South Carolina S 721: Candidates, personal contact information

Bill Text

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026



S. 721



STATUS INFORMATION



General Bill

Sponsors: Senator Tedder

Document Path: LC-0293HDB26.docx



Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026

Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary



Summary: Candidates, personal contact information





HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS



	Date	Body	Action Description with journal page number	

	12/10/2025	Senate	Prefiled
 

	12/10/2025	Senate	Referred to Committee on Judiciary

	1/13/2026	Senate	Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal‑page 31)

	1/13/2026	Senate	Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal‑page 31)



View the latest  legislative information  at the website





VERSIONS OF THIS BILL



12/10/2025

























A bill



TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE “LEGISLATIVE PERSONAL PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT” BY ADDING ARTICLE 9 TO CHAPTER 2, TITLE 30 SO AS TO PROVIDE A METHOD BY WHICH THE PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION OF CURRENT AND FORMER LEGISLATORS IN DISCLOSED RECORDS ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITES OF STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES MAY BE RESTRICTED UPON REQUEST, TO PROVIDE FOR PETITIONS TO COURTS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ARTICLE, AND TO PREVENT LIABILITY FROM ACCRUING TO A STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEE.



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



SECTION 1.	Chapter 2, Title 30 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:



Article 9



Legislative Personal Privacy Protection Act



	Section 30‑2‑900.	For purposes of this article:

		(1) “Personal contact information” means the home address, personal cellular telephone number, or tax map number, if applicable, of the eligible requesting party.

		(2) “Eligible requesting party” means a current or former member of the South Carolina General Assembly who has filed a formal request under the provisions of this article.

		(3) “Disclosed records” means records accessible by a database or image of an official record that are placed on a publicly available internet website maintained by or operated on behalf of a state or local governmental agency. Disclosed records for the purpose of this article do not include records available for purchase or through an account, by registration or subscription, from a state or local governmental agency.



	Section 30‑2‑910.	(A) An eligible requesting party’s personal contact information in a disclosed record shall be restricted on a publicly available internet website maintained by or operated on behalf of the state or local governmental agency if the legislator:

		(1) notifies the individual state or local governmental agency of the legislator’s choice to restrict public access to personal contact information in disclosed records by submission of the designated form and any supplemental information requested by the state or local governmental agency; and

		(2) provides a notarized affidavit affirming the current or prior service as a legislator.

	(B) A choice made under this article remains valid with the following exceptions:

		(1) the legislator rescinds in writing the request to restrict public access to or posting online of personal contact information and provides notice to the state or local governmental agency;

		(2) the state or local governmental agency discloses personal contact information related to violations of law or regulation, as permitted by law;

		(3) the legislator requests release of the legislator’s personal contact information from a state or local governmental agency for a specific purpose and for a limited time;

		(4) the personal contact information is included in a collision report or uniform traffic ticket maintained and provided by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, as permitted by law;

		(5) the personal contact information is included on a business filing or Uniform Commercial Code filing recorded with the South Carolina Secretary of State; or

		(6) the eligible requesting party’s request to restrict information does not apply to a subsequent home address of the eligible requesting party. The eligible requesting party is responsible for notifying, through the designated form, each state or local governmental agency of a subsequent home address, and any documents filed after the original request to restrict personal contact information including, but not limited to, changes to the mortgage on a property, or any change in personal contact information.

	(C) Personal contact information provided under the provisions of this article may be disclosed under subpoena, by order of the court, upon written consent of the eligible legislator, or to another governmental agency.

	(D)(1) Personal contact information restricted from disclosed records under this section must remain within the official records held or maintained by a state or local governmental agency, but may not be included in an index or displayed on an image of an official record on a publicly avai