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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3410 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19990128 Primary Sponsor:Limehouse All Sponsors:Limehouse, Inabinett, J. Smith, Cooper, Mason, Whipper, T. Brown, Mack, McCraw, Rhoad, Davenport, R. Smith, Pinckney Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\jic\5028ac99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 25 HJ Subject:Child, abused, neglected; school districts; teachers, administrators, personnel to report cases of; Minors History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19990128 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-490, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "A PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHILD'S WELFARE", SO AS TO INCLUDE A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL TEACHER; AND TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-510, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT REPORTING, SO AS TO INCLUDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 20-7-490(5) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 450 of 1996, is further amended to read:
"(5) 'A person responsible for a child's welfare' includes the child's parent, guardian, foster parent, an operator, employee, or caregiver, as defined by Section 20-7-2700, of a public or private residential home, institution, agency, or child day care facility, a public or private school teacher, or an adult who has assumed the role or responsibility of a parent or guardian for the child, but who does not necessarily have legal custody of the child. A person whose only role is as a caregiver and whose contact is only incidental with a child, such as a babysitter or a person who has only incidental contact but may not be a caretaker, has not assumed the role or responsibility of a parent or guardian. An investigation pursuant to Section 20-7-650 must be initiated when the information contained in a report otherwise sufficient under this section does not establish whether the person has assumed the role or responsibility of a parent or guardian for the child."
SECTION 2. Section 20-7-510(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 450 of 1996, is further amended to read:
"(A) A physician, nurse, dentist, optometrist, medical examiner or coroner or an employee of a county medical examiner's or coroner's office or any other medical, emergency medical services, mental health, or allied health professional or Christian Science practitioner, religious healer, school teacher, counselor, principal, assistant principal, other school personnel, or a school administrator, social or public assistance worker, substance abuse treatment staff, or child care worker in any day care center or foster care facility, police or law enforcement officer, undertaker, funeral home director or employee of a funeral home or persons responsible for processing of films or any judge shall report in accordance with this section when in the person's professional capacity the person has received information which gives the person reason to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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