H 4804 General Bill, By J.S. Shissias, Cobb-Hunter, J.L.M. Cromer, Govan, 
H.G. Hutson, Inabinett, J.G. Mattos, J.T. McElveen, J.H. Neal, C.C. Wells and 
S.S. Wofford
 A Bill to amend Section 43-5-590, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina,
 1976, relating to powers and duties of the Department of Social Services under
 its approved child support plan, so as to provide that the Department shall
 develop and distribute materials and procedures to hospitals for use in
 obtaining voluntary paternity acknowledgments on newborns, and to amend
 Section 44-7-320, as amended, relating to grounds for denying, revoking, or
 suspending hospital licenses, so as to provide as an additional ground the
 failure to comply with procedures for obtaining voluntary paternity
 acknowledgments.

   02/23/94  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-14
   02/23/94  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-14
   04/12/94  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-4
   04/27/94  House  Amended HJ-24
   04/27/94  House  Read second time HJ-24
   04/28/94  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-312
   05/03/94  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-11
   05/03/94  Senate Referred to Committee on General SJ-11

AMENDED

April 27, 1994

H. 4804

Introduced by REPS. Shissias, Cromer, Cobb-Hunter, Mattos, Inabinett, McElveen, Wells, Neal, Hutson, Wofford and Govan

S. Printed 4/27/94--H.

Read the first time February 23, 1994.

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 43-5-590, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNDER ITS APPROVED CHILD SUPPORT PLAN, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES TO HOSPITALS FOR USE IN OBTAINING VOLUNTARY PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ON NEWBORNS, AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-320, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR DENYING, REVOKING, OR SUSPENDING HOSPITAL LICENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE AS AN ADDITIONAL GROUND THE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING VOLUNTARY PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 44-7-77. The Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the Department of Social Services, in conjunction with the South Carolina Hospital Association, shall develop and implement a program to promote obtaining the voluntary acknowledgments of paternity before a newborn is released from the hospital."

SECTION 2. Section 20-7-956(6) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(6) A verified voluntary acknowledgment of paternity which creates a rebuttable presumption of the putative father's paternity.

(6)(7) Any other relevant and competent evidence deemed admissible in the discretion of the court."

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