South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

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Bill 3922


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      3922
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  19990414
Primary Sponsor:                  Davenport
All Sponsors:                     Davenport, Bales, J. Brown, Cato, 
                                  Chellis, Cooper, Edge, Hamilton, Kelley, 
                                  Leach, Lee, Littlejohn, Lloyd, Neilson, Ott, 
                                  Sandifer, Seithel, D. Smith, Tripp, Vaughn, 
                                  Witherspoon and Young-Brickell
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\psd\7368ac99.doc
Residing Body:                    House
Current Committee:                Judiciary Committee 25 HJ
Subject:                          Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act, 
                                  Courts, Family, Minors, Domestic Relations


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   19990414  Introduced, read first time,           25 HJ
                  referred to Committee


                             Versions of This Bill

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


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

A BILL

TO AMEND TITLE 20, CHAPTER 7, ARTICLE 3, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE LEGAL STATUS OF CHILDREN, BY ADDING SUBARTICLE 2 TO ENACT THE PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT, SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS IN DIRECTING THE UPBRINGING OF THEIR CHILDREN, TO PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM INTERFERING IN THIS RIGHT, TO ALLOW A PARENT TO RAISE A VIOLATION OF THIS SUBARTICLE AS A CLAIM OR DEFENSE, TO PROVIDE FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES WHEN A PARENT PREVAILS, AND TO EXEMPT CERTAIN ACTIONS BETWEEN PARENTS.

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

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that the United States Supreme Court has regarded the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children as a fundamental right implicit in the concept of ordered liberty within the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as specified in Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923) and Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925) and that Article I, Section 3 and that Article I, Section 3 of the South Carolina Constitution should afford that same right; and

Whereas, the role of parents in the raising and rearing of their children is of inestimable value and deserving of both praise and protection by all levels of government; and

Whereas, the tradition of western civilization recognizes that parents have the responsibility to love, nurture, train, and protect their children; and

Whereas, some decisions of federal and state courts have treated the right of parents not as a fundamental right but as a nonfundamental right, resulting in an improper standard of judicial review being applied to government conduct that adversely affects parental rights and prerogatives; and

Whereas, parents face increasing intrusions into their legitimate decisions and prerogatives by government agencies in situations that do not involve traditional understandings of abuse or neglect but simply are a conflict of parenting philosophies; and

Whereas, the State and its political subdivisions should not interfere in the decisions and actions of parents without compelling justification; and

Whereas, the process used by courts to evaluate cases concerning the rights of parents appropriately should balance the interests of parents, children, and government. Now, therefore,

SECTION 1. Title 20, Chapter 7, Article 3 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Subarticle 2

Parental Rights and Responsibilities

Section 20-7-102. This subarticle may be cited as the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act.

Section 20-7-103. As used in this subarticle:

(1) 'Appropriate evidence' means:

(a) for a case in which the State seeks a temporary or preliminary action or order, except cases which terminate parental rights, evidence that demonstrates probable cause; and

(b) for a case in which the State seeks a final action or order, or in which it seeks to terminate parental rights, clear and convincing evidence.

(2) 'The right of a parent to direct the upbringing of a child':

(a) includes, but is not limited to, the right of a parent regarding:

(i) directing or providing for the education of the child;

(ii) making a health care decision for the child in accordance with subarticle 7 and except as provided in subitem (b);

(iii) disciplining the child, including reasonable corporal discipline, except as provided in subsubitem (b)(ii); and

(iv) directing or providing for the religious teaching of the child.

(b) does not include a right of a parent to:

(i) make a decision on health care for the child that, by neglect or refusal, will result in danger to the life of the child or in serious physical injury to the child;

(ii) act or refrain from acting in a manner that constitutes abuse or neglect of a child.

Section 20-7-104. The purposes of this subarticle are:

(1) to protect the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children as a fundamental right;

(2) to protect children from abuse and neglect; this protection being a compelling government interest;

(3) while protecting the right of parents to acknowledge that the rights involve responsibilities and specifically that parents have the responsibility to see that their children are educated for the purposes of literacy and self-sufficiency;

(4) to preserve, in accordance with subarticle 7, parental choices in making health care decisions for a child unless, by neglect or refusal, the parental decision will result in danger to the child's life or result in serious physical injury of the child.

Section 20-7-105. There is established a standard for judicial review of the rights of a parent to direct the upbringing of a child, by which the courts shall apply the rights in particular cases based on the facts of the cases and law as applied to the facts. In hearing cases concerning the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of a child, the court shall utilize a process to evaluate these cases that:

(a) requires a parent to initially demonstrate that:

(i) the action in question arises from the right of the parent to direct the upbringing of a child; and

(ii) the State or a political subdivision of the State has interfered with or usurped the right; and

(b) shifts the burdens of production and persuasion to the State or the political subdivision to demonstrate that:

(i) the interference or usurpation is essential to accomplish a compelling governmental interest; and

(ii) the method of intervention or usurpation used by the State or the political subdivision is the least restrictive means of accomplishing the compelling interest.

Section 20-7-106. The State or a political subdivision of the State or an official of either acting under color of law, must not interfere with or usurp the right of a parent to direct the upbringing of a child unless the State, political subdivision, or official is able to demonstrate, by appropriate evidence, that the interference or usurpation is essential to accomplish a compelling governmental interest and is narrowly drawn or applied in a manner that is the least restrictive means of accomplishing the compelling interest.

Section 20-7-107. (A) A parent may raise a violation of this subarticle in an action in a court as a claim or as a defense.

(B) A parent who prevails in an action brought or defended against under this subarticle is entitled to court costs and attorney's fees.

Section 20-7-108. This subarticle does not apply to:

(1) domestic relations cases concerning parental rights between parents in custody disputes; or

(2) any other dispute between parents."

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

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