South Carolina H 3263: Police Brutality Citizens Review Committee

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3263 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3263

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

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.

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 the 
biological indication of male and female in the context of reproductive 
potential or capacity, such as sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex 
hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at 
birth.

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

 Section 
59-23-520. A public school district may 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. A public school district 
that violates any portion of this article must be penalized twenty-five percent 
of the funds appropriated by this article that are used to support the school 
district's operations.

 Section 
59-23-530. A public institution of higher learning may 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 must be penalized twenty-five percent of the funds appropriated 
by this article that are used to support the institution's operations.

 Section 
59-23-540. (A) Multioccupancy 
public school or public institution of higher learning restrooms and changing 
facilities must be designated for use only by members of one sex. Any public 
school or public institution of higher learning restrooms and changing 
facilities that are designated for one sex must be used only by members of that 
sex. No person may enter a restroom or changing facility that is designated for 
one sex unless he or she is a member of that sex; and the public school or 
public institution of higher learning with authority over that building shall 
take reasonable steps to ensure that all restrooms and changing facilities 
provide its users with privacy from members of the opposite sex. The provisions 
in this item do not apply:

 (1) 
to custodial or maintenance work when the restroom or changing facility is not 
being used or otherwise occupied by a member of the opposite sex;

 (2) 
to a person or people rendering medical assistance; and

 (3) 
during a natural disaster, emergency, or when use of the restroom or changing 
facility is necessary to prevent a serious threat to good order or student 
safety.

 (B) During any public school 
or public institution of higher learning-authorized activity or event where 
students share overnight lodging, no student may be required to share a sleeping 
quarter or multioccupancy restroom with a member of the opposite sex, unless 
such persons are members of the same family, such as a parent, legal guardian, 
sibling, or grandparent.

 (C) In any other 
public school or public institution of higher learning facility or setting 
where a person may be in a state of undress in the presence of others, school 
personnel shall provide separate, private areas designated for use by persons 
based on their sex, and no person may enter these private areas unless he or 
she is a member of the designated sex.

 Section 
59-23-550. Nothing in this article may be construed to prohibit schools or 
public institutions of higher learning from adopting policies necessary to 
accommodate disabled persons or young children in need of physical assistance 
when using restrooms or changing facilities.

SECTION 3.