South Carolina H 4756: South Carolina Student Physical Privacy Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4756 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 01, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4756

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Amendment Adopted and Amended

March 25, 2026

H. 4756

Introduced by Reps. Pope, Bailey, Ballentine, 
Brewer, Brittain, Bustos, Caskey, Chapman, Crawford, Davis, Duncan, Forrest, 
Gagnon, Gatch, Gilliam, Guest, Hardee, Hartz, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, 
Hixon, Holman, J. E. Johnson, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Martin, McCravy, McGinnis, 
C. Mitchell, T. Moore, W. Newton, Oremus, Pedalino, Rankin, Robbins, Sanders, 
Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Taylor, Vaughan, Whitmire, 
Wickensimer, Willis, Wooten, Yow, B. Newton, Chumley, Edgerton, Magnuson, 
Terribile, White, D. Mitchell, Cromer, Gilreath, Huff, Landing, Lastinger, 
Teeple, Guffey, McCabe, Gibson and Bowers 

S. Printed 3/25/26--S. [SEC 
4/1/2026 11:45 AM]

Read the first time February 4, 2026

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE 
"SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENT PHYSICAL PRIVACY ACT" BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 
23, TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE VARIOUS MEASURES TO PROMOTE AND ENSURE PRIVACY 
AMONG SEXES USING CERTAIN RESTROOMS AND CHANGING FACILITIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR 
NONCOMPLIANCE, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Student Physical Privacy 
Act."

SECTION 2. Chapter 23, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 5

Student Physical Privacy

 Section 
59-23-510. As used in this article:

 (1) 
"Changing facility" means a facility in which a person may be in a state of 
undress in the presence of others, including a locker room, changing room, or 
shower room.

 (2) 
"Restroom" means a facility that includes one or more toilets or urinals.

 (3) 
"Sex" means a person's biological sex, either male or female, as observed or 
clinically verified at birth.

 (4) 
"Sleeping quarters" means a room with a bed in which more than one individual 
is housed overnight.

 (5) 
"Female" means an individual who naturally has, had, or would have, but for a 
congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive 
system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for 
fertilization.

 (6) 
"Male" means an individual who naturally has, had, or would have, but for a 
congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive 
system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for 
fertilization.

 (7) 
"Multioccupancy" means a space designed for use by multiple persons 
simultaneously.

 (8) 
"Accommodation" means:

 (a) 
a single-user restroom or changing facility;

 (b) 
temporary exclusive use of a multi-occupancy restroom or changing facility; or

 (c) 
a single-user portable restroom or changing facility. 

 Section 
59-23-520. A public school district shall not permit any public school within 
the district to use any funds to maintain or operate any restroom or changing 
facility on its premises that is not in compliance with this article or 
facilitate any public school-authorized activity or event involving overnight 
lodging that is not in compliance with this article. The South Carolina State 
Board of Education shall direct the South Carolina Department of Education to 
withhold twenty-five percent of the funds appropriated by the General Assembly 
that are used to support the school district's operations for any district that 
violates any portion of this article until the South Carolina State Board of 
Education determines the school district is in compliance.

 Section 
59-23-530. A public institution of higher learning shall not use any funds to 
maintain or operate any restroom or changing facility on its premises that is 
not in compliance with this article or facilitate any institution-authorized 
activity or event involving overnight lodging that is not in compliance with 
this article. A public institution of higher learning that violates any portion 
of this article, as determined by the South Carolina Commission on Higher 
Education, shall have twenty-five percent of the funds to be appropriated by the 
General Assembly that are used to support the institution's operations withheld 
until the institution is determined to be in compliance by the South Carolina 
Commission on Higher Education.

 Section 
59-23-540. (A)(1) All public schools and public 
institutions of higher learning must provide an accommodation for a single-user 
restroom and changing facility or an accommodation. The single-user restroom 
and changing facility in th