South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 1033

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Shealy, Hutto, McElveen, Jackson, Hembree, Climer, Young, Turner, Campbell, Goldfinch, Gregory, Bennett, Verdin and M.B. Matthews
Document Path: l:\s-res\ks\057tort.dmr.ks.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4854

Introduced in the Senate on February 21, 2018
Introduced in the House on April 3, 2018
Last Amended on March 28, 2018
Currently residing in the House

Summary: Torture of a child

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/21/2018  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 5)
   2/21/2018  Senate  Referred to Committee on General (Senate Journal-page 5)
   3/22/2018  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment General 
                        (Senate Journal-page 10)
   3/26/2018          Scrivener's error corrected
   3/28/2018  Senate  Committee Amendment Tabled (Senate Journal-page 38)
   3/28/2018  Senate  Amended (Senate Journal-page 38)
   3/28/2018  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 38)
   3/29/2018          Scrivener's error corrected
   3/29/2018  Senate  Read third time and sent to House 
                        (Senate Journal-page 28)
   3/29/2018  Senate  Roll call Ayes-44  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 28)
    4/3/2018  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 80)
    4/3/2018  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 80)
    5/3/2018  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 41)
    5/9/2018  House   Requests for debate-Rep(s). Rutherford, King, Wheeler, 
                        Pitts, Williams, Henegan, Gilliard, Erickson 
                        (House Journal-page 78)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/21/2018
3/22/2018
3/26/2018
3/28/2018
3/29/2018
5/3/2018

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE REPORT

May 3, 2018

S. 1033

Introduced by Senators Shealy, Hutto, McElveen, Jackson, Hembree, Climer, Young, Turner, Campbell, Goldfinch, Gregory, Bennett, Verdin and M.B. Matthews

S. Printed 5/3/18--H.

Read the first time April 3, 2018.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 1033) to amend Section 63-7-1640 of the 1976 Code, relating to family preservation and reunification, to allow the Department of Social Services to forego reasonable efforts to reunify, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 1 and inserting:

/        SECTION    1.    Section 63-7-20(6)(f) and (27) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(f)    commits torture or allows torture to be committed against the child; or

(g)    has committed abuse or neglect as described in subsections (a) through (e)(f) such that a child who subsequently becomes part of the person's household is at substantial risk of one of those forms of abuse or neglect.

(27)    Torture includes, but is not limited to, inflicting, or participating in or assisting in inflicting, intense physical or emotional pain upon a child repeatedly over a period of time for the purpose of terrorizing a child or for the purpose of satisfying the sadistic, craven, cruel, or prurient desires of the perpetrator or another person.

(28)    'Unfounded report' means a report made pursuant to this chapter for which there is not a preponderance of evidence to believe that the child is abused or neglected. For the purposes of this chapter, it is presumed that all reports are unfounded unless the department determines otherwise."        /

Amend the bill further, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 5 and inserting:

/        SECTION    5.    Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-3-100.    (A)    For purposes of this section, 'torture' includes, but is not limited to, inflicting, or participating in or assisting in inflicting, intense physical or emotional pain upon a child repeatedly over a period of time for the purpose of terrorizing a child or for the purpose of satisfying the sadistic, craven, cruel, or prurient desires of the perpetrator or another person.

(B)    It is unlawful for a child's parent or guardian, an adult with whom the child's parent or guardian is cohabitating, or any other person responsible for a child's welfare as defined in Section 63-7-20 to torture a child. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to violating the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, may be imprisoned for life but not less than a term of twenty years.

