---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-9-60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY ADOPT A CHILD, SO AS TO ADD CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A NONRESIDENT MAY ADOPT AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE RIGHT TO FILE A PETITION FOR ADOPTION WITHOUT REGARD TO WHOM HAS CUSTODY OF THE CHILD; TO AMEND SECTIONS 63-9-750 AND 63-9-1110, RELATING TO ADOPTION HEARINGS AND STEPPARENT OR RELATIVE ADOPTIONS, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 63-9-370 SO AS TO ADDRESS THE RIGHT TO ADOPT A CHILD IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. - ratified title"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-9-60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY ADOPT A CHILD, SO AS TO ADD CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A NONRESIDENT MAY ADOPT AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE RIGHT TO FILE A PETITION FOR ADOPTION WITHOUT REGARD TO WHOM HAS CUSTODY OF THE CHILD; TO AMEND SECTIONS 63-9-750 AND 63-9-1110, RELATING TO ADOPTION HEARINGS AND STEPPARENT OR RELATIVE ADOPTIONS, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 63-9-370 SO AS TO ADDRESS THE RIGHT TO ADOPT A CHILD IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "H 3442"
citation: "South Carolina H 3442 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Ballentine", "Bedingfield", "Clary", "Delleney", "Elliott", "Erickson", "Felder", "Hamilton", "Henderson", "Henegan", "Hixon", "King", "Kirby", "Knight", "Martin", "Norman", "Norrell", "Pope", "Putnam", "Simrill", "Thayer", "V.S. Moss", "W. Newton", "West", "Wheeler", "Yow"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 31
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2017-01-12"
last_action: "2018-04-09"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c278c2ee-5422-4b8d-a59f-0654cf36fd52"
source_url: "http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3442&session=122&summary=B"
source_hash: "d5d17756093126ded42a5c497b429cde211de9e7583dc335d1cf5c6c21e04c04"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3442 (2017-2018) — AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-9-60, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY ADOPT A CHILD, SO AS TO ADD CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A NONRESIDENT MAY ADOPT AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE RIGHT TO FILE A PETITION FOR ADOPTION WITHOUT REGARD TO WHOM HAS CUSTODY OF THE CHILD; TO AMEND SECTIONS 63-9-750 AND 63-9-1110, RELATING TO ADOPTION HEARINGS AND STEPPARENT OR RELATIVE ADOPTIONS, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 63-9-370 SO AS TO ADDRESS THE RIGHT TO ADOPT A CHILD IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **1/12/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20170112.htm)
2. **1/25/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20170125.htm)
3. **3/8/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20180308.htm)
4. **3/9/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20180309.htm)
5. **5/3/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20170503.htm)
6. **5/5/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/3442_20170505.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **103–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **104–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Ballentine — primary (person)
- Bedingfield — primary (person)
- Clary — primary (person)
- Delleney — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Erickson — primary (person)
- Felder — primary (person)
- Hamilton — primary (person)
- Henderson — primary (person)
- Henegan — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- King — primary (person)
- Kirby — primary (person)
- Knight — primary (person)
- Martin — primary (person)
- Norman — primary (person)
- Norrell — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Putnam — primary (person)
- Simrill — primary (person)
- Thayer — primary (person)
- V.S. Moss — primary (person)
- W. Newton — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)
- Wheeler — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-12** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2017-01-24** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Putnam, Clary, Hamilton, Yow, W.Newton, Kirby, Erickson
- **2017-01-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Knight, Hixon, Elliott, Henderson
- **2017-01-25** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-01-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bedingfield, V.S.Moss
- **2017-01-31** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wheeler
- **2017-01-31** Debate adjourned until Wed., 2-1-17
- **2017-02-01** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ballentine, King, Henegan, West
- **2017-02-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2017-02-01** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-0
- **2017-02-02** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-02-07** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-07** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-06** Referred to Subcommittee: Massey (ch), McElveen, Senn
- **2017-05-03** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-05-05** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2017-05-09** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-03-08** Committee Amendment Amended and Adopted `amendment-passage, amendment-amendment`
- **2018-03-08** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-03-08** Roll call Ayes-38 Nays-0
- **2018-03-09** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-03-13** Recalled from House
- **2018-03-13** Reconsider vote whereby read third time and returned with amendments
- **2018-03-15** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-03-22** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2018-03-22** Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0
- **2018-04-03** Ratified R 152
- **2018-04-04** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2018-04-06** Effective date 04/04/18
- **2018-04-09** Act No. 144

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c278c2ee-5422-4b8d-a59f-0654cf36fd52`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).