SC S 235
enactedProstitution
South Carolina · 2026 Regular Session · upper
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Quick answers
Did SC S 235 pass?
Yes. SC S 235 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-06-05): Effective date 05/18/26
What is SC S 235 about?
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-90, RELATING TO PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," REVISE THE STATUTE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-100, RELATING TO FURTHER ACTS OF PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, REVISE THE STATUTE REGARDING PROMOTING PROSTITUTION, INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION TO PERSONS COERCED AS RESULT OF BEING A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-110, RELATING TO SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION OFFENSES, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," AND INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-115 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF A PROSTITUTION OFFENSE MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF THE ARREST RECORD. - RATIFIED TITLE
Who sponsors SC S 235?
Kimbrell, Leber, Zell are the primary sponsors of SC S 235.
Description
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-90, RELATING TO PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," REVISE THE STATUTE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-100, RELATING TO FURTHER ACTS OF PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, REVISE THE STATUTE REGARDING PROMOTING PROSTITUTION, INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION TO PERSONS COERCED AS RESULT OF BEING A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-110, RELATING TO SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION OFFENSES, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," AND INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-115 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF A PROSTITUTION OFFENSE MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF THE ARREST RECORD. - RATIFIED TITLE
- Introduced
- 2025-01-16
- Latest action
- 2026-06-05 — Effective date 05/18/26
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Sponsors
- Kimbrellprimary
- Leberprimary
- Zellprimary
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-06-05
Effective date 05/18/26
2026-06-02
Act No. 192
2026-05-18
Signed By Governor
executive-signature
2026-05-15
Ratified R 222
2026-05-14
Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
2026-05-14
Scrivener's error corrected
2026-05-14
Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
passage,reading-3
2026-05-13
Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-1
2026-05-13
Read second time
reading-2
2026-05-13
Amended
amendment-passage
2026-05-12
Debate adjourned
2026-05-07
Scrivener's error corrected
2026-05-06
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
committee-passage-favorable
2025-04-02
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
referral-committee
2025-04-02
Introduced and read first time
introduction,reading-1
2025-03-28
Scrivener's error corrected
2025-03-27
Read third time and sent to House
passage,reading-3
2025-03-25
Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
2025-03-25
Read second time
reading-2
2025-03-25
Amended
amendment-passage
2025-03-25
Committee Amendment Tabled
amendment-deferral
2025-03-17
Scrivener's error corrected
2025-03-12
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
committee-passage-favorable
2025-03-03
Scrivener's error corrected
2025-02-21
Referred to Subcommittee: Adams (ch), Kimbrell, Devine, Blackmon, Kennedy, Leber, Walker
2025-01-16
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
referral-committee
2025-01-16
Introduced and read first time
introduction,reading-1
Versions
Documents
Votes
2nd Reading
2025-03-25 · pass · 40-0
Member-level votes (44)
- Davis, Tom: yes
- Elliott, Jason: yes
- Fernandez, Tom: yes
- Gambrell, Michael W.: yes
- Garrett, Billy: yes
- Goldfinch, Stephen L.: yes
- Graham, Jeffrey R.: yes
- Grooms, Lawrence K.: yes
- Hembree, Greg: yes
- Jackson, Darrell: yes
- Johnson, Michael: yes