(C)    It is unlawful for a child's parent or guardian, an adult with whom the child's parent or guardian is cohabitating, or any other person responsible for a child's welfare as defined in Section 63-7-20 knowingly to allow another person to torture a child. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to violating the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for a term not less than ten years."        /

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

F. GREGORY DELLENEY, JR. for Committee.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-1640 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO FAMILY PRESERVATION AND REUNIFICATION, TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO FOREGO REASONABLE EFFORTS TO REUNIFY A FAMILY IN THE CASE OF TORTURE; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2570, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, TO ADD TORTURE, OR CONSPIRING TO COMMIT TORTURE, AS A GROUND FOR TERMINATING A PARENT'S RIGHTS; TO AMEND SECTION 16-3-85, RELATING TO HOMICIDE BY CHILD ABUSE, TO ADD DEATH OF A CHILD BY TORTURE, OR BY CONSPIRING TO TORTURE, AS ACTIONS CONSTITUTING THE OFFENSE, AND TO ESTABLISH CRIMINAL PENALTIES; TO AMEND ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 16 OF THE 1976, RELATING TO HOMICIDE, BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-100 TO PROVIDE THAT TORTURING A CHILD, OR ALLOWING ANOTHER TO TORTURE A CHILD, IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, AND TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES; AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 63-7-20(6)(f) and (27) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(f)    commits torture or allows torture to be committed against the child; or

(g)    has committed abuse or neglect as described in subsections (a) through (e)(f) such that a child who subsequently becomes part of the person's household is at substantial risk of one of those forms of abuse or neglect.

(27)    Torture includes, but is not limited to, inflicting, or participating in or assisting in inflicting, intense physical or emotional pain upon a child repeatedly over a period of time for the purpose of coercing or terrorizing a child or for the purpose of satisfying the sadistic, craven, cruel, or prurient desires of the perpetrator or another person.

(28)    'Unfounded report' means a report made pursuant to this chapter for which there is not a preponderance of evidence to believe that the child is abused or neglected. For the purposes of this chapter, it is presumed that all reports are unfounded unless the department determines otherwise."

SECTION    2.    Section 63-7-1640(C)(1)(d) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(d)    acts the judge finds that constitute torture; or"

SECTION    3.    Section 63-7-2570 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 36 of 2017, is further amended by adding a new item at the end to read:

"( )    A parent has committed torture, has aided or abetted in committing torture, or has conspired to or knowingly allowed another to commit torture against the child."

SECTION    4.    Section 16-3-85(A) and (C) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(A)    A person is guilty of homicide by child abuse if the person:

(1)    causes the death of a child under the age of eleven while committing child abuse or neglect, and the death occurs under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life; or

(2)    knowingly aids and abets another person to commit child abuse or neglect, and the child abuse or neglect results in the death of a child under the age of eleven;

(3)    causes the death of a child while committing torture, as defined in Section 63-7-20; or

(4)    knowingly aids and abets another person to commit torture, as defined in Section 63-7-20, and the torture results in the death of a child.

(C)    Homicide by child abuse is a felony and a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to homicide by child abuse:

(1)    under subsection (A)(1) may be imprisoned for life but not less than a term of twenty years; or

(2)    under subsection (A)(2) must be imprisoned for a term not exceeding twenty years nor less than ten years;

(3)    under subsection (A)(3) must be imprisoned for life; or

(4)    under subsection (A)(4) must be imprisoned for a term of not less than twenty years."

SECTION    5.    Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-3-100.    (A)    For purposes of this section, 'torture' includes, but is not limited to, inflicting, or participating in or assisting in inflicting, intense physical or emotional pain upon a child repeatedly over a period of time for the purpose of coercing or terrorizing a child or for the purpose of satisfying the sadistic, craven, cruel, or prurient desires of the perpetrator or another person.

(B)    It is unlawful for a child's parent or guardian, an adult with whom the child's parent or guardian is cohabitating, or any other person responsible for a child's welfare as defined in Section 63-7-20 to torture a child. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to violating the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, may be imprisoned for life but not less than a term of twenty years.

(C)    It is unlawful for a child's parent or guardian, an adult with whom the child's parent or guardian is cohabitating, or any other person responsible for a child's welfare as defined in Section 63-7-20 knowingly to allow another person to torture a child. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to violating the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for a term not less than ten years."

SECTION    6.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on May 10, 2018 at 2:13 PM