Here are the bills and meetings coming up this week in the South Carolina Statehouse that could affect our civil liberties.
An ID requirement that would block public school enrollment
On Tuesday, March 3, one hour after adjournment of the House in Blatt Building Room 433, the House K-12 Subcommittee will discuss a bill that would make it harder for parents to enroll their children in public schools.
Currently parents must prove they live in the attendance zone when enrolling their children in a school. Under House Bill 3866, parents would also have to show a state-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, a U.S. passport, military ID, or a South Carolina voter registration card with a photo on it.
This presents an obstacle to enrollment for families who lack photo ID or other documents, including some immigrant parents, older relatives raising children, and families experiencing homelessness. Data from the American National Election Studies in 2020 showed that nearly 29 million American adults lacked a valid driver’s license, and more than 7 million had no other form of non-expired, government-issued photo identification.
Arrive early and sign up to speak about this bill, or you can submit written comments to [email protected] by March 2 at 12 p.m.
A bill allowing harmful anti-trans treatment for children
South Carolina lawmakers are spending 2026 advancing an unprecedented number of bills targeting the rights and dignity of transgender people, with a focus on harming trans children in particular. On Wednesday, March 4, at 9 a.m. in Gressette Building Room 308, the Senate Child Welfare Subcommittee will consider redefining child abuse in state law to allow harmful treatment of trans children.
Senate Bill 540 states that sending a child to a service that seeks to make a child live according to their sex assigned at birth is not child abuse. This is a significant bill in South Carolina, where some religious institutions continue to offer pseudoscientific treatments known as “conversion therapy” to convince LGBTQ+ people to deny their sexual orientation or gender identity. Twenty states have passed laws protecting minors from this harmful practice; now South Carolina lawmakers are seeking to specifically protect this practice in law.
Arrive early to sign up for public comments or submit written comments to [email protected] by March 3 at 9 a.m.
Vaccine bills up for debate amid a measles outbreak
South Carolina is experiencing a historic outbreak of measles, a disease that can be deadly to unvaccinated and vulnerable children. This disease was considered eliminated in the United States until recently, but it has returned following a wave of vaccine refusal by parents in parts of the state.
On Wednesday, March 4, at 9:30 a.m. in Gressette Building Room 209, the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee will consider two bills involving vaccines. Senate Bill 741 states that no vaccine may be mandated for children under 24 months of age. Senate Bill 897 would require the state to stop providing religious exemptions from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The current measles outbreak centered in the Upstate has disrupted life for families with vulnerable children. Widespread vaccination protects the life and liberty of these families.
If you plan to speak at this subcommittee hearing, consider wearing a mask. You can sign up early to speak via this online form or arrive early to sign up on paper. Submit written comments to [email protected] with bill numbers in the subject line.
Supporting alternatives to Juvenile Justice placement
Lawmakers are fast-tracking House Bill 5121, which would support local interventions that keep children out of the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice. This bill would create a voluntary state certification process for community organizations that work to reduce youth crime and delinquency.
A proper vetting process would encourage organizations to adopt evidence-informed community interventions. It would also help funds flow more efficiently to trusted community organizations.
H. 5121 has already received a favorable report from a committee and can come up for debate on the House floor any day now. If you would like your state House representative to support this bill, please contact them today. Not sure who represents you in the House? Look up their contact information with the Find Your Legislators tool.
Restricting your right to observe police
Another bill that already passed out of a committee would restrict your right to observe police. House Bill 4763 would impose up to a 60-day jail sentence on people who cause a law enforcement officer “emotional distress” while remaining within a 25-foot radius of the officer after receiving a warning. Its sponsors call it the “HALO Act.”
As our advocacy director Courtney Thomas pointed out to lawmakers in a subcommittee meeting last week, eyewitness video is often crucial in proving police misconduct and brutality, including in the 2015 killing of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer. Threatening to arrest eyewitnesses unless they stand 25 feet away would allow some police to act with impunity.
Please write to your lawmakers and ask them to vote against H. 4763. You can look up their contact information with the Find Your Legislators tool.
