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Bill 667

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      667
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  20010508
Primary Sponsor:                  Leventis
All Sponsors:                     Leventis, Drummond, Mescher, Elliott, 
                                  Ford, Land, Rankin, O'Dell, Leatherman, 
                                  Holland, Giese, Hayes, McGill, Glover, 
                                  Anderson, J. Verne Smith, Matthews, Patterson, 
                                  Wilson, Short, Reese, Moore, Hutto, 
                                  Passailaigue, Setzler, Courson, Alexander, 
                                  Peeler, Ravenel, Grooms, Branton, Richardson, 
                                  Ryberg and McConnell
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\nbd\11532ac01.doc
Companion Bill Number:            3695
Residing Body:                    Senate
Current Committee:                Judiciary Committee 11 SJ
Subject:                          Domestic Violence Fund established in 
                                  State Treasury, Social Services to administer; 
                                  Crimes, Domestic Relations


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
------  20010516  Companion Bill No. 3695
Senate  20010508  Introduced, read first time,           11 SJ
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 20-4-160 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUND WITHIN THE STATE TREASURY TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THE PURPOSE OF AWARDING GRANTS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTERS AND PROGRAMS IN THE STATE THAT MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA; TO ADD SECTION 20-1-375 SO AS TO INCREASE THE MARRIAGE LICENSE FEE BY TWENTY DOLLARS WHICH MUST BE CREDITED TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUND; AND TO AMEND SECTION 8-21-310, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO VARIOUS FEES TO BE COLLECTED BY CLERKS OF COURT, SO AS TO INCREASE THE FILING FEE FOR DIVORCE OR SEPARATE MAINTENANCE ACTIONS BY TWENTY DOLLARS WHICH ALSO MUST BE CREDITED TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUND.

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

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 20-4-160. (A) There is established the Domestic Violence Fund, a fund separate and distinct from the general fund, in the State Treasury. The fund must be administered by the Department of Social Services and revenues of the fund must be used solely to award grants to domestic violence centers and programs in the State.

(B) In order for a domestic violence center or program to be eligible to receive funds, it must be a nonprofit corporation and must:

(1) have been in operation on the preceding July 1, and continue to be in operation;

(2) offer the following services:

(a) a twenty-four hour hotline;

(b) transportation services;

(c) community education programs;

(d) daytime services, including counseling;

(e) other criteria as may be established by the department.

(C) The Domestic Violence Fund shall receive its revenue from that portion of marriage license fees provided for in Section 20-1-375, that portion of filing fees provided for in Section 8-21-310 in actions for divorce or separate maintenance, and donations, contributions, bequests, or other gifts made to the fund. Contributions to the fund may not be used to supplant existing funds appropriated to the department for domestic violence grants. Monies in the fund may be carried forward from one fiscal year to the next, and interest earned on monies in the fund must be retained by the fund."

SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 20-1-375. In addition to the marriage license fee authorized pursuant to Section 20-1-230 there is imposed an additional twenty dollar fee for each marriage license applied for. This additional fee must be remitted to the State Treasurer and credited to the Domestic Violence Fund established pursuant to Section 20-4-160."

SECTION 3. Section 8-21-310(11)(a) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 155 of 1997, is further amended to read:

"(a) For filing first complaint or petition, including application for a remedial and prerogative writ and bond on attachment or other bond, in a civil action or proceeding, in a court of record, seventy dollars. When filing for divorce or separate maintenance, the fee for the first complaint or petition is ninety dollars, twenty dollars of which must be remitted to the State Treasurer and credited to the Domestic Violence Fund established pursuant to Section 20-4-160. There is no further fee for filing an amended or supplemental complaint or petition nor for filing any other paper in the same action or proceeding. An original application for postconviction relief may be filed without fee upon permission of the court to which the application is addressed. There is no further fee for entering and filing a verdict, judgment, final decree, or order of dismissal, and enrolling a judgment thereon, for signing, sealing, and issuance of execution, or for entering satisfaction or partial satisfaction on a judgment."

This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 11:13 A.M.