Bill > H3036

This bill introduces the Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act in South Carolina, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework to address dating violence among teens. The legislation defines teen dating violence as physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional violence between persons 18 years old or younger in a dating relationship, and creates a specific criminal offense for such conduct. The bill requires that when a person commits teen dating violence, they can be prosecuted with penalties that are served consecutively to any underlying offense, and they are ineligible for pretrial intervention programs. For victims 16 and older, the bill allows seeking orders of protection or restraining orders without parental consent (though parents must be notified within 24 hours), while victims under 16 must have parental consent. Additionally, the bill amends the state's Comprehensive Health Education Act to mandate the inclusion of teen dating violence education in school curricula across grades K-12, ensuring that students receive age-appropriate instruction about recognizing, preventing, and understanding dating violence. The educational components must be implemented in a way that allows parents to preview materials and opt their children out if the content conflicts with their family's beliefs, and schools must handle such exemptions in a manner that prevents student embarrassment.

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https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3036&session=126&summary=B