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H. 3903
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. J.H. Neal
Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\11353ac07.doc
Introduced in the House on April 17, 2007
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary
Summary: Child abuse and neglect
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/17/2007 House Introduced and read first time HJ-16 4/17/2007 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-16
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-510, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT RECEIVED BY TELEPHONE MUST BE RECORDED AND MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES FOR OTHER CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT REPORTS AND RECORDS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-640, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO DUTIES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, INCLUDING MAINTAINING A TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE REPORTING OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CALLS REPORTING ABUSE OR NEGLECT MUST BE RECORDED AND MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES FOR OTHER CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT REPORTS AND RECORDS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 20-7-510(D) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 104 of 1999, is further amended to read:
"(D)(1) Reports of child abuse or neglect may be made orally by telephone or otherwise to the county department of social services or to a law enforcement agency in the county where the child resides or is found. If a report is received by telephone, the call must be recorded, and the record of the call must be maintained in accordance with procedures provided for in Section 20-7-650 for maintaining reports and records relating to child abuse and neglect. The identity of the person reporting is confidential and must not be disclosed except as provided for in this section and in Section 20-7-690.
(2) Where reports are made pursuant to this section to a law enforcement agency, the law enforcement agency shall notify the county department of social services of the law enforcement's response to the report at the earliest possible time.
(3) Where a county or contiguous counties have established multicounty child protective services, pursuant to Section 20-7-650, the county department of social services immediately shall transfer reports pursuant to this section to the service."
SECTION 2. Section 20-7-640(A) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 450 of 1996, is further amended to read:
"(A) The Department of Social Services may maintain a toll-free number available to persons throughout the State for the referral of family-related problems, including:
(1) The reporting of known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.
(2) Other problems of a nature which may affect the stability of family life.
This telephone service shall operate continuously. Upon receipt of a call involving suspected abuse or neglect, the Department of Social Services shall transmit the full contents of the report to the appropriate county department office. Immediately upon transmitting the report the department shall destroy the contents of the suspected report, except that the recording of the report made pursuant to Section 20-7-510(D), must be maintained in accordance with Section 20-7-510. Upon receipt of a call involving other problems of a nature which may affect the stability of family life, the department shall refer the call to the appropriate county department office or other service agency where appropriate."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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