South Carolina S 735: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE AND HONOR THE A. C. FLORA HIGH SCHOOL GOLF TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY SEASON AND FOR WINNING THE 2017 SOUTH CAROLINA CLASS AAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 735 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 21, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 735

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

1

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
8-31-10 SO AS TO CREATE THE "PROHIBITION OF SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS ACT"; BY 
ADDING SECTION 8-31-20 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE 
MUST NOT BE OBLIGATED OR EXPENDED FOR A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, CITY, PUBLIC 
SERVICE DISTRICT, SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT, SPECIAL TAX DISTRICT, OR ANY TYPE 
OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO BE 
A SANCTUARY JURISDICTION; BY ADDING SECTION 8-31-30 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE 
SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION TO PUBLISH THE IMMIGRATION COMPLIANCE 
REPORT AND FOR THE STATE TREASURER TO WITHHOLD DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT FUND TO ANY COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY NOT CERTIFIED AS COMPLIANT IN THE 
REPORT; BY AMENDING SECTION 17-15-10, RELATING TO A PERSON CHARGED WITH A NONCAPITAL 
OFFENSE MAY BE RELEASED ON HIS OWN RECOGNIZANCE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN 
ILLEGAL ALIEN DETAINED BY A LOCAL OR STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY NOT BE 
RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT HELD UNTIL TRANSFERRED TO THE UNITED STATES 
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 17-15-30, RELATING 
TO MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING CONDITIONS OF RELEASE, SO AS TO PROVIDE 
FOR AN ALIEN UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 
17-15-10(C) BE FOLLOWED.

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

SECTION 1. Title 8 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

CHAPTER 31

The Prohibition of Sanctuary Jurisdictions Act

 Section 
8-31-10. This act may be cited as the "Prohibition of Sanctuary Jurisdictions 
Act".

 Section 
8-31-20. (A)(1) As used in this chapter, the term 
"sanctuary jurisdiction" means a county, municipality, city, public service 
district, special purpose district, special tax district, or any type of 
political subdivision that has in effect or enacts an ordinance, policy, or 
practice that prohibits or restricts any government entity or official from:

 (a) 
sending, receiving, maintaining, or exchanging with any federal, state, or 
local government entity information regarding the citizenship or immigration 
status of any individual; or

 (b) 
complying with a lawful request made by the Department of Homeland Security to 
comply with a detainer for or notification about the release of an individual.

 (2) 
A county, municipality, city, public service district, special purpose 
district, special tax district, or any type of political subdivision is not a 
sanctuary jurisdiction based solely on its having a policy not to:

 (a) 
share information about the citizenship or immigration status of an individual; 
or

 (b) 
comply with a Department of Homeland Security request regarding an individual 
who comes forward as a victim or a witness to a criminal offense.

 (B) 
Funds appropriated by the State must not be obligated or expended for a county, 
municipality, city, public service district, special purpose district, special 
tax district, or any type of political subdivision determined by a court of 
competent jurisdiction to be a sanctuary jurisdiction.

 (C) If 
a county, municipality, city, public service district, special purpose 
district, special tax district, or any type of political subdivision is 
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a sanctuary jurisdiction, 
the court must direct that its State funding for the period it has been a 
sanctuary jurisdiction be returned to the State Treasurer with a civil penalty 
of not less than five thousand dollars and not more than twenty-five thousand 
dollars.

 (D) For 
the period a court of competent jurisdiction determines that a county, 
municipality, city, public service district, special purpose district, special 
tax district, or any type of political subdivision is a sanctuary jurisdiction, 
that sanctuary jurisdiction shall have waived its immunity from civil liability 
in tort and is responsible for actual and punitive damages from any act 
committed by an unauthorized alien within the corporate limits of the sanctuary 
jurisdiction.

 Section 
8-31-30. (A) From its appropriated 
funds, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) shall publish the 
Immigration Compliance Report. SLED may conduct investigations necessary to 
ensure the accuracy of information provided by counties and municipal 
governments within the report. Every agency of this State, and political 
subdivision thereof, shall provide documentation that SLED considers necessary 
for the publication of the report, which must contain a list of county and 
municipal governments that SLED has certified to be compliant with Sect