South Carolina S 734: Sgt. Major Ernest Colden/ Sympathy

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 734 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 734

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 ADDING SECTION 9-1-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN STATE RETIREMENT 
BENEFITS AND HEALTH BENEFITS MAY BE FORFEITED IF STATE EMPLOYEES ARE CONVICTED 
OF ANY CRIME INVOLVING CRIMINAL SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH A MINOR OR THE 
POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIALS.

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

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 9 
of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 Section 
9-1-110. (A)(1) If a state employee 
is convicted of, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to any crime involving criminal 
sexual misconduct with a minor or any crime involving the possession or 
distribution of child sexual abuse material, including child sexual abuse 
material that is artificial intelligence generated, then the state employee 
forfeits retirement benefits and health benefits attributable to the person's 
state employment. If the provisions of this section are utilized, the 
applicable retirement system must refund the person's employee contributions 
attributable to the person's service.

 (2) A state employee who has his 
retirement benefits or health benefits forfeited pursuant to this section is 
entitled to receive twenty-five percent of the lost benefit if he moves to a 
different state that does not share a border with a state that borders the State 
of South Carolina.

 (B) For purposes of this section:

 (1) "Health benefits" means any benefit 
received through an insurance program administered by the employee insurance 
program established pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 11, Title 1.

 (2) "Retirement benefits" means any 
benefit received by any retirement system administered pursuant to this title.

 (3) "Retirement system" means any 
retirement system administered pursuant to this title.

 (4) "State employee" means any 
individual employed by this State.

SECTION 
2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on December 10, 2025 at 02:31 PM