South Carolina S 518: SC Pray Safe Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 518 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 01, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 518

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 ENACTING THE 
"SOUTH CAROLINA PRAY SAFE ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 23-3-90 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE 
SOUTH CAROLINA PRAY SAFE GRANT PROGRAM WITHIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT 
DIVISION TO PROVIDE GRANTS FOR SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS TO CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS 
THAT ARE AT RISK OF BEING VICTIMS OF A RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED CRIME.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Pray Safe Act."

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 23 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
23-3-90. (A) As used in this section:

 (1) 
"Eligible applicant" means a private organization that is:

 (a) 
qualified for federal tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
Revenue Code; and

 (b) 
at particular risk of being subject to a religiously motivated crime.

 (2) 
"Eligible facility" means real property owned or operated by an eligible 
applicant.

 (3) 
"Offense against an organization" includes an offense against an employee or 
agent of the organization.

 (4) "Religiously 
motivated crime" means the commission, attempted commission, or alleged 
commission of an offense against an organization based on the religious 
ideology or mission of the organization or the population served by the 
organization.

 (5) 
"Security enhancements" includes, without limitation:

 (a) 
security assessments and training;

 (b) 
security personnel;

 (c) 
upgrades or improvements including, but not limited to, windows, doors, gates, 
or security-related landscaping; and

 (d) 
high-intensity lighting, camera systems, alarms, or other security systems.

 (B)(1) There is established the South 
Carolina Pray Safe Grant Program within the South Carolina Law Enforcement 
Division (SLED) to provide grants to eligible applicants for security 
enhancements to eligible facilities. Grants may be awarded to eligible 
applicants in amounts not to exceed seven hundred fifty thousand dollars.

 (2) SLED 
may develop the form and manner in which eligible applicants may apply for 
grants. SLED shall rank applications based on the criteria set forth in 
subsection (C) and award grants based on rankings and available monies.

 (C) SLED 
shall, by rule, establish criteria for ranking grant applications under the 
grant program. Criteria must include, but need not be limited to:

 (1) an 
eligible applicant's and eligible facility's level of risk of being subject to 
a religiously motivated crime or domestic terrorism;

 (2) whether 
an eligible applicant or eligible facility has previously been subject to a 
religiously motivated crime or domestic terrorism; and

 (3) the 
level of security measures already in place at eligible facilities.

 (D) SLED 
shall adopt rules to implement the grant program. Rules must include, but need 
not be limited to:

 (1) 
policies and procedures for the grant application process;

 (2) terms 
and conditions of grant agreements entered into by the department and grant 
recipients; and

 (3) procedures 
for verifying that grant monies have been used for the purposes for which they 
were awarded.

 (E) 
There is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the 
general fund, the South Carolina Pray Safe Grant Program Fund. The monies in 
the fund only may be used to fund grants authorized by this section. SLED may 
not award grants that exceed the balance in the fund.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on April 01, 2025 at 12:42 PM