---
type: "Bill"
title: "Child Welfare"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-10, RELATING TO THE PURPOSE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDREN'S CODE, SO AS TO REVISE STATED CHILD WELFARE SERVICE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIRE CERTAIN REPORTING; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-920, RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS AND CASE DETERMINATION, SO AS TO CHANGE GUIDELINES FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORTING IN THE CASE OF A REPORT OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "S 612"
citation: "South Carolina S 612 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gustafson", "McElveen", "Shealy"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 18
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-03-08"
last_action: "2023-05-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dbeabd14-808e-4c84-a939-666fb90b40ae"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=612&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "e0002e0e8ff9e1b36b2cf99a3b7f5cafe22564ea8f656f2677d4a7db11c0b6f3"
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 S 612 (2023-2024) — Child Welfare

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-10, RELATING TO THE PURPOSE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDREN'S CODE, SO AS TO REVISE STATED CHILD WELFARE SERVICE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIRE CERTAIN REPORTING; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-920, RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS AND CASE DETERMINATION, SO AS TO CHANGE GUIDELINES FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORTING IN THE CASE OF A REPORT OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT. - 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/612.htm)
2. **3/22/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/612_20230322.htm)
3. **3/29/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/612_20230329.htm)
4. **3/8/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/612_20230308.htm)
5. **5/4/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/612_20230504.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **108–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading — **40–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Gustafson — primary (person)
- McElveen — primary (person)
- Shealy — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-03-08** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-03-08** Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-22** Committee report: Favorable Family and Veterans' Services `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-28** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-03-29** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-03-29** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-29** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-1
- **2023-03-30** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-03-30** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-03** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-05-04** Roll call Yeas-108 Nays-0
- **2023-05-04** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2023-05-05** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-05-11** Ratified R 40
- **2023-05-16** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-25** Effective date 05/16/23
- **2023-05-25** Act No. 33

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dbeabd14-808e-4c84-a939-666fb90b40ae`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).