Foster Care

2025-2026 Bill 858: Foster Care

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

Download
This Bill
in Microsoft Word format

A199, R237, S858

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Senator Young

Document Path: SR-0018QG26.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 28, 2026

Introduced in the House on March 4, 2026

Last Amended on May 13, 2026

Governor's Action: May 18, 2026, Signed

Summary: Foster Care

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/28/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 7
)

1/28/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Family and Veterans' Services
(
Senate Journal-page 7
)

2/11/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Family and Veterans' Services
(
Senate Journal-page 12
)

2/18/2026

Senate

Committee Amendment Adopted (
Senate Journal-page 22
)

2/18/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 22
)

2/18/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 22
)

2/26/2026

Senate

Read third time and sent to House (
Senate Journal-page 9
)

3/4/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 8
)

3/4/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 8
)

5/6/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 8
)

5/7/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

5/7/2026

House

Debate adjourned (
House Journal-page 89
)

5/12/2026

House

Debate adjourned (
House Journal-page 75
)

5/13/2026

House

Requests for debate-Rep(s). Frank, Morgan,
Edgerton, Harris, White, Magnuson, Cromer (
House Journal-page 27
)

5/13/2026

House

Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Edgerton,
Magnuson, Frank, Morgan, White, Harris (
House Journal-page 63
)

5/13/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 129
)

5/13/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 129
)

5/13/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-94 Nays-18 (
House Journal-page 130
)

5/14/2026

House

Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (
House Journal-page 12
)

5/14/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

5/14/2026

Senate

Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (
Senate Journal-page 94
)

5/15/2026

Ratified R 237

5/18/2026

Signed By Governor

6/5/2026

Effective date 05/18/26

6/2/2026

Act No. 199

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

01/28/2026
02/11/2026
02/18/2026
05/06/2026
05/07/2026
05/13/2026
05/14/2026

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

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(A199, R237, S858)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-11-700, 63-11-710, 63-11-740, 63-11-760, AND 63-11-770, ALL RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF FOSTER CARE REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY, SO AS TO CHANGE THE STANDARDS FOR SERVING ON THE DIVISION'S BOARD AND THE PROCEDURE FOR TERMS OF OFFICE; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN STANDARDS FOR LOCAL REVIEW BOARDS; TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR TO APPOINT OR REMOVE MEMBERS OF LOCAL BOARDS, WITH EXCEPTIONS; TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO DISSOLVE LOCAL BOARDS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE CERTAIN ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL BOARDS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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

Foster Care Review Division

SECTION 1. Section 63-11-700 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 63-11-700. (A) There is created, within the Department of Children's Advocacy, the Foster Care Review Division. The division must be supported by a board consisting of seven members, all of whom must be past or present members of local review boards. There must be one member from each congressional district, all appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(B) Terms of office for the members of the board are for four years and until their successors are appointed and qualify. Members may succeed themselves, but a member shall not serve on the board in a holdover capacity at the conclusion of his term for more than one hundred eighty days. Appointments must be made by the Governor for terms of four years to expire on December thirty-first of the appropriate year. Vacancies on the board must be filled in the same manner as the initial appointment for the unexpired term.

(C) The board shall elect from its members a chairman who shall serve for two years. Five members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Members of the board shall receive per diem, mileage, and subsistence as provided by law for members of boards, commissions, and committees while engaged in the work of the board.

(D) The board shall meet at least quarterly and more frequently upon the call of the division director to review and coordinate the activities of the local review boards and make recommendations to the director, the Governor, and the General Assembly with regard to foster care policies, procedures, and deficiencies of public and private agencies which arrange for foster care of children as determined by the review of cases provided for in Section 63-11-720(A)(1) and (2). These recommendations must be submitted to the Governor and included in the department's annual report, filed with the General Assembly, of the activities of the state and local review boards.

(E) The Department of Children's Advocacy shall promulgate regulations to carry out the provisions of this article. These regulations shall provide for and must be limited to procedures for: reviewing reports and other necessary information at state, county, and private agencies and facilities; scheduling of reviews and notification of interested parties; conducting local review board and board of directors' meetings; disseminating local review board recommendations, including reporting to the appropriate family court judges the status of judicially approved treatment plans; participating and intervening in family court proceedings; developing policies for summary review of children privately placed in privately owned facilities or group homes; and the organization and administration of local review boards to include board jurisdiction, membership standards, and other necessary policies.

(F) The Department of Children's Advocacy may employ a division director and staff as is necessary to carry out this article, and the funds for the division director, staff, and other purposes of this division must be provided for in the annual general appropriations act.

Local review boards

SECTION 2. Section 63-11-710 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 63-11-710. (A) The department shall create local boards for review of cases of children receiving foster care pursuant to Section 63-11-700(E). Members of local boards will be appointed by the director upon the recommendation of their county legislative delegation. Current board members shall continue to serve until the expiration of their respective terms.

(B) A member of a local board who is guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetency, absenteeism, conflicts of interest, misconduct, persistent neglect of duty in office, or incapacity must be subject to removal by the director upon any of the foregoing causes being made to appear to the satisfaction of the director. Before removing any such member, the director shall inform him and the local legislative delegation in writing of the specific grounds for removal brought against him and give him an opportunity on reasonable notice to be heard. The consent of the majority of the local legislative delegation is needed to remove a member of a local board. The state board may recommend to the director that a member of a local board be removed pursuant to this section.

(C) If the Department determines that a local board is no longer necessary, then the department may dissolve that local review board upon notice to the majority of the local legislative delegation.

Meetings

SECTION 3. Section 63-11-740 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 63-11-740. The department shall provide administrative and technical assistance to each board to perform its functions as set forth in this article with funds provided in the annual state general appropriations act. Members of the local boards may not receive compensation for their services but must be allowed mileage, per diem, and subsistence as provided by law for state boards, committees, and commissions for attendance at board meetings. If needed to ensure a quorum at a board meeting, a current member of a local board may serve as a substitute on a board other than his own board.

Immunity

SECTION 4. Section 63-11-760 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 63-11-760. After participating in the training program provided by the department of the foster care review system, a local review board member is not liable for damages for personal injury as a result of an act or omission in the discharge of his duties as a member if he acts in good faith and his conduct does not constitute gross negligence, recklessness, wilfulness, or wantonness.

Required cooperation

SECTION 5. Section 63-11-770 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 63-11-770. All public and private agencies and facilities which provide for or arrange foster care for children and all public agencies providing services to children in foster care shall make records available for review as requested by the department, the state board of directors, or local review boards.

Time effective

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 18th day of May, 2026.

__________

This web page was last updated on
June 2, 2026 at 1:17 PM