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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3857 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19990406 Primary Sponsor:Seithel All Sponsors:Seithel, Harrison, Jennings, Simrill, Allen, Allison, Barrett, Battle, Beck, Cato, Chellis, Davenport, Gilham, Harris, Hayes, Keegan, Knotts, Leach, Lourie, Lucas, Maddox, Mason, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, Rice, Sandifer, F. Smith, J. Smith, Stille, Stuart, Vaughn, Walker, Whatley and Young-Brickell Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\bbm\9023som99.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 25 HJ Subject:Juvenile records, torturing or killing of animals; Minors, School districts, Crimes and Offenses History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 19990406 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee Versions of This Bill
TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-8505, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF JUVENILE RECORDS AND EXCEPTIONS TO THAT CONFIDENTIALITY MADE FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES TO REPORT THE STUDENT AND THE ADJUDICATION TO THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL THE STUDENT ATTENDED OR ATTENDS, SO AS TO ADD THE OFFENSE OF TORTURING OR KILLING AN ANIMAL AS ONE TO BE REPORTED TO THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION; TO AMEND SECTION 47-1-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES FELONIES AND TO PROVIDE THAT A MINOR CONVICTED OF OR ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT FOR THE OFFENSE OF TORTURING OR KILLING AN ANIMAL SHALL BE ORDERED TO UNDERGO A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION BY THE JUDGE; TO AMEND SECTION 59-63-370, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE NOTIFICATION OF THE SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR AT A STUDENT'S SCHOOL WHEN THE STUDENT IS CONVICTED OF OR ADJUDICATED DELINQUENT FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES, SO AS TO ADD THE OFFENSE OF TORTURING OR KILLING AN ANIMAL AS AN OFFENSE FOR WHICH TO NOTIFY THE SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SCHOOL WHERE THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 20-7-8505 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 435 of 1998, is further amended to read:
"Section 20-7-8505. Records and information of the department pertaining to juveniles shall be confidential as provided in Section 20-7-8510; provided, however, that where necessary and appropriate to ensure the provision and coordination of services and assistance to a juvenile under the custody or supervision of the department, the director must establish policies by which the department may transmit such information and records to another department or agency of state or local government, a school district, or a private institution or facility licensed by the State as a child-serving organization, where such is required for admission or enrollment of the juvenile into a program of services, treatment, training, or education. Records and information provided to a public or private school by the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services must include in the case of an individual who has been adjudicated for having committed a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60, for a crime in which a weapon as defined in Section 59-63-370 was used, for assault and battery against school personnel, as defined in Section 16-3-612, for assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature committed on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event against any person affiliated with the school in an official capacity, or for distribution or trafficking in unlawful drugs as defined in Article 3, Chapter 53 of Title 44, or for torturing or killing an animal as defined in Section 47-1-40(B), notice as set forth in Section 59-63-370. The person's juvenile criminal record must be provided by the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services to the principal of any school to which the person is seeking enrollment, upon the principal's request. Each school district is responsible for developing a policy for schools to follow within the district which ensures that the confidential nature of these records and of the other information received is maintained. This policy must include at a minimum the retention of the juvenile's criminal record, and other information relating to his criminal record, in the juvenile's school disciplinary file, or in some other confidential location, restricting access to the file and to its contents to school personnel as deemed necessary and appropriate to meet and adequately address the educational needs of the juvenile and for the destruction of these records upon the juvenile's completion of secondary school, or upon reaching twenty-one years of age."
SECTION 2. Section 47-1-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 367 of 1998, is further amended to read:
"Section 47-1-40. (A) Whoever overloads, overdrives, overworks, or ill-treats any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance or shelter, or inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal, or causes these things to be done, for every offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding sixty days or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than four five hundred dollars, or both, for a first offense; by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days or by a fine not exceeding eight hundred dollars, or both, for a second offense; or is guilty of a felony and must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding two five years or by a fine not exceeding two five thousand dollars, or both, for a third or subsequent offense. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a first offense under this subsection shall must be tried in magistrate's or municipal court.
(B)(1) Whoever tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or causes the acts to be done for any of the offenses is guilty of a misdemeanor felony and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment of not less than one hundred eighty days and not to exceed two five years and by a fine of five thousand dollars.
(2) When a minor is convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for the offense in subsection (B)(1), the judge shall order, as part of the sentence, that the minor undergo a psychological evaluation.
(C) This section does not apply to fowl, accepted animal husbandry practices of farm operations and the training of animals, the practice of veterinary medicine, or activity authorized by Title 50."
SECTION 3. Section 59-63-370 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 435 of 1998, is further amended to read:
"Section 59-63-370. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(1) When a student who is convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for:
(a) assault and battery against school personnel, as defined in Section 16-3-612,;
(b) assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature committed on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event against any person affiliated with the school in an official capacity,;
(c) a violent offense as defined in Section 16-1-60,;
(d) an offense in which a weapon as defined in Section 59-63-370 was used,;
(e) or for distribution or trafficking in unlawful drugs as defined in Article 3, Chapter 53 of Title 44; or
(f) torturing or killing an animal as defined in Section 47-1-40(B) is assigned to the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Corrections, or to the Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, that agency is required to provide immediate notice of the student's conviction or adjudication to the senior administrator of the school in which the student is enrolled, intends to be enrolled, or was last enrolled. These agencies are authorized to request information concerning school enrollment from a student convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for an offense listed in this item.
(2) When a student convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for an offense listed in item (1) of this section is not sentenced to incarceration or probation, the presiding judge, shall as part of his sentence, shall order the clerk of the municipal, magistrate, or general sessions court to provide, within ten days, notification of the student's sentence to the appropriate school district for inclusion in the student's permanent record. If the student is under the jurisdiction of the family court and is not referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, the prosecuting agency must provide notification within ten days to the appropriate school district.
(3) An administrator notified pursuant to this section is required to notify each teacher or instructor in whose class the student is enrolled of a student's conviction of or adjudication for an offense listed in item (1) of this section. This notification must be made to the appropriate teachers or instructors every year the student is enrolled in school.
(4) If a student is convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for an offense listed in item (1) of this section, information concerning the conviction or adjudication and sentencing must be placed in the student's permanent school record and must be forwarded with the student's permanent school records if the student transfers to another school or school district.
A 'weapon', as used in this section, means a firearm, knife with a blade-length of over two inches, dirk, razor, metal knuckles, slingshot, bludgeon, or any other deadly instrument used for the infliction of bodily harm or death."
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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