South Carolina H 4622: Equal Parenting Act

Bill Text

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026



H. 4622



STATUS INFORMATION



General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Gatch, Brewer, Edgerton, Gagnon, Guffey, Martin, Long, Sessions, M.M. Smith, Teeple, McCravy, Pope, Magnuson, Taylor, Lawson, Caskey, Landing, Ford, Willis, Erickson, Bradley, Bowers, Vaughan, J.L. Johnson, Lastinger, Burns and Alexander

Companion/Similar bill(s): 901

Document Path: LC-0342VR26.docx



Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026

Currently residing in the House



Summary: Equal Parenting Act





HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS



	Date	Body	Action Description with journal page number	

	12/16/2025	House	Prefiled
 

	12/16/2025	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary

	1/13/2026	House	Introduced and read first time (House Journal‑page 38)

	1/13/2026	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal‑page 38)

	1/14/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey
 

	1/15/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Landing
 

	1/22/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ford
 

	1/28/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Willis, 
 Erickson, Bradley
 

	2/3/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers, 
 Vaughan
 

	2/5/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: J.L. Johnson
 

	2/24/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger
 

	3/31/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Burns
 

	4/29/2026	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Alexander
 



View the latest  legislative information  at the website





VERSIONS OF THIS BILL



12/17/2025

12/17/2025-A

























A bill



TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE “EQUAL PARENTING ACT”; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63‑3‑810, 63‑3‑820, 63‑3‑830, 63‑3‑850, AND 63‑3‑870, ALL RELATING TO GUARDIANS AD LITEM APPOINTED IN PRIVATE FAMILY COURT ACTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PROTECTIONS AGAINST GUARDIAN AD LITEM BIAS OR OTHER MISCONDUCT, TO CLARIFY THAT EQUAL PARENTING TIME FOR BOTH PARENTS IS PRESUMED TO BE IN A CHILD’S BEST INTEREST, AND TO ADDRESS THE APPORTIONMENT OF FEES AND COSTS; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63‑15‑210, 63‑15‑220, 63‑15‑230, AND 63‑15‑240, ALL RELATING TO CHILD CUSTODY HEARINGS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EQUAL PARENTING TIME IS PRESUMED TO BE IN A CHILD’S BEST INTEREST IN CHILD CUSTODY ACTIONS, THAT PARENTAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE PARENTING TIME OF THE OTHER PARENT IS GROUNDS FOR MODIFICATION OF A CHILD CUSTODY ORDER; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.



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



SECTION 1.	This act may be cited as the “Equal Parenting Act.”



SECTION 2.	Section 63‑3‑810 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:



	Section 63‑3‑810.	(A) In a private action before the family court in which custody or visitation of a minor child is an issue, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem only when it determines that:

		(1) without a guardian ad litem, the court will likely not be fully informed about the facts of the case and there is a substantial dispute which necessitates a guardian ad litem; or

		(2) both parties consent to the appointment of a guardian ad litem who is approved by the court.

	(B) The court has absolute discretion in determining who will be appointed as a guardian ad litem in each case. A guardian ad litem must be appointed to a case by a court order.

	(C) Notwithstanding subsection (B), a party may file a motion to dispute the court’s appointment of a guardian ad litem on the basis of misconduct by the appointed guardian ad litem and seek a new appointment by the court.



SECTION 3.	Section 63‑3‑820(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:



	(B)(1) A person shall not be appointed as a guardian ad litem pursuant to Section 63‑3‑810 who has been convicted of any crime listed in Chapter 3 of Title 16, Offenses Against the Person; in Chapter 15 of Title 16, Offenses Against Morality and Decency; in Chapter 25 of Title 16, Criminal Domestic Violence; or in Article 3 of Chapter 53 of Title 44, Narcotics and Controlled Substances; or convicted of the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, provided for in Section 16‑17‑490.

		(2)(a) A person shall not be appointed as a guardian ad litem pursuant to Section 63‑3‑810 unless the person submits to and passes a drug test administered by a certified laboratory approved by the court, screening for controlled substances as defined in Section 44‑53‑110. The test must be completed prior to initial appointment and annually thereafter during the term of service.

			(b) The applicant or appointed guardian ad litem shall bear the cost of the drug test, unless waived by the court upon a showing of financial hardship.

			(c) A positive test result for an illegal controlled substance, or a refusal to submit to testing, is grounds for disqualification or removal from appointment. The court shall provide notice of the test results and an opportunity for the individual to contest the f