South Carolina H 5737: Department of Public Health

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5737 Text of Previous Version (Jun. 25, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5737

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO CALL UPON THE 
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO REMOVE THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE 
SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND APPOINT IN THAT PERSON'S PLACE A 
QUALIFIED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO IS FREE FROM CONFLICTING TIES TO RADICAL 
POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS OR LOBBYING INTERESTS, WHO RESPECTS MEDICAL FREEDOM, 
AND WHO WILL PLACE THE HEALTH, LIBERTY, AND WELL-BEING OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS 
FIRST.

Whereas, the South 
Carolina Department of Public Health holds a position of significant public 
trust and is charged with protecting the health and well-being of the citizens 
of this State; and

Whereas, the Director 
of the Department of Public Health must exercise sound judgment, respect 
constitutional liberties, maintain public confidence, and serve the people of 
South Carolina without allegiance to political agendas, ideological pressure 
groups, or lobbying interests; and

Whereas, the people of 
South Carolina deserve leadership at the Department of Public Health that is 
guided by medical expertise, transparency, humility, accountability, and 
respect for the rights of individuals, parents, families, physicians, and local 
communities; and

Whereas, public health 
policy must never be used as a vehicle for coercion, political favoritism, 
social experimentation, or the advancement of radical ideological causes that 
are inconsistent with the values and freedoms of the people of South Carolina; and

Whereas, recent years 
have demonstrated the danger of governmental health agencies exceeding their 
proper role through heavy-handed mandates, inadequate transparency, and 
policies that too often placed bureaucratic preferences above individual 
medical decision making; and

Whereas, South 
Carolinians have a fundamental interest in medical freedom, including the right 
of individuals and families to make informed healthcare decisions in 
consultation with trusted medical professionals, free from unnecessary 
government coercion; and

Whereas, the Director 
of the Department of Public Health should be a qualified medical professional 
whose record demonstrates respect for medical freedom, parental rights, 
religious liberty, informed consent, and the constitutional limitations of 
government authority; and

Whereas, the state's 
public health leadership must be independent of radical left-wing 
organizations, partisan advocacy networks, and lobbying groups whose priorities 
may conflict with the interests, values, and liberties of South Carolinians; 
and

Whereas, confidence in 
public health institutions can only be restored when agency leaders are 
accountable to the people, transparent in decision making, and committed to 
serving South Carolina rather than outside political or lobbying interests; and

Whereas, the South 
Carolina General Assembly believes that the Governor should appoint leadership 
at the Department of Public Health who will faithfully uphold the laws of this 
State, respect the Constitution, defend medical freedom, and put South Carolina 
citizens first. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the 
South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, call upon the Governor of 
the State of South Carolina to remove the acting Director of the South Carolina 
Department of Public Health and appoint in that person's place a qualified 
medical professional who is free from conflicting ties to radical political 
organizations or lobbying interests, who respects medical freedom, and who will 
place the health, liberty, and well-being of South Carolinians first.

Be it further resolved 
that the members of the South Carolina General Assembly call upon the Governor 
to ensure that any future nominee or acting appointee for Director of the 
Department of Public Health has a demonstrated record of supporting medical 
freedom, respecting parental rights, protecting religious liberty, opposing 
unnecessary government mandates, and placing the people of South Carolina above 
outside political agendas.

Be it further resolved 
that the members of the South Carolina General Assembly urge the Governor to 
select a leader who will restore public confidence in the Department of Public 
Health by promoting transparency, accountability, constitutional government, 
and respect for the dignity and freedom of every South Carolinian.

Be it further resolved that 
a copy of this resolution be presented to the Governor of the State of South 
Carolina.

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This web page was last updated on June 25, 2026 at 06:09 PM