South Carolina S 140: Voting Rights Notification

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 140 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 11, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 140

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 24-3-180, RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION AND CLOTHES FOR DISCHARGED 
INMATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE INMATE MUST BE PROVIDED WITH WRITTEN NOTICE 
THAT THE INMATE IS ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING HOW 
TO REGISTER TO VOTE; BY ADDING SECTION 24-13-190 SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING 
CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 24-21-280, RELATING TO THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF 
PROBATION AGENTS AND THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE CRIMINAL LAWS, SO AS TO PROVIDE 
THAT A PERSON CONVICTED OF A FELONY WHO, BY COMPLETING SUPERVISION, HAS 
COMPLETED ALL TERMS OF HIS SENTENCE MUST BE PROVIDED WITH THE CONTACT 
INFORMATION OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION BOARD; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 7-5-120, 
RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION AND PERSONS DISQUALIFIED FROM 
REGISTERING OR VOTING, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON FORMERLY DISQUALIFIED 
FROM VOTING MUST PROVIDE VERIFICATION AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION THAT HE HAS 
SERVED HIS SENTENCE.

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

SECTION 1. Section 24-3-180 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
24-3-180. (A) Whenever When an inmate is discharged from a state prison, the 
Department of Corrections shall furnish the inmate with a suit of common 
clothes, if necessary, and transportation from the prison to his home or as 
near to it as can be done by public conveyances. The cost of transportation and 
clothes must be paid by the State Treasurer, on the draft of the department, 
countersigned by the Comptroller General.

 (B) If a person who has been convicted 
of a felony or offenses against the election laws has completed his sentence, 
including probation and parole, then the Department of Corrections must provide 
a written notice that contains the contact information of the voter 
registration board in his county of residence and a copy of South Carolina Code 
Section 7-5-120.

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 13, Title 24 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
24-13-190. If a person who has been convicted of a felony or offenses against 
the election laws has completed his sentence, including probation and parole, 
then a detention facility, as defined by Section 24-13-80, must provide a 
written notice that contains the contract information of the voter registration 
board in his county of residence and a copy of South Carolina Code Section 
7-5-120.

SECTION 3.Section 24-21-280 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
24-21-280. (A) A probation agent 
must investigate all cases referred to him for investigation by the judges or 
director and report in writing. He must furnish to each person released on 
probation, parole, or community supervision under his supervision a written 
statement of the conditions of probation, parole, or community supervision and 
must instruct him regarding them. He must keep informed concerning the conduct 
and condition of each person on probation, parole, or community supervision 
under his supervision by visiting, requiring reports, and in other ways, and 
must report in writing as often as the court or director may require. He must 
use practicable and suitable methods that are consistent with evidence-based 
practices to aid and encourage persons on probation, parole, or community 
supervision to bring about improvement in their conduct and condition and to 
reduce the risk of recidivism for the offenders under his supervision. A 
probation agent must keep detailed records of his work, make reports in writing, 
and perform other duties as the director may require.

 (B) 
A probation agent has, in the execution of his duties, the power to issue an 
arrest warrant or a citation charging a violation of conditions of supervision, 
the powers of arrest, and, to the extent necessary, the same right to execute 
process given by law to sheriffs. A probation agent has the power and authority 
to enforce the criminal laws of the State. In the performance of his duties of 
probation, parole, community supervision, and investigation, he is regarded as 
the official representative of the court, the department, and the board.

 (C) 
A probation agent must conduct an actuarial assessment of offender risks and 
needs, including criminal risk factors and specific needs of each individual, 
under the supervision of the department, which shall be used to make 
objectively based decisions that are consistent with evidence-based practices 
on the type of supervision and services necessary. The actuarial assessment 
tool shall include screening and comprehensive versions. The screening version 
shall be used as a triage tool to