South Carolina H 4696: Technology Transparency

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4696 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4696

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 63-7-40, RELATING TO SAFE HAVENS FOR ABANDONED BABIES, SO AS TO 
INCREASE THE AGE UP TO THE AGE OF ONE WHEN AN INFANT MAY BE LEFT AT A SAFE 
HAVEN.

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

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

 (G) A person who leaves an infant at a 
safe haven or directs another person to do so must not be prosecuted for any 
criminal offense on account of such action if:

 (1) 
the person is a parent of the infant or is acting at the direction of a parent;

 (2) 
the person leaves the infant in the physical custody of a staff member or an 
employee of the safe haven; and

 (3) 
the infant is not more than sixty days one year old or the infant is reasonably determined by 
the hospital or hospital outpatient facility to be not more than sixty days one year old.

 This subsection does 
not apply to prosecution for the infliction of any harm upon the infant other 
than the harm inherent in abandonment.

 (J) For purposes of this section:

 (1) 
"infant" means a person not more than sixty days one year old; and

 (2) 
"safe haven" means a hospital or hospital outpatient facility, a law 
enforcement agency, a fire station, an emergency medical services station, or 
any staffed house of worship during hours when the facility is staffed.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on December 17, 2025 at 01:53 PM