---
type: "Bill"
title: "Adoption"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-9-750, RELATING TO FINAL ADOPTION HEARINGS, SO AS TO ELIMINATE THE MANDATORY NINETY-DAY WAITING PERIOD TO FINALIZE AN ADOPTION; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-7-1710, 63-7-2530, 63-9-710, AND 63-7-1660, ALL RELATING TO CHILD PERMANENCY PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO EXPEDITE PERMANENCY FOR CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-40, RELATING TO INFANT SAFE HAVENS, SO AS TO ALLOW THE PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING AND TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING TO OCCUR IN THE SAME PROCEEDING, WITH EXCEPTIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-9-30, RELATING TO TERMS DEFINED IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA ADOPTION ACT, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF \"SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD\"; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700, RELATING TO PERMANENCY PLANNING, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO PROMOTE TIMELY PERMANENCE FOR CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "H 3553"
citation: "South Carolina H 3553 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Brewer", "Burns", "Crawford", "Cromer", "Davis", "Erickson", "G.M. Smith", "Hewitt", "Hiott", "Hixon", "Landing", "M.M. Smith", "Magnuson", "McCravy", "Mitchell", "Oremus", "Pace", "Pope", "Robbins", "S. Jones", "T. Moore", "W. Newton", "Weeks", "West", "Wheeler", "White", "Yow"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 34
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2022-12-15"
last_action: "2023-06-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/051f2376-0b39-45a4-bf3c-56ca9342a185"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3553&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "d14e9225c118bea0b328ea0d34904b8a53483df491291f7dae610a2ad71e0545"
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 3553 (2023-2024) — Adoption

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-9-750, RELATING TO FINAL ADOPTION HEARINGS, SO AS TO ELIMINATE THE MANDATORY NINETY-DAY WAITING PERIOD TO FINALIZE AN ADOPTION; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-7-1710, 63-7-2530, 63-9-710, AND 63-7-1660, ALL RELATING TO CHILD PERMANENCY PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO EXPEDITE PERMANENCY FOR CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-40, RELATING TO INFANT SAFE HAVENS, SO AS TO ALLOW THE PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING AND TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING TO OCCUR IN THE SAME PROCEEDING, WITH EXCEPTIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-9-30, RELATING TO TERMS DEFINED IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA ADOPTION ACT, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF "SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD"; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700, RELATING TO PERMANENCY PLANNING, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO PROMOTE TIMELY PERMANENCE FOR CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - RATIFIED TITLE

## Version chain

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

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/bills/3553.htm)
2. **1/31/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230131.htm)
3. **12/15/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20221215.htm)
4. **3/29/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230329.htm)
5. **5/10/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230510.htm)
6. **5/11/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230511.htm)
7. **5/12/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230512.htm)
8. **5/9/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3553_20230509.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **107–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **104–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **104–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Brewer — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- Crawford — primary (person)
- Cromer — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Erickson — primary (person)
- G.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Hewitt — primary (person)
- Hiott — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- Landing — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Magnuson — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Mitchell — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Pace — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Robbins — primary (person)
- S. Jones — primary (person)
- T. Moore — primary (person)
- W. Newton — primary (person)
- Weeks — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)
- Wheeler — primary (person)
- White — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-12-15** Prefiled `filing`
- **2022-12-15** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-01-10** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-12** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: S.Jones, White
- **2023-01-18** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon, Hiott
- **2023-01-19** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Oremus, M.M.Smith
- **2023-01-31** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-02-01** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Landing
- **2023-03-28** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.Newton
- **2023-03-29** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Robbins, Brewer
- **2023-03-29** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-30** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cromer, Weeks, Wheeler
- **2023-04-04** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Magnuson, Yow, Pope
- **2023-04-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-04-04** Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-0
- **2023-04-05** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-05** Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0
- **2023-04-05** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-04-05** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-20** Referred to Subcommittee: Talley (ch), Matthews, McLeod, Garrett, Gustafson
- **2023-05-09** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-10** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-05-11** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2023-05-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-05-12** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-05-23** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-05-23** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2023-06-07** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2023-06-07** Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0
- **2023-06-14** Ratified R 99
- **2023-06-19** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-06-26** Effective date 06/19/23
- **2023-06-26** Act No. 80

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/051f2376-0b39-45a4-bf3c-56ca9342a185`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).