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S. 584
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, Bryant, Hayes, Williams, Cromer, Elliott, Thomas, Mescher, Verdin, Martin and Ford
Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\11388ac07.doc
Introduced in the Senate on March 15, 2007
Introduced in the House on May 9, 2007
Last Amended on May 3, 2007
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary
Summary: Family Court Financial Privacy Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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3/15/2007 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-6
3/15/2007 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-6
3/19/2007 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Ritchie (ch), Rankin, Lourie,
Scott
4/12/2007 Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary SJ-19
5/1/2007 Senate Read second time SJ-10
5/3/2007 Senate Amended SJ-52
5/8/2007 Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-12
5/9/2007 House Introduced and read first time HJ-13
5/9/2007 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-14
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
AMENDED
May 3, 2007
S. 584
Introduced by Senators Campsen, Bryant, Hayes, Williams, Cromer, Elliott, Thomas, Mescher, Verdin, Martin and Ford
S. Printed 5/3/07--S.
Read the first time March 15, 2007.
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 20-3-240 TO ENACT THE "FAMILY COURT FINANCIAL PRIVACY ACT" SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A FINANCIAL DECLARATION MADE A PART OF THE RECORD IN A MATTER BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT MUST BE SEALED, TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO A FINANCIAL DECLARATION UPON REQUEST ONLY BY THE PARTIES, THE COURT AND PERSONNEL OF THE COURT, AND THE CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AND TO PROHIBIT OTHER ACCESS EXCEPT UPON ORDER OF THE COURT FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN; AND TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SO AS TO EXEMPT FINANCIAL DECLARATIONS IN MATTERS BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT EXCEPT ON ORDER OF THE COURT FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Family Court Financial Privacy Act".
SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 20 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 20-3-240. (A) For purposes of this subsection, 'financial declaration forms' means financial declaration forms and all attached statements.
(B) The clerk of court shall seal the financial declaration forms that are made a part of the court record in any matter before the family court. In the pending action or a subsequent action involving any party to the pending action, the parties, their attorneys, the family court judge and the judge's staff, the clerk of court and the clerk's staff, and the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Department of Social Services shall be granted access to the financial declaration forms upon request to the clerk of court without filing any motion. No other person shall unseal or be granted access to a financial declaration form except on order of the court upon good cause shown.
(C) No cause of action may be brought against a clerk of court or the clerk's staff for granting access to financial declaration forms made a part of the court record in any matter before the family court to a person other than described in subsection (B) of this section unless the granting of such access was willful, knowing, reckless, or grossly negligent."
SECTION 2. Section 30-4-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 380 of 2006, is further amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:
"( ) Financial declaration forms and all attached statements that are made a part of the court record in any matter before the family court are exempt from disclosure except as provided for in Section 20-3-240."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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