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House advances measure giving DSS attorneys discretion on certain child abuse filings amid questions from caseworkers
Summary
The South Carolina House of Representatives on the floor gave second reading to House Bill 3502, a measure that would clarify decision-making authority in child abuse and neglect proceedings by granting Department of Social Services attorneys discretion to file or not file petitions in certain limited circumstances.
The South Carolina House of Representatives on the floor gave second reading to House Bill 3502, a measure that would clarify decision-making authority in child abuse and neglect proceedings by granting Department of Social Services attorneys discretion to file or not file petitions in certain limited circumstances.
Representative Bernstein, explaining the bill, said its purpose is narrow: to ensure that "child welfare and safety become the predominant consideration" when DSS is deciding whether to pursue family court actions. She described a fact pattern in which judges, prosecutors and lawyers agreed not to pursue an action but a caseworker's insistence caused the…
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