H 3925 General Bill, By Spires and Yow
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 20-1-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE IS NOT VALID IN THE STATE
 ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2018, AND THAT OTHERWISE VALID COMMON-LAW MARRIAGES
 ESTABLISHED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2018, CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THE STATE;
 AND TO REPEAL SECTION 20-1-360 RELATING TO THE VALIDITY OF A MARRIAGE
 CONTRACTED WITHOUT THE ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE.

   03/07/17  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 76)
   03/07/17  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 76)
   03/09/17  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Yow

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 20-1-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT COMMON-LAW MARRIAGE IS NOT VALID IN THE STATE ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2018, AND THAT OTHERWISE VALID COMMON-LAW MARRIAGES ESTABLISHED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2018, CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED IN THE STATE; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 20-1-360 RELATING TO THE VALIDITY OF A MARRIAGE CONTRACTED WITHOUT THE ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 20 is amended by adding:

"Section 20-1-110.    No common-law marriage entered into in this State on or after January 1, 2018, is valid. Otherwise valid common-law marriages established before January 1, 2018, are not affected by this section and continue to be recognized in this State."

SECTION    2.    Section 20-1-360 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.