---
type: "Bill"
title: "Vaccine mandates"
description: "AN ACT TO DECLARE THAT THE PRACTICE OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE IDEALS OF SOUTH CAROLINA; TO PROVIDE THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BELIEVES THAT A FEDERAL VACCINE MANDATE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL; TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE OR ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION MAY NOT ENACT A COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDATE; TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 8-15-80 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT NEITHER THE STATE NOR ANY OF ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS MAY TERMINATE OR SUSPEND A FIRST RESPONDER BASED ON HIS VACCINATION STATUS; TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTHING IN THIS ACT SHALL PREVENT AN EMPLOYER FROM ENCOURAGING OR ADMINISTERING VACCINES; TO PROVIDE RESTRICTIONS FOR A PRIVATE EMPLOYER'S VACCINE MANDATE; TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN VACCINE EXEMPTIONS MUST BE HONORED; TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON MAY BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS; AND TO REENACT ACT 99 OF 2021 RELATING TO SOUTH CAROLINA COVID-19 LIABILITY SAFE HARBOR. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 3126"
citation: "South Carolina H 3126 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Allison", "B. Cox", "Ballentine", "Bennett", "Burns", "Bustos", "Chumley", "Davis", "Elliott", "Forrest", "Fry", "Haddon", "Hill", "Hixon", "Huggins", "Jones", "Kimmons", "Long", "M.M. Smith", "Magnuson", "McCabe", "McCravy", "Morgan", "Murphy", "Nutt", "Oremus", "Stringer", "T. Moore", "Taylor", "Thayer", "Trantham", "V.S. Moss", "Willis", "Wooten"]
version_count: 13
action_count: 37
vote_count: 20
first_action: "2020-12-09"
last_action: "2022-05-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1471c6e6-1c25-4762-8812-a7482952dd4a"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3126&session=124&summary=B"
source_hash: "0e068fb6c071072ee7939e19355a51c3e3c039f188d8a284422f4dd4daef0ee4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3126 (2021-2022) — Vaccine mandates

AN ACT TO DECLARE THAT THE PRACTICE OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE IDEALS OF SOUTH CAROLINA; TO PROVIDE THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BELIEVES THAT A FEDERAL VACCINE MANDATE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL; TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE OR ANY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION MAY NOT ENACT A COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDATE; TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 8-15-80 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT NEITHER THE STATE NOR ANY OF ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS MAY TERMINATE OR SUSPEND A FIRST RESPONDER BASED ON HIS VACCINATION STATUS; TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTHING IN THIS ACT SHALL PREVENT AN EMPLOYER FROM ENCOURAGING OR ADMINISTERING VACCINES; TO PROVIDE RESTRICTIONS FOR A PRIVATE EMPLOYER'S VACCINE MANDATE; TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN VACCINE EXEMPTIONS MUST BE HONORED; TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON MAY BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BASED ON VACCINATION STATUS; AND TO REENACT ACT 99 OF 2021 RELATING TO SOUTH CAROLINA COVID-19 LIABILITY SAFE HARBOR. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3126.htm)
2. **12/9/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20201209.htm)
3. **12/9/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20211209.htm)
4. **12/9/2021-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20211209a.htm)
5. **3/1/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220301.htm)
6. **3/17/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220317.htm)
7. **3/2/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220302.htm)
8. **4/5/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220405.htm)
9. **4/6/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220406.htm)
10. **4/6/2022-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220406a.htm)
11. **4/7/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220407.htm)
12. **4/7/2022-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220407a.htm)
13. **4/8/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3126_20220408.htm)

## Votes

- to lay on the table — **24–16** (pass) · upper
- Divide the Question — **35–66** (fail) · lower
- Table Amendment 5 — **68–29** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 6 — **71–26** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 1 — **35–65** (fail) · lower
- Table Amendment 4 — **68–30** (pass) · lower
- Recede — **20–80** (fail) · lower
- 3rd Reading — **29–12** (pass) · upper
- Table Amendment 3 — **62–39** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **76–34** (pass) · lower
- Table Motion to Commit to Judiciary — **66–33** (pass) · lower
- Adopt Amendment 16 — **68–28** (pass) · lower
- Cloture — **68–34** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 11 — **71–26** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **60–25** (pass) · lower
- to adopt — **26–14** (pass) · upper
- Table Amendment 12 — **73–25** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **67–31** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 10 — **66–33** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 9 — **74–26** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Allison — primary (person)
- B. Cox — primary (person)
- Ballentine — primary (person)
- Bennett — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- Bustos — primary (person)
- Chumley — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- Fry — primary (person)
- Haddon — primary (person)
- Hill — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- Huggins — primary (person)
- Jones — primary (person)
- Kimmons — primary (person)
- Long — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Magnuson — primary (person)
- McCabe — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Morgan — primary (person)
- Murphy — primary (person)
- Nutt — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Stringer — primary (person)
- T. Moore — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Thayer — primary (person)
- Trantham — primary (person)
- V.S. Moss — primary (person)
- Willis — primary (person)
- Wooten — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-12-09** Prefiled `filing`
- **2020-12-09** Referred to Committee on Ways and Means `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-12** Referred to Committee on Ways and Means `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-27** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hill
- **2021-12-06** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith, Huggins, Wooten, Ballentine, Bustos, B.Cox, Elliott, Trantham, Willis, Nutt, Morgan, McCravy, Thayer, Dillard, V.S.Moss, Stringer, T.Moore, Allison, Hixon, Bennett
- **2021-12-09** Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Dillard
- **2021-12-09** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Fry
- **2021-12-09** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Ways and Means `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-12-09** Special order, set for immediately upon adoption of H. 4493
- **2021-12-09** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kimmons, Davis, Murphy
- **2021-12-09** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-12-09** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2021-12-09** Roll call Yeas-67 Nays-31
- **2021-12-10** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-12-10** Roll call Yeas-60 Nays-25
- **2022-01-11** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-01-11** Referred to Committee on Finance `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-01** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Finance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-03-02** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-03-17** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-04-05** Special order, set for April 5, 2022
- **2022-04-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2022-04-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-04-06** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-04-06** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2022-04-06** Committee Amendment Withdrawn
- **2022-04-06** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-04-06** Roll call Ayes-29 Nays-12
- **2022-04-07** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-04-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-04-20** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2022-04-20** Roll call Yeas-76 Nays-34
- **2022-04-21** Ratified R 156
- **2022-04-25** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-05-02** Effective date 04/25/22
- **2022-05-02** Act No. 142

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1471c6e6-1c25-4762-8812-a7482952dd4a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).