South Carolina S 743: Parents Bill of Rights

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 743 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 14, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 743

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 44-55-20, RELATING TO WATER, SEWAGE, WASTE DISPOSAL DEFINITIONS, SO AS 
TO DEFINE "FLUORIDE"; AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-55-35 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE 
ADDITION OF FLUORIDE TO A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM OR TO WATER THAT WILL BE 
INTRODUCED INTO A PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.

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

SECTION 1. Section 44-55-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
44-55-20. As used in this article:

 (1) 
"Board" means the South Carolina Board of Health and Environmental Control 
which is charged with responsibility for implementation of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act.

 (2) 
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department or his authorized 
agent.

 (3) 
"Community water systems" means a public water system which serves at least 
fifteen service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at 
least twenty-five year-round residents. This may include, but is not limited 
to, subdivisions, municipalities, mobile home parks, and apartments.

 (4) 
"Construction permit" means a permit issued by the department authorizing the 
construction of a new public water system or the expansion or modification of 
an existing public water system.

 (5) 
"Contamination" means the adulteration or alteration of the quality of the 
water of a public water system by the addition or deletion of any substance, 
matter, or constituent except as authorized pursuant to this article.

 (6) 
"Cross-connection" means any actual or potential connection or structural 
arrangement between a public water system and any other source or system 
through which it is possible to introduce into any part of the potable system 
any used water, industrial fluid, gas or substance other than the intended 
potable water with which the system is supplied. Bypass arrangements, jumper 
connections, removable sections, swivel or changeover devices, and other 
temporary or permanent devices through which or because of which backflow can 
or may occur are considered to be cross-connections.

 (7) 
"Department" means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental 
Control, including personnel authorized and empowered to act on behalf of the 
department or board.

 (8) "Fluoride" means a chemical 
compound that contains the fluoride ion and is used to fluoridate drinking 
water, including:

 (a) fluorosilicic acid;

 (b) sodium fluorosilicate; or

 (c) sodium fluoride.

 (8)(9) "Human consumption" means water used for drinking, 
bathing, cooking, dish washing, and maintaining oral hygiene or other similar 
uses.

 (9)(10) "Noncommunity water system" means a public water 
system which serves at least fifteen service connections or regularly serves an 
average of at least twenty-five individuals daily at least sixty days out of 
the year and does not meet the definition of a community water system.

 (10)(11) "Nontransient noncommunity water system" means a 
public water system that is not a community water system and that regularly 
serves at least twenty-five of the same persons over six months per year.

 (11)(12) "Operating permit" means a permit issued by the 
department that outlines the requirements and conditions under which a person 
must operate a public water system.

 (12)(13) "Person" means an individual, partnership, 
copartnership, cooperative, firm, company, public or private corporation, 
political subdivision, government agency, trust, estate, joint structure 
company, or any other legal entity or its legal representative, agent, or 
assigns.

 (13)(14) "Public water system" means:

 (a) 
any publicly or privately owned waterworks system which provides water, whether 
bottled, piped, or delivered through some other constructed conveyance for 
human consumption, including the source of supply whether the source of supply 
is of surface or subsurface origin;

 (b) 
all structures and appurtenances used for the collection, treatment, storage, 
or distribution of water delivered to point of meter of consumer or owner 
connection;

 (c) 
any part or portion of the system, including any water treatment facility, 
which in any way alters the physical, chemical, radiological, or 
bacteriological characteristics of the water; however, a public water system 
does not include a water system serving a single private residence or dwelling. 
A separately owned system with its source of supply from another waterworks 
system must be a separate public water system. A connection to a system that 
delivers water by a constructed conveyance other than a pipe must not be 
considered a connection if:

 (i) 
the w