H*2022 Session 106 (1985-1986)
H*2022(Rat #0026, Act #0016 of 1985) General Bill, By R. Schwartz
A Bill to amend Section 15-71-10, as amended, 15-71-30, 42-9-320, as amended,
and 44-23-770, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to minors and
incompetents, so as to increase to ten thousand dollars the amount above which
the proceeds of a settlement must be held by the court until the appointment
of a guardian or committee for a minor or incompetent.-amended title
12/03/84 House Prefiled
12/03/84 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
01/08/85 House Introduced and read first time HJ-150
01/08/85 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-150
01/30/85 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Judiciary HJ-436
01/31/85 House Amended HJ-511
01/31/85 House Read second time HJ-514
02/05/85 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-545
02/06/85 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-353
02/06/85 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-353
02/13/85 Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary SJ-414
02/14/85 Senate Read second time SJ-523
02/20/85 Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-594
03/13/85 Ratified R 26
03/19/85 Signed By Governor
03/19/85 Effective date 03/19/85
03/19/85 Act No. 16
03/26/85 Copies available
(A16, R26, H2022)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 15-71-10, AS AMENDED, 15-71-30, 42-9-320, AS AMENDED,
AND 44-23-770, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MINORS AND
INCOMPETENTS, SO AS TO INCREASE TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS THE AMOUNT ABOVE WHICH
THE PROCEEDS OF A SETTLEMENT MUST BE HELD BY THE COURT UNTIL THE APPOINTMENT OF
A GUARDIAN OR COMMITTEE FOR A MINOR OR INCOMPETENT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Proceeds
SECTION 1. Section 15-71-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 43 of 1983,
is further amended to read:
"Section 15-71-10. When a minor or other incompetent is entitled to a sum
of not exceeding ten thousand dollars and has no general or testamentary guardian
or committee to whom the money may be paid, if, in the judgment of the court, the
sum is too small to warrant the expense of the appointment of a guardian or
committee, the court may order the money to be paid to the minor or other
incompetent or the father or mother of the minor or other incompetent, or if the
father and mother are dead, to some other person for the benefit of the minor or
other incompetent as to the court may seem best. When a guardian or committee
has been appointed for a minor or other incompetent and an accounting is filed
with the probate court and the corpus remaining for the benefit of the minor or
other incompetent is ten thousand dollars or less the court may order the corpus
to be paid to the minor or other incompetent or the father or mother of the minor
or other incompetent or, if the father or mother are dead, to some other person
for the benefit of the minor or other incompetent as to the court may seem best,
after which the guardian or committee may be discharged as provided by law."
Settlement
SECTION 2. Item (3) of Section 15-71-30 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(3) If the settlement is made on the petition of the guardian ad litem
of a minor or incompetent having no duly appointed guardian or committee, and the
amount of money or the value of the property to which the minor or incompetent
is entitled in the settlement exceeds the sum of ten thousand dollars, the order
authorizing the settlement shall require that the petitioner, upon receiving the
money or property, pay and deliver it to the court pending the appointment and
qualification of a duly appointed guardian or committee. If the petitioner fails
or refuses to pay the money or deliver the property to the court, as required by
the order, he is liable and punishable as for contempt of court; but failure or
refusal does not affect the validity or conclusiveness of the settlement."
Payment of compensation
SECTION 3. Section 42-9-320 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 92 of 1983,
is further amended to read:
"Section 42-9-320. Whenever payment of compensation is made to a surviving
spouse for her or his use or, for her or his use and the use of a child or
children, the written receipt of the surviving spouse shall acquit the employer.
Whenever payment is made to any person eighteen years of age or over, the
written receipt of the person shall acquit the employer. When an infant or minor
under the age of eighteen is entitled to receive not more than ten thousand
dollars as compensation for injuries, or as a distributive share by virtue of
this title, the father, mother, or natural guardian upon whom the infant or minor
is dependent for support may receive and receipt for the monies to the same
extent as a guardian of the person and property of the infant or minor duly
appointed by the court and the release or discharge of the father, mother, or
natural guardian is a full and complete discharge of all claims or demands of the
infant or minor.
Whenever any payment of over ten thousand dollars is made to a minor under
eighteen years of age, it must be made to some person or corporation appointed
by the probate court as a guardian and the receipt of the guardian shall acquit
the employer."
Act as committee for patient
SECTION 4. Section 44-23-770 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 44-23-770. If a patient of a state mental health facility has no
legally appointed committee, the State Commissioner of Mental Health or his
designee may receive and accept for the use and benefit of the patient a sum of
money, not in excess of the sum of ten thousand dollars in any one calendar year,
which is due the patient or trainee. The Commissioner or his designee may act
as committee for the patient and his endorsement or receipt shall discharge the
obligor for the sum received. Upon receipt of any fund the Commissioner or his
designee shall use it for the proper maintenance, use, and benefit of the patient
or as much as may be necessary for the same purposes. In the event the patient
dies leaving an unexpended balance of any funds in the hands of the Commissioner
or his designee, he shall apply the balance first to the funeral expenses of the
patient or trainee, and any balance remaining must be held by the Commissioner
or his designee for a period of six months, and if he is not contacted by the
personal representative of the deceased patient within the six-month period, the
balance in the personal fund account must be applied to the maintenance and
medical care account of the deceased patient. Any further balance must be paid
to the judge of probate of the county from which the patient or trainee was
admitted for distribution according to law."
Time effective
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor. |