South Carolina S 121: Tax Notices

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 121 Text of Previous Version (May. 08, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 121

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

As Passed By The Senate

May 8, 2025

S. 121

Introduced 
by Senators Garrett, Cash and Campsen 

S. Printed 5/8/25--S.

Read the first time January 14, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 63-7-40(B), RELATING TO SAFE HAVEN FOR ABANDONED BABIES, SO AS TO 
PROVIDE THAT THE SAFE HAVEN MUST OFFER THE PERSON LEAVING THE INFANT 
INFORMATION PREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT CONCERNING THE LEGAL EFFECT OF LEAVING 
THE INFANT WITH THE SAFE HAVEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700(A), RELATING TO 
PERMANENCY PLANNING, SO AS TO DECREASE THE TIME IN WHICH A PERMANENCY PLANNING 
HEARING MUST BE HELD FROM NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR TO NO LATER THAN NINE MONTHS 
AFTER THE CHILD IS FIRST PLACED IN FOSTER CARE; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700(E), 
RELATING TO THE FILING OF A PETITION TO TERMINATE PARENTAL RIGHTS, SO AS TO 
REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO COMPLETE AND FILE WITH THE COURT A BACKGROUND 
INVESTIGATION AND REPORT REGARDING THE CHILD WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OF THE FILING OF 
A PETITION TO TERMINATE PARENTAL RIGHTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700(F) AND 
SECTION 63-7-1700(H), RELATING TO AN EXTENSION FOR REUNIFICATION, SO AS TO 
DECREASE THE TIME IN WHICH AN EXTENSION MAY BE GRANTED FOR REUNIFICATION 
EFFORTS FROM EIGHTEEN MONTHS TO FIFTEEN MONTHS; BY AMENDING SECTION 
63-7-1700(I), RELATING TO PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARINGS, BY PROVIDING THAT A 
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING MAY SERVE AS THE NEXT PERMANENCY 
PLANNING HEARING ONLY IF IT IS HELD NO LATER THAN NINE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF 
THE PREVIOUS PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING, AND SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A 
PERMANENCY PLANNING HEARING MUST BE HELD QUARTERLY INSTEAD OF ANNUALLY AFTER 
THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1710, 
RELATING TO TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO 
COMPLETE AND FILE WITH THE COURT A BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND REPORT 
REGARDING THE CHILD WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OF THE FILING OF A PETITION TO TERMINATE 
PARENTAL RIGHTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-2550, RELATING TO SERVICE OF 
PETITION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN UNMARRIED BIOLOGICAL FATHER MUST RECEIVE 
SERVICE OF A TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ACTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 
63-7-2570, RELATING TO GROUNDS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT WHEN FINDING THAT 
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD, THE COURT 
MUST FIND THAT THE HOME OF THE CHILD'S PARENTS IS NOT SAFE FOR THE RETURN OF 
THE CHILD AT THE TIME OF THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 63-9-730, RELATING TO NOTICE OF ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO 
PROVIDE THAT IF NOTICE OF AN ADOPTION PROCEEDING CANNOT BE EFFECTED BY PERSONAL 
SERVICE, THEN NOTICE MAY BE GIVEN BY PUBLICATION OF THE SUMMONS IN WHICH THE 
REQUESTED RELIEF OF TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, OR ADOPTION, OR BOTH, IS 
SET FORTH; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-9-760, RELATING TO THE EFFECT OF A FINAL 
ADOPTION DECREE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE FINAL DECREE IS NOT AFFECTED BY A 
POSTADOPTION AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BEFORE OR AFTER THE ADOPTION; BY ADDING 
SECTION 63-9-765, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR POSTADOPTION CONTACT AGREEMENTS TO BE 
ENFORCEABLE IF AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-820, RELATING 
TO THE PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A REGISTRANT MUST 
INCLUDE ANY ALIASES WHEN HE REGISTERS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 12-6-3595, SO AS 
TO PROVIDE FOR A TAX CREDIT FOR ANY RESIDENT TAXPAYER THAT CLAIMS THE FEDERAL 
TAX CREDIT FOR QUALIFIED ADOPTION EXPENSES RELATED TO A DOMESTIC ADOPTION.

 Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 63-7-40(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (B)(1) 
A facility, agency, or other location designated as a safe haven pursuant to 
subsection (J)(2) must post a notice prepared by the department on its premises 
that is prominently displayed for view by the public, stating that the 
facility, agency, or other location is a safe haven at which a person may leave 
an infant.

 (2) 
The safe haven must offer the department 
must publish information on the agency's website, including a pamphlet 
explaining the process, accessible to any person leaving the infant information concerning the legal effect of leaving the 
infant with the safe haven.

 (3) 
The safe haven must ask the person leaving the infant to identify any parent of 
the infant other than the person leaving the infant with the safe haven. The 
safe haven also must attempt to obtain from the person information concerning 
the infant's background and medical history as specified on a form provided by 
the depart