South Carolina S 1029: SC Research Authority Board of Trustees

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 1029 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 18, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 1029

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 44-29-40, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S GENERAL 
SUPERVISION OF VACCINATION, SCREENING, AND IMMUNIZATION, SO AS TO ALLOW THE 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO HAVE GENERAL SUPERVISION OF EXEMPTIONS TO 
VACCINATIONS, SCREENING, AND IMMUNIZATION; BY ADDING SECTION 44-29-45 SO AS TO 
ALLOW A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A MINOR CHILD TO SEEK A PERSONAL EXEMPTION FROM 
ANY VACCINATION OR IMMUNIZATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND A PUBLIC INSTITUTION, 
SCHOOL, OR DAY CARE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 44-29-180, RELATING TO THE 
VACCINATION OR IMMUNIZATION OF CHILDREN IN DAY CARE, SO AS TO INCLUDE A 
CERTIFICATE OF PERSONAL EXEMPTION.

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

SECTION 1. Section 44-29-40(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) The Department of Public Health and Environmental 
Control shall have general direction and supervision of vaccination, 
screening, and immunization in this State. The Department 
of Public Health shall have general direction and supervision of exemptions to 
vaccinations, screenings, and immunizations in this State. The 
Department of Public Health and 
Environmental Control has the authority to promulgate regulations 
concerning vaccination, screening, and immunization 
requirements, and exemptions to immunization requirements.

SECTION 2. Chapter 29, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
44-29-45. The Department of Public Health shall allow for the parent or 
guardian of a minor child to seek a personal exemption from any vaccination or 
immunization required to attend a public institution, school, or day care 
facility in this State. A parent or guardian of a minor child may obtain a 
South Carolina Certificate of Personal Exemption from the local health 
department.

SECTION 3. Section 44-29-180 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
44-29-180. (A) No superintendent of 
ana public institution 
of learning, no school board or principal of a public school, 
and no owner or operator of a public or private childcare 
facility as defined in Section 63-13-20 may admit as a pupil or enroll or 
retain a child or person who cannot produce satisfactory evidence of having 
been vaccinated or immunized so often as directed by the Department of Public Health and Environmental 
Control. Records of vaccinations or immunizations must be maintained by 
the institution, school, or day care facility to which the child or person has 
been admitted.

 (B) 
The Department of Public Health and Environmental Control shall monitor the immunization 
status of each child who is enrolled or retained in a licensedpublic child day care facility or a 
registered church or religious child day care facility. The monitoring 
of day care facilities shall consist of a review of the immunization or 
vaccination records to insure that required immunizations are complete as 
recommended and routinely provided by the Department of Public 
Health and Environmental Control for all 
infants and children.

 (C) 
South Carolina Department of Public Health and Environmental Control Regulation 61-860-8, as amended, 
"Vaccination, Screening and Immunization Regarding Contagious Diseases", and 
its exemptions apply to this section.

 (D) 
A South Carolina Certificate of Special Exemption signed by the school 
principal, authorized representative, or day care director may be issued to 
transfer students while awaiting arrival of medical records from their former 
area of residence or to other students who have been unable to secure 
immunizations or documentation of immunizations already received. A South 
Carolina Certificate of Special Exemption may be issued only once and is valid 
for only thirty calendar days from date of enrollment. At the expiration of 
this special exemption, the student must present a valid South Carolina 
Certificate of Immunization, a valid South Carolina Certificate of Medical 
Exemption, a valid South Carolina Certificate of Personal 
Exemption, or a valid South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption.

 (E) 
Registered family day care homes are exempt from requirements of this section.

 (F)(1) Notwithstanding the requirements 
of this section, the governing body of a private childcare facility as defined 
in Section 63-13-20, a registered church or religious child day care facility, 
or a private school as defined in Section 59-1-110 may adopt vaccination or 
immunization requirements other than those set forth in subsection (A) for 
admission or enrollment in the facility, provided that records of vaccinations 
or immunizations are maintained