It’s A Wrap: The 2025 Legislative Session Concludes
On Thursday, May 8, the first half of the 126th legislative session adjourned “sine die.” The business of South Carolina’s General Assembly is complete until they return in January of 2026.
Until then, we have seven months to analyze what happened in 2025 and what is set to emerge as top priorities in 2026.
The session started quickly inside the senate chamber. S.62, “the Educational Scholarship Trust Fund” took center stage as Senator Greg Hembree (R-Horry) moved to answer the State Supreme Court’s decision over the previous education choice bill passed last session.
S.62 moved quickly in the Senate, before crossing over to the House of Representatives. After a successful vote in the House with significant amendments, the chairmen of both education committees came together to author a “magic amendment” to S.62. Both chambers agreed to the changes, and the bill was ratified.
Governor McMaster signed S.62 into law on Wednesday, May 7, guaranteeing educational freedom and opportunity to 85% of South Carolina students and families.
While educational freedom moved quickly at the beginning of the session, it was only within the final weeks of session that we saw a concerted push for gambling to make its return to South Carolina.
H.4176 sought to establish a gaming commission, to select a county on the I-95 corridor to become the home to a casino resort. The ill-named “I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act” moved quickly through the House Ways & Means sub and full committee in the final week of the legislative session.
Thankfully, Christians across South Carolina made their voices heard on the issue. Over 2,000 messages were sent to legislators on the issue of gambling. We’ll certainly see H.4176 return in January, and it will likely take up quite a bit of time early in the legislative session in 2026.
While S.62 and H.4176 took up quite a bit of oxygen in 2025, there were many family-first policies that made headway in this first half of the legislative session:
H.3431, a bill to protect minors on social media and require social media companies to provide greater information to parents and guardians, passed in the Senate and currently sits on the House floor.
H.3927, a bill to prevent state government offices, schools, and public universities from promoting diversity, equity and inclusion passed in the House and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
H.3058, a bill to provide penalties for those who disclose intimate images without consent, passed both the House and Senate, and awaits Governor McMaster’s signature.
S.32, a bill to provide a tax credit to those who voluntarily give cash contributions to a pregnancy resource center, crisis pregnancy center maternity home, or residential program for human trafficking vitctims passed unanimously in the Senate and currently sits on the House floor.
S.28 and S.29, a tandem of bills that intends to crack down on AI generated child sexual abuse material and AI sexual exploitation passed in both the House and Senate and awaits Governor McMaster’s signature.
H.3405, a bill that requires app store providers to verify the age of its users and obtain parental consent for minors to download, purchase or use their apps currently sits on the House floor.
No movement of the Hate Crimes bill that poses a great threat to religious speech.
No movement on the expansion of a medical marijuana infrastructure in South Carolina.
While the 2025 legislative session was marked by significant wins and progress, certainly the inability by supermajorities to coalesce around conservative legislation means that many pieces of important legislation didn’t see the full process play out as in sessions past.
But this 126th legislative session is not over. Seven months from now, the House of Representatives and Senate will gavel in for a session that will impact generations.
Palmetto Family will spend the summer and fall researching key policy issues, educating citizens across South Carolina and meeting with legislators to ensure that Biblical values are championed once again.