South Carolina H 3097: Campaign contributions

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3097 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3097

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 63-9-30, RELATING TO TERMS DEFINED IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA ADOPTION ACT, 
SO AS TO CHANGE THE TERM "SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD" TO "CHILD WITH CHALLENGING 
ADOPTION CIRCUMSTANCES"; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-9-60, 63-9-750, 63-9-1370, 
63-9-1750, AND 63-9-2030, ALL RELATING TO ADOPTIONS, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING 
CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 12-6-1140, RELATING TO TAX DEDUCTIONS, SO AS TO 
MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-7-1700, RELATING TO 
PERMANENCY PLANNING, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 63-9-30(10) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (10) For purposes of adoption, "special needs child" "child with 
challenging adoption circumstances" means a child 
or children who are unlikely to be adopted without 
assistance as determined by the South Carolina Department of Social Services 
because they fall into one or more of the following categories:

 (a) 
children who are members of a sibling group;

 (b) 
children of marginalized ethnic backgrounds, except for purposes of Section 
63-9-60(B);

 (c) 
children aged six or older; or

 (d) 
children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.

SECTION 2. Section 63-9-60(B)(1)(a) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (a) the child is a special 
needs child with challenging adoption circumstances, 
as defined by Section 63-9-30;

SECTION 3. Section 63-9-750(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) The final hearing on the adoption 
petition must be held no later than six months after the filing of the adoption 
petition. In the case of a special needs child with challenging adoption circumstances, the hearing 
must be held no later than twelve months after the filing of the adoption 
petition. In its discretion, upon good cause shown, the court may extend the 
time within which the final hearing on the adoption petition may be held.

SECTION 4. Section 63-9-1370(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (B) A fee may not be charged for the 
placement of a child with special needschallenging adoption circumstances, as defined in Section 
63-9-30, into an adoptive home.

SECTION 5. Section 63-9-1750(1) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (1) is a special 
needs child with challenging adoption circumstances 
pursuant to Section 63-9-30;

SECTION 6. Section 63-9-2030 (A) and (D) of the S.C. Code is 
amended to read:

 (A) A child with special 
needschallenging adoption circumstances who 
is a resident in the State who is the subject of an adoption assistance 
agreement with another state may receive medical assistance identification from 
this State upon the filing with the Department of Social Services of a 
certified copy of the agreement obtained from the adoption assistance state. In 
accordance with regulations of the department, the adoptive parents at least 
annually shall show that the agreement is still in force or has been renewed.

 (D) 
The provisions of this section apply only to medical assistance for children 
under adoption assistance agreements from states that have entered into a 
compact with this State under which the other state provides medical assistance 
to children with special needschallenging 
adoption circumstances under adoption assistance agreements made by this 
State. All other children entitled to medical assistance pursuant to adoption 
assistance agreements entered into by this State are eligible to receive 
assistance in accordance with the laws and procedures applicable to the 
agreements.

SECTION 7. Section 12-6-1140(7) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (7)(a) Two thousand dollars for each 
adopted special needs child with 
challenging adoption circumstances who is:

 (i) 
dependent upon and receiving chief support from the taxpayer;

 (ii) 
under the age of twenty-one; and

 (iii) 
enrolled in an accredited school or college or is incapable of self-support 
because of mental or physical defects.

 (b) 
For purposes of this item, a special needs child with challenging adoption circumstances is a person who 
is:

 (i) 
under eighteen at the time of adoption;

 (ii) 
the dependent of a public or private nonprofit adoption agency prior to the 
adoption;

 (iii) 
legally free for adoption; and

 (iv) 
unlikely to be adopted without assistance as determined by the South Carolina 
Department of Social Services because of conditions such as ethnic minority 
status, age, sibling group membership, medical condition, or physical, mental, 
or emotional handicaps.

 (c) 
The entire deduction is allowed for a taxable year even if the sp