- Kennedy, Carlisle: yes
- Kimbrell, Josh: yes
- Leber, Matthew W.: yes
- Martin, Shane R.: yes
- Massey, A. Shane: yes
- Matthews, Margie Bright: yes
- Nutt, Roger A.: yes
- Ott, Russell L.: yes
- Peeler, Harvey S., Jr.: yes
- Reichenbach, Mike: yes
- Rice, Rex F.: yes
- Sabb, Ronnie A.: yes
- Stubbs, Everett: yes
- Sutton, Ed: yes
- Turner, Ross: yes
- Verdin, Daniel B., III: yes
- Williams, Kent M.: yes
- Young, Tom, Jr.: yes
- Zell, Jeff: yes
- Blackmon, Allen: excused
- Devine, Tameika Isaac: excused
- Hutto, Brad: excused
- Tedder, Deon T.: excused
- Adams, Brian: yes
- Alexander, Thomas C.: yes
- Allen, Karl B.: yes
- Bennett, Sean M.: yes
- Campsen, George E., III: yes
- Cash, Richard J.: yes
- Chaplin, JD: yes
- Climer, Wes: yes
- Corbin, Thomas D.: yes
- Cromer, Ronnie W.: yes
Passage of Bill
2026-05-13 · pass · 107-1
Member-level votes (123)
- Bailey, William H.: yes
- Ballentine, Nathan: yes
- Bamberg, Justin T.: yes
- Bannister, Bruce W.: yes
- Bauer, Heather: yes
- Beach, Thomas: yes
- Bowers, Phillip: yes
- Bradley, Jeff: yes
- Brittain, Thomas C., Jr.: yes
- Burns, James Mikell: yes
- Bustos, Joseph M.: yes
- Calhoon, Paula Rawl: yes
- Caskey, Micajah P., IV: yes
- Chapman, Donald G.: yes
- Chumley, William M.: yes
- Clyburn, William: yes
- Cobb-Hunter, Gilda: yes
- Collins, Neal A.: yes
- Cox, Brandon L.: yes
- Crawford, Heather Ammons: yes
- Cromer, April: yes
- Davis, Sylleste H.: yes
- Dillard, Chandra E.: yes
- Duncan, Adam L.: yes
- Edgerton, Sarita L.: yes
- Erickson, Shannon S.: yes
- Ford, Greg: yes
- Forrest, Cally R., Jr.: yes
- Frank, Stephen: yes
- Gagnon, Craig A.: yes
- Garvin, Kambrell H.: yes
- Gibson, Daniel: yes
- Gilliam, Leon D.: yes
- Gilliard, Wendell G.: yes
- Gilreath, Thomas Lee: yes
- Govan, Jerry N., Jr.: yes
- Grant, Hamilton R.: yes
- Guest, Thomas Duval, Jr.: yes
- Haddon, Patrick B.: yes
- Hager, William: yes
- Hardee, Kevin: yes
- Harris, Robert J.: yes
- Hartnett, Thomas F., Jr.: yes
- Hartz, Charles V.: yes
- Hayes, Jackie E.: yes
- Henderson-Myers,, Rosalyn D., Ph.D. Herbkersman, William G.: yes
- Hewitt, Lee: yes
- Hiott, David R.: yes
- Hixon, William M.: yes
- Holman, Harriet A.: yes
- Hosey, Lonnie: yes
- Huff, William C.: yes
- Johnson, Jeffrey E.: yes
- Jones, Wendell K.: yes
- Jordan, Wallace H., Jr.: yes
- Kilmartin, John Gregory: yes
- King, John Richard C.: yes
- Kirby, Roger K.: yes
- Landing, Kathy: yes
- Lastinger, John T., Jr.: yes
- Lawson, M. Brian: yes
- Ligon, Thomas R.: yes
- Long, Steven Wayne: yes
- Lowe, Phillip D.: yes
- Luck, Jason S.: yes
- Magnuson, Josiah: yes
- Martin, David: yes
- McCabe, Donald Ryan, Jr.: yes
- McCravy, John R., III: yes
- McDaniel, Annie E.: yes
- McGinnis, Timothy A.: yes
- Mitchell, Cody T.: yes
- Mitchell, Dianne: yes
- Montgomery, W. Scott, IV: yes
- Moore, JA: yes
- Moore, Travis A.: yes
- Morgan, T. Alan, Jr.: yes
- Moss, Dennis C.: yes
- Neese, Mike M.: yes
- Newton, Brandon: yes
- Newton, Wm. Weston J.: yes
- Oremus, Melissa Lackey: yes
- Pace, Jordan S.: yes
- Pedalino, Fawn M.: yes
- Pope, Thomas E.: yes
- Rankin, Luke S.: yes
- Robbins, Robby: yes
- Rose, Seth: yes
- Sanders, Richard Blake: yes
- Schuessler, Carla: yes
- Scott, Keishan M.: yes
- Sessions, Heath: yes
- Smith, G. Murrell, Jr.: yes
- Smith, Marvin: yes
- Stavrinakis, Leonidas E.: yes
- Taylor, Bill: yes
- Teeple, James E.: yes
- Terribile, Jackie R.: yes
- Vaughan, David: yes
- Waters, Courtney S.: yes
- Wetmore, Elizabeth: yes
- White, Joseph S.: yes
- Whitmire, William R.: yes
- Wickensimer, Paul B.: yes
- Willis, Mark N.: yes
- Wooten, Chris: yes
- Rutherford, J. Todd: no
- Bernstein, Beth E.: excused
- Brewer, Gary S., Jr.: excused
- Gatch, Gil: excused
- Guffey, Brandon: excused
- Weeks, J. David: excused
- Yow, Richard L.: excused
- Alexander, Terry: excused
- Anderson, Carl L.: excused
- Atkinson, Lucas: excused
- Hart, Christopher R.: excused
- Howard, Leon: excused
- Johnson, Jermaine L., Sr.: excused
- Reese, Robert T.: excused
- Rivers, Michael F., Sr.: excused
- Spann-Wilder, Tiffany: excused
- Williams, Robert Q.: excused
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T05:32:06.227230Z
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