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S. 399
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Elliott, Hembree, Reichenbach and Walker
Document Path: SR-0034CEM25.docx
Introduced in the Senate on February 27, 2025
Introduced in the House on May 8, 2025
Last Amended on May 6, 2025
Passed by the General Assembly on May 14, 2026
Summary: Public Transit Trespass
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 3) |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 3) |
| 4/16/2025 | Senate | Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 21) |
| 5/6/2025 | Senate | Amended (Senate Journal-page 47) |
| 5/6/2025 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 47) |
| 5/6/2025 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 47) |
| 5/7/2025 | Senate | Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 26) |
| 5/8/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 47) |
| 5/8/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 47) |
| 5/6/2026 | House | Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (House Journal-page 15) |
| 5/12/2026 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 86) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 55) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 55) |
| 5/14/2026 | House | Read third time and enrolled (House Journal-page 13) |
| 5/15/2026 | Ratified R 224 | |
| 5/19/2026 | Signed By Governor |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
2/27/2025
4/16/2025
5/6/2025
5/6/2026
(R224, S399)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 16-11-635 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO, WITHOUT LEGAL CAUSE OR GOOD EXCUSE, ENTERS A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY, INCLUDING ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, AFTER HAVING BEEN WARNED NOT TO DO SO BY THE TRANSIT DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE, IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR TRIABLE IN A MUNICIPAL OR MAGISTRATES COURT, TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR A WRITTEN WARNING AND FOR APPEALING THE WARNING, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION MUST BE CONSTRUED AS IN ADDITION TO, AND NOT AS SUPERSEDING, ANOTHER STATUTE RELATING TO TRESPASS OR UNLAWFUL ENTRY ON LANDS OF ANOTHER.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Trespass, public transportation facilities
SECTION 1. Article 7, Chapter 11, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
Section 16-11-635. (A)(1) A person who enters a transportation facility, including any public transportation and any public transportation system, as defined in Section 58-25-20, is prohibited from committing any acts designated in Section 58-23-1830 or committing a criminal offense. The transportation facility shall post in writing the prohibited conduct designated in Section 58-23-1830.
(2) The transit director, the transit director's designee, the transit supervisor, or the transit supervisor's designee, is authorized to request a person, who commits any of the acts described in Section 58-23-1830 or commits a criminal offense, to leave the transportation facility, as well as any public transportation and any public transportation system, and provide warning that the person is prohibited from returning for a specific duration of time.
(3) A copy of the warning notice provided for by this section must be given to the person, in writing, in the presence of a law enforcement officer. When issued, unless otherwise specifically limited in scope, the warning notice shall apply to all transportation facilities of the transit authority, including all public transportation and all public transportation systems governed by the transit authority. The warning notice must state:
(a) the alleged criminal law violation or the alleged violation of the transit authority's code of conduct promulgated by the board of the transit authority under the authority provided by Section 4-37-20;
(b) the duration of the prohibition to return; and
(c) the procedure by which the person may appeal the warning notice to the board of the transit authority.
(4) To appeal a warning notice of trespass, a person must submit a request for a hearing to the board of the transit authority within five business days of receiving the warning notice. The board of the transit authority must then provide a hearing within ten business days of the request for an appeal.
(5) A person who enters without legal cause or good excuse, after having been warned not to do so by the transit director, the transit director's designee, the transit supervisor, or the transit supervisor's designee, during the duration of time the person is prohibited from entering the transportation facility, including any public transportation and any public transportation system, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or be imprisoned not more than thirty days.
(B) A violation of the provisions of this section is triable in the municipal or magistrates court with jurisdiction over the offense. Any law enforcement officer of this State or a subdivision of this State may enforce the provisions of this section within their respective jurisdictions.
(C) The provisions of this section must be construed as in addition to, and not as superseding, another statute relating to trespass or unlawful entry on lands of another.
Time effective
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.
Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2026.
This web page was last updated on May 15, 2026 at 4:55 PM