South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

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S. 996

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Young, Sutton, Reichenbach, Devine, Zell, Elliott and Tedder
Document Path: SR-0024QG26.docx

Introduced in the Senate on March 10, 2026
Introduced in the House on March 31, 2026
Last Amended on May 13, 2026
Passed by the General Assembly on May 14, 2026

Summary: Fingerprint Background Checks Update

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
3/10/2026 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/10/2026 Senate Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/12/2026 Senate Polled out of committee Family and Veterans' Services (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/12/2026 Senate Committee report: Favorable Family and Veterans' Services (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/25/2026 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 29)
3/25/2026 Senate Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 29)
3/26/2026 Senate Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 18)
3/31/2026 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 245)
3/31/2026 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 245)
5/6/2026 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary (House Journal-page 17)
5/12/2026 House Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 88)
5/13/2026 House Amended (House Journal-page 60)
5/13/2026 House Read second time (House Journal-page 60)
5/13/2026 House Roll call Yeas-115 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 61)
5/14/2026 House Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 10)
5/14/2026 Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 14)
5/15/2026 Ratified R 243
5/19/2026 Signed By Governor

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/10/2026
3/12/2026
5/6/2026
5/13/2026

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(R243, S996)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-13-190, RELATING TO FINGERPRINT-BASED BACKGROUND CHECKS OF DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PERSONNEL IN CHILDCARE FACILITIES, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR A FINGERPRINT-BASED BACKGROUND CHECK.

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

Fingerprint-based background checks

SECTION 1.    Section 63-13-190(A)(2) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(2) A volunteer or an employee of a contractor or subcontractor who contracts with the Department of Social Services for the delivery of child welfare services and who has direct unsupervised contact with a child in the custody of the Department of Social Services shall undergo a state fingerprint-based background check to be conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division to determine any state criminal history and a fingerprint-based background check to be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine any other criminal history. No person may be employed by a contractor or a subcontractor, act in a volunteer capacity, or have access to a child in the custody of the department if the person has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any crime listed in Section 63-13-40(A).

Time effective

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

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.

______________________________________________________________________

President of the Senate

_____________________________________________________________________

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2026.

____________________________________________________________________

Governor

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This web page was last updated on May 15, 2026 at 5:10 PM