republic-os/legislation/us/states/sc/2017-2018/h-3538.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES RIGHT TO PARENT ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 21 TO TITLE 63 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE FAMILY AND PROBATE COURTS, AMONG OTHERS, TO PROTECT THE PARENTING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY BY ESTABLISHING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND SAFEGUARDS APPLICABLE IN CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD PROTECTION, AND PROBATE GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS TO ENSURE THAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT DENIED THE RIGHT TO PARENT OR TO HAVE CUSTODY OF OR VISITATION WITH A CHILD BECAUSE OF THE DISABILITY; AND TO PROHIBIT CHILD PLACING AGENCIES AND ADOPTION SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM DENYING PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY THE RIGHT TO ACCESS SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE PERSON'S DISABILITY, WITH EXCEPTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-720, RELATING TO REASONABLE EFFORTS REQUIREMENTS FOR PROBABLE CAUSE HEARINGS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN EFFORTS IF A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, TO INCLUDE REFERRALS FOR SERVICES PROVIDING INSTRUCTION ON ADAPTIVE PARENTING TECHNIQUES AND OTHER REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WITH REGARD TO ACCESSING SERVICES; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-1640, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT DETERMINATIONS WHETHER TO REQUIRE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY A FAMILY WHEN THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE COURT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DISABILITY AND WAYS IN WHICH TO ACCOMMODATE THE DISABILITY TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY THE FAMILY; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2570, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A DISABILITY. - ratified title	AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES RIGHT TO PARENT ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 21 TO TITLE 63 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE FAMILY AND PROBATE COURTS, AMONG OTHERS, TO PROTECT THE PARENTING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY BY ESTABLISHING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND SAFEGUARDS APPLICABLE IN CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD PROTECTION, AND PROBATE GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS TO ENSURE THAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT DENIED THE RIGHT TO PARENT OR TO HAVE CUSTODY OF OR VISITATION WITH A CHILD BECAUSE OF THE DISABILITY; AND TO PROHIBIT CHILD PLACING AGENCIES AND ADOPTION SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM DENYING PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY THE RIGHT TO ACCESS SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE PERSON'S DISABILITY, WITH EXCEPTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-720, RELATING TO REASONABLE EFFORTS REQUIREMENTS FOR PROBABLE CAUSE HEARINGS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN EFFORTS IF A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, TO INCLUDE REFERRALS FOR SERVICES PROVIDING INSTRUCTION ON ADAPTIVE PARENTING TECHNIQUES AND OTHER REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WITH REGARD TO ACCESSING SERVICES; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-1640, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT DETERMINATIONS WHETHER TO REQUIRE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY A FAMILY WHEN THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE COURT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DISABILITY AND WAYS IN WHICH TO ACCOMMODATE THE DISABILITY TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY THE FAMILY; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2570, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A DISABILITY. - ratified title	us/states/sc	South Carolina General Assembly	2017-2018	H 3538	South Carolina H 3538 (2017-2018)	bill		enacted	J.E. Smith	3	17	2	2017-01-19	2017-05-18	openstates	ocd-bill/08151be0-345d-40fe-a874-46253b83d6a1	http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3538&session=122&summary=B	117805a272b2b7543d1e5f08f03772e9294feaaa5c6316ea148b7a16c16750f4	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-sc

South Carolina H 3538 (2017-2018) — AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES RIGHT TO PARENT ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 21 TO TITLE 63 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE FAMILY AND PROBATE COURTS, AMONG OTHERS, TO PROTECT THE PARENTING RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY BY ESTABLISHING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND SAFEGUARDS APPLICABLE IN CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD PROTECTION, AND PROBATE GUARDIANSHIP PROCEEDINGS TO ENSURE THAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT DENIED THE RIGHT TO PARENT OR TO HAVE CUSTODY OF OR VISITATION WITH A CHILD BECAUSE OF THE DISABILITY; AND TO PROHIBIT CHILD PLACING AGENCIES AND ADOPTION SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM DENYING PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY THE RIGHT TO ACCESS SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE PERSON'S DISABILITY, WITH EXCEPTIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-720, RELATING TO REASONABLE EFFORTS REQUIREMENTS FOR PROBABLE CAUSE HEARINGS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN EFFORTS IF A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, TO INCLUDE REFERRALS FOR SERVICES PROVIDING INSTRUCTION ON ADAPTIVE PARENTING TECHNIQUES AND OTHER REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WITH REGARD TO ACCESSING SERVICES; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-1640, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT DETERMINATIONS WHETHER TO REQUIRE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY A FAMILY WHEN THE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN HAS A DISABILITY, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE COURT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DISABILITY AND WAYS IN WHICH TO ACCOMMODATE THE DISABILITY TO PRESERVE OR REUNIFY THE FAMILY; TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-2570, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A DISABILITY. - ratified title

Version chain

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

1. 1/19/2017 (committee substitute) — source
2. 3/22/2017 (committee substitute) — source
3. 4/27/2017 (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Passage of Bill — 103–0 (pass) · lower
• 2nd Reading — 41–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• J.E. Smith — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2017-01-19 Introduced and read first time introduction, reading-1
• 2017-01-19 Referred to Committee on Judiciary referral-committee
• 2017-03-22 Committee report: Favorable Judiciary committee-passage-favorable
• 2017-03-23 Read second time reading-2
• 2017-03-23 Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-0
• 2017-03-23 Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
• 2017-03-24 Read third time and sent to Senate passage, reading-3
• 2017-03-29 Introduced and read first time introduction, reading-1
• 2017-03-29 Referred to Committee on General referral-committee
• 2017-04-27 Committee report: Favorable General committee-passage-favorable
• 2017-05-03 Read second time reading-2
• 2017-05-03 Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-0
• 2017-05-04 Read third time and enrolled passage, reading-3
• 2017-05-09 Ratified R 58
• 2017-05-10 Signed By Governor executive-signature
• 2017-05-17 Effective date 05/10/17
• 2017-05-18 Act No. 36

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/08151be0-345d-40fe-a874-46253b83d6a1. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).