The House assembled at 10:00 a.m.
Deliberations were opened with prayer by Rev. Charles E. Seastrunk, Jr., as follows:

Our thought for today is from Lamentations 4:57: "You came near when I called on You; You said, 'Do not fear!'"

Let us pray. Holy and merciful God, You have knit your people together into one body. Give these Representatives and staff the desire to call upon You in all times of good and times when we are afraid. Strengthen us to be strong in Your presence and keep us in Your care. Bless our Nation, President, State, Governor, Speaker, staff, and those who give of themselves for the good of all. Grant these, Your people, a restful and relaxing weekend. Protect our defenders of freedom and first responders as they protect us. Heal the wounds, those seen and those hidden, of our brave warriors who suffer and sacrifice for our freedom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.

After corrections to the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday, the SPEAKER ordered it confirmed.

The following Bills were taken up, read the third time, and ordered sent to the Senate:

H. 3920 (Word version) -- Reps. Felder, Funderburk, Davis, Bryant, Pope, Forrester, Sandifer, Allison, Fry, Cole, Jefferson and Forrest: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-85 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR, ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS, SHALL POST AT LEAST FIVE SIGNS THAT PROVIDE TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND RELATED INFORMATION FOR REPORTING INCIDENTS OF CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION; AND TO PROVIDE DETAILS CONCERNING THE CONTENT, PLACEMENT, AND APPEARANCE OF THE SIGNS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-910, RELATING TO A TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR THE REFERRAL OF INCIDENTS OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT

THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES MAY MAINTAIN, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO MAINTAIN SUCH A SERVICE AND TO INCLUDE CHILD EXPLOITATION AMONG THE CATEGORIES OF REPORTABLE INCIDENTS FOR WHICH THE SERVICE IS INTENDED.

H. 3699 (Word version) -- Reps. Putnam, Whipper, Brown, Knight, Henegan and Henderson-Myers: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTIONS 63-7-765, 63-7-770, AND 63-9-80 SO AS TO ALLOW FOR THE DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT A CHILD TO CERTAIN CAREGIVERS AS PART OF CHILD PROTECTION OR ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-390, RELATING TO MANDATED REPORTER IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY, SO AS TO ADD IMMUNITY PROTECTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-1990, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO CONFIDENTIALITY OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT RECORDS, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO RELEASE RECORDS CONTAINING PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHILD TO CERTAIN CAREGIVERS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2370, RELATING TO THE DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT A FOSTER CHILD TO A FOSTER PARENT AT THE TIME OF PLACEMENT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

H. 3701 (Word version) -- Reps. Putnam, Whipper, Brown, Knight, Henegan and Henderson-Myers: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 63-7-735 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO INFORM A RELATIVE WITH WHOM A CHILD MAY BE PLACED OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE LICENSED AS A FOSTER PARENT, INCLUDING THE LICENSURE PROCESS AND BENEFITS OF BEING LICENSED AS A FOSTER PARENT, AND TO REQUIRE THE COURT TO MAKE CERTAIN FINDINGS BEFORE SIGNING AN ORDER APPROVING PLACEMENT OF A CHILD WITH A RELATIVE WHO IS NOT A LICENSED FOSTER PARENT; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-650, RELATING IN PART TO THE DEPARTMENT MAKING AN INTERIM PLACEMENT OF A CHILD WITH A RELATIVE INSTEAD OF TAKING CUSTODY OF A CHILD, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO EXPLAIN TO THE RELATIVE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO

BECOME LICENSED AS A KINSHIP FOSTER PARENT IF THE CHILD IS UNABLE TO RETURN HOME; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2320, RELATING TO THE KINSHIP FOSTER PROGRAM, SO AS TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO WAIVE CERTAIN NONSAFETY LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS WHEN LICENSING A RELATIVE AS A FOSTER PARENT AND TO INDICATE THE PREFERENCE FOR PLACING A CHILD WITH A RELATIVE; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2330, RELATING TO PLACEMENT OF A CHILD WITH A RELATIVE AS PART OF A REMOVAL ACTION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO INFORM THE RELATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE LICENSED AS A FOSTER PARENT, INCLUDING THE LICENSURE PROCESS AND BENEFITS OF BEING SO LICENSED; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2350, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO RESTRICTIONS ON FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE PROCESS THE DEPARTMENT MUST FOLLOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER A PERSON HAS COMMITTED A CRIME THAT MAKES THE PERSON INELIGIBLE TO BE A FOSTER PARENT; AND TO AMEND SECTION 43-1-210, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO DEPARTMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE REPORTING OF KINSHIP CARE DATA.

H. 4697 (Word version) -- Rep. Bamberg: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 7-7-90, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DESIGNATION OF VOTING PRECINCTS IN BAMBERG COUNTY, SO AS TO DESIGNATE THE MAP NUMBER ON WHICH THE NAMES OF THESE PRECINCTS MAY BE FOUND AND MAINTAINED BY THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE.

The following Bill was read the third time, passed and, having received three readings in both Houses, it was ordered that the title be changed to that of an Act, and that it be enrolled for ratification:

S. 882 (Word version) -- Senator Rankin: A BILL TO ADOPT REVISED CODE VOLUMES 15A AND 18 OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO THE EXTENT OF THEIR CONTENTS, AS THE ONLY GENERAL PERMANENT STATUTORY LAW OF THE STATE; AND TO ADOPT THE 2017 CUMULATIVE SUPPLEMENTS TO THE CODE OF LAWS AS PART OF THE

CODE AND PROVIDE THAT THESE SUPPLEMENTS, VOLUMES AS SUPPLEMENTED BY THEM, AND THE REPLACEMENT VOLUMES CONSTITUTE THE ONLY GENERAL PERMANENT STATUTORY LAWS OF THE STATE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2018.

At 10:24 a.m. the House, in accordance with the ruling of the SPEAKER, adjourned to meet at 12:00 noon, Tuesday, January 30.

This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 9:19 A.M.