A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 12-56-20, RELATING TO THE DEBT SETOFF COLLECTION ACT, SO AS TO INCLUDE CERTAIN COSTS COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PROBATION, PAROLE AND PARDON SERVICES IN THE DEFINITION OF "DELINQUENT DEBT".

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

SECTION 1.  Section 12-56-20(4) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

    (4) "Delinquent debt" means a sum due and owing a claimant agency, including collection costs, court costs, fines, penalties, and interest which have accrued through contract, subrogation, tort, operation of law, or other legal theory regardless of whether there is an outstanding judgment for that sum which is legally collectible and for which a collection effort has been or is being made. It does not include sums owed to county hospitals when the hospital and the debtor have entered into a written payment agreement and the debtor is current in meeting the obligations of the agreement. "Delinquent debt" also includes any fine, penalty, cost, fee, assessment, surcharge, service charge, restitution, or other amount imposed by a court, or as a direct consequence of a final court order which is received by or payable to the clerk of the appropriate court or treasurer of the entity where the court is located, or when ordered by a court or the Parole Board to be collected by the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

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

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