARDED.

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

Failure to pay court-ordered child support other than periodic child support payments

SECTION    1.    Article 3, Chapter 17, Title 63 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 63-17-385.        (A)    Where a court order requires a parent to provide monetary support for a child in the form of payment of health, medical, educational, or other expenses, excluding periodic child support payments, and the parent fails to do so, the other parent or the child's custodial guardian may petition the court for relief using an authorized affidavit and supporting documents setting forth the existence of the expense and the failure of the parent to pay the required support.

(1)    Within sixty days of approval of this act by the Governor, Court Administration shall prepare the authorized affidavit form and make it available to petitioners seeking relief under the provisions of this section. The authorized affidavit form must contain the following information:

(a)    the names and addresses of the petitioner and the parent alleged to have failed to make the support payment;

(b)    the amount and nature of the support payment the parent allegedly failed to make;

(c)    the date and manner in which the petitioner notified the alleged nonpaying parent and requested payment;

(d)    the response, if any, of the alleged nonpaying parent upon receiving the petitioner's request for payment; and

(e)    if the matter relates to an expense covered by an insurance policy, whether an insurance claim has been filed, and, if so, the insurance carrier's response.

(2)    The authorized affidavit may be accompanied by the following documents:

(a)    a copy of the court order requiring the parent to provide monetary support for a child excluding periodic payments of funds for support;

(b)    a copy of any bill, invoice, or other written document, substantiating the expense the petitioner claims the parent is required to pay;

(c)    a copy of any written request for payment of the support by the petitioner to the alleged nonpaying parent;

(d)    a copy of any written reply from the alleged nonpaying parent to the parent responding to the petitioner's request for payment;

(e)    if the matter relates to an expense covered by an insurance policy, a copy of all correspondence to and from the insurance carrier pertaining to payment of the claim;

(f)    proof that the petitioner has satisfied that portion of the expense he is required to pay pursuant to the court order; and

(g)    the current mailing address of the alleged nonpaying parent.

(3)    Upon receipt of a petition accompanied by an authorized affidavit, the court shall issue a rule to show cause to the alleged nonpaying parent for nonpayment of the required support. The parent must be served in accordance with the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. The court also shall provide notice of the hearing to the petitioner.

(B)(1)    At the hearing on the rule to show cause, once the petitioner has established his claim, the burden is on the alleged nonpaying parent to establish a defense.

(2)    The alleged nonpaying parent may assert any defense allowed by law.

(3)    The petitioner must be present at the hearing and may be called upon to testify.

(C)    If the family court determines that the claims or defenses of either party are frivolous, or that either party knowingly or intentionally made or filed a false authorized affidavit, or knowingly or intentionally submitted false documents in support of a claim or defense, the court may award to either party attorney's fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred in the prosecution or defense of the petition."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 6th day of May, 2010.

Approved the 12th day of May, 2010.

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