H 4056 General Bill, By Davenport
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-6605, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE CODE, SO AS TO
 REVISE THE DEFINITION OF CHILD TO INCLUDE PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE
 IN THE CASE OF STATUS OFFENSES; TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-7807 RELATING TO
 SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE AS PART OF THE FAMILY COURT'S
 DISPOSITIONAL AUTHORITY IN ADJUDICATING DELINQUENTS, SO AS TO APPLY THIS
 AUTHORITY TO CERTAIN JUVENILES UP TO AGE EIGHTEEN; TO AMEND SECTIONS 59-65-10
 AND 59-65-30, BOTH AS AMENDED, AND BOTH RELATING TO COMPULSORY SCHOOL
 ATTENDANCE, SO AS TO REQUIRE CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL UNTIL REACHING THE AGE
 OF EIGHTEEN RATHER THAN AGE SEVENTEEN.

   05/05/99  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-250
   05/05/99  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-250

TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-6605, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE CODE, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF CHILD TO INCLUDE PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE IN THE CASE OF STATUS OFFENSES; TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-7807 RELATING TO SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF A DRIVER'S LICENSE AS PART OF THE FAMILY COURT'S DISPOSITIONAL AUTHORITY IN ADJUDICATING DELINQUENTS, SO AS TO APPLY THIS AUTHORITY TO CERTAIN JUVENILES UP TO AGE EIGHTEEN; TO AMEND SECTIONS 59-65-10 AND 59-65-30, BOTH AS AMENDED, AND BOTH RELATING TO COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SO AS TO REQUIRE CHILDREN TO ATTEND SCHOOL UNTIL REACHING THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN RATHER THAN AGE SEVENTEEN.

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

SECTION 1. Section 20-7-6605(1) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 383 of 1996, is amended to read:

"(1) 'Child' means a person less than seventeen years of age except for purposes of a status offense, 'child' means a person least than eighteen years of age. 'Child' does not mean a person sixteen years of age or older who is charged with a Class A, B, C, or D felony as defined in Section 16-1-20 or a felony which provides for a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years or more. However, a person sixteen years of age who is charged with a Class A, B, C, or D felony as defined in Section 16-1-20 or a felony which provides for a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years or more may be remanded to the family court for disposition of the charge at the discretion of the solicitor. An additional or accompanying charge associated with the charges contained in this item must be heard by the court with jurisdiction over the offenses contained in this item."

SECTION 2. Section 20-7-7807(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 383 of 1996, is amended to read:

"(A) If a child is adjudicated delinquent for a status offense or is found in violation of a court order relating to a status offense, the court may suspend or restrict the child's driver's license until the child's seventeenth eighteenth birthday."

SECTION 3. Section 59-65-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Part II, Section 29C, Act 164 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 59-65-10. (A) All parents or guardians shall cause their children or wards to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education or a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools' Association or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education from the school year in which the child or ward is five years of age before September first until the child or ward attains his seventeenth eighteenth birthday or graduates from high school. A parent or guardian whose child or ward is not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child or ward not to attend kindergarten. For this purpose, the parent or guardian shall sign a written document making the election with the governing body of the school district in which the parent or guardian resides. The form of this written document must be prescribed by regulation of the Department of Education. Upon the written election being executed, that child or ward may not be required to attend kindergarten.

(B) Each school district shall provide transportation to and from public school for all pupils enrolled in public kindergarten classes who request the transportation. Regulations of the State Board of Education governing the operation of school buses shall apply."

SECTION 4. Section 59-65-30(f) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 165 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"(f) A child who has reached the age of sixteen years and whose further attendance in school, vocational school, or available special classes is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be disruptive to the educational program of the school, unproductive of further learning, or not in the best interest of the child, and who is authorized by the court to enter into suitable gainful employment under the supervision of the court until age seventeen eighteen is attained. However, prior to being exempted from the provisions of this article, the court may first require that the child concerned be examined physically and tested mentally to assist the court to determine whether or not gainful employment would be more suitable for the child than continued attendance in school. The examination and testing must be conducted by the Department of Youth Services Juvenile Justice or by any local agency which the court determines to be appropriate. The court shall revoke the exemption provided in this item upon a finding that the child fails to continue in his employment until reaching the age of seventeen eighteen years."

SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.