South Carolina General Assembly
120th Session, 2013-2014

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 716

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Alexander
Document Path: l:\council\bills\nl\13152dg13.docx

Introduced in the Senate on May 22, 2013
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Adoptions

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   5/22/2013  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 3)
   5/22/2013  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 3)

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/22/2013

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 63-9-780, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS, SO AS TO CLARIFY THAT THE RELEASE OF NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO AN ADOPTEE, REGARDING THE HEALTH AND MEDICAL HISTORY OF AN ADOPTEE'S BIOLOGICAL PARENTS, IS ALWAYS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PERSONS CONCERNED, AND TO REQUIRE AN AGENCY TO RELEASE THE NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO THE ADOPTEE.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 63-9-780(D) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(D)(1)    The provisions of this section must not be construed to prevent any adoption agency from furnishing to adoptive parents, biological parents, or adoptees nonidentifying information when in the sole discretion of the chief executive officer of the agency the information would serve the best interests of the persons concerned either during the period of placement or at a subsequent time nor must the provisions of this article and Article 7 be construed to prevent giving nonidentifying information to any other person, party, or agency who in the discretion of the chief executive officer of the agency has established a sufficient reason justifying the release of that nonidentifying information. As used in this subsection "nonidentifying information" includes but is not limited to the following:

(1)(a)    the health and medical histories of the biological parents;

(2)(b)    the health and medical history of the adoptee;

(3)(c)    the adoptee's general family background without name references or geographical designations; and

(4)(d)    the length of time the adoptee has been in the care and custody of the adoptive parent.

(2)    Notwithstanding the provisions of item (1) or any other provision of law, upon the request for nonidentifying information by an adoptee, any adoption agency, childplacing agency, or any agency of this State, must furnish the health and medical histories of the adoptee's biological parents. The furnishing of nonidentifying information relating to health and medical histories of the adoptee's biological parents always serves the best interest of the persons concerned. Before the nonidentifying information is released to the adoptee, an adoption agency, child placing agency, or agency of this State may require sufficient proof that the requested medical history is that of the adoptee's biological parent. The provisions of this item apply regardless of the manner in which the adoptee was adopted, including a private adoption."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies to all adoptions, regardless of when the consent or relinquishment for adoption was executed.

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This web page was last updated on May 31, 2013 at 11:25 AM