South Carolina S 745: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION - BOARD OF BARBER EXAMINERS, RELATING TO BARBER SCHOOLS, MANAGERS, TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS, DESIGNATED AS

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 745 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 745

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 SO AS TO ENACT 
THE "HELP FIND MISSING AMERICANS ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 23-3-350 SO AS TO 
ESTABLISH WHEN WIRELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS MUST PROVIDE CERTAIN INFORMATION TO 
ACCOUNT HOLDERS IN CASES INVOLVING MISSING PERSONS, TO ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS 
FOR THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION, TO CREATE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR KNOWING AND 
WILFUL VIOLATIONS, AND TO PROHIBIT LAWSUITS AGAINST WIRELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS 
ACTING IN GOOD FAITH; AND TO REQUIRE THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION TO 
PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGARDING WAYS TO AID LAW 
ENFORCEMENT IN MISSING PERSONS CASES.

Whereas, in September 
2025, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reported there were 
25,623 active missing persons cases in the United States; and

Whereas, the General 
Assembly acknowledges that each of these cases represents an individual for 
whom the disappearance profoundly affects his family, friends, and community, 
including citizens of this State; and

Whereas, 
telecommunication devices play a critical role in providing time-sensitive 
information in a missing person case; and

Whereas, each piece of 
information and all available resources regarding a missing person case should 
be accessed as expeditiously as possible. Now, therefore,

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Help Find Missing Americans Act."

SECTION 2. Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 23 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
23-3-350. (A)(1) After filing a 
missing person report, an individual who is the named account holder of a 
telecommunications device used by the missing child or missing person may 
submit a written request to the wireless service provider to access information 
for the missing child's or missing person's telecommunications device in 
accordance with the provisions of this section. Information that may be 
requested regarding the missing child's or missing person's telecommunications 
device shall be limited to:

 (a) 
location information;

 (b) 
phone numbers to which calls were made or received, and

 (c) 
the amount of wireless data used.

This information shall be 
limited to no more than twelve hours immediately preceding the time of the 
disappearance of the missing child or missing person, as indicated in the 
missing person report, through the date of the request, unless otherwise 
requested by the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the missing 
person report.

 (2) 
In addition to the written request described in item (1), the account holder 
must provide a copy of the missing person report and contact information for 
the law enforcement agency which generated the missing person report.

 (B) 
Upon receipt of a completed written request as described in subsection (A), the 
wireless service provider must verify: (1) that the requestor is the account 
holder; and (2) that there is an active missing person report that involves the 
telecommunications device for which information has been requested. Following 
this verification, and unless law enforcement requests that the information not 
be released to the account holder, the wireless service provider must provide 
the requested information to the account holder as well as the law enforcement agency 
with whom the missing person report is pending. This information must be 
provided within a reasonable time period but no later than thirty days after 
receipt of the request.

 (C) The 
wireless service provider must retain detailed records for all requests for 
information pursuant to this section, including responses, for three years from 
the date of the request.

 (D) Information 
disclosed pursuant to this article shall solely be used for investigative 
purposes directly related to the missing person case. Any person who knowingly 
and wilfully violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor and shall:

 (1) 
for a first offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than 
one thousand dollars, imprisoned not less than thirty days nor more than ninety 
days, or both;

 (2) 
for a second or subsequent offense, be fined not less than one thousand dollars 
nor more than three thousand dollars, imprisoned not less than ninety days nor 
more than two years, or both.

 (E) A 
civil or criminal action may not be brought in court against a wireless service 
provider for providing the requested information if acting in good faith and 
under this section.

SECTION 3. No 
later than January 1, 2027, the State Law Enforcement Division shall provide 
recommendations to