---
type: "Bill"
title: "Trafficking in persons, luring a child"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-2010, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF \"SEX TRAFFICKING\", SO AS TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION TO INCLUDE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR AND PROMOTING OR PARTICIPATING IN PROSTITUTION OF A MINOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-2020, RELATING TO TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PENALTIES, MINOR VICTIMS AND DEFENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A TRAFFICKING VICTIM MAY RAISE DURESS AND COERCION AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO OFFENSES COMMITTED AS A DIRECT RESULT OR INTERRELATED TO TRAFFICKING, TO PROVIDE THAT A TRAFFICKING VICTIM MAY HAVE CERTAIN OFFENSES EXPUNGED IF THE OFFENSES WERE A DIRECT RESULT OR INTERRELATED TO BEING A VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING, AND TO PROVIDE SIMILAR PROVISIONS FOR MINOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS AND TO REQUIRE THE MINOR TO BE REFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; BY ADDING SECTION 16-25-130 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM WITHIN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO PROTECT THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, STALKING, HARASSMENT, AND OTHER SEXUAL OFFENSES; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-910, RELATING TO KIDNAPPING, SO AS TO ALLOW SENTENCING FOR THE KIDNAPPING OFFENSES WHEN ALSO SENTENCED FOR MURDER; BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-340 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF LURING A CHILD AND PROVIDE A PENALTY AND DEFENSES TO PROSECUTION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THIS ACT ARE RETROACTIVE. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "S 142"
citation: "South Carolina S 142 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Campsen", "Garrett", "Goldfinch", "Gustafson", "Hutto", "Jackson", "McLeod", "Setzler", "Shealy"]
version_count: 16
action_count: 47
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2022-11-30"
last_action: "2024-07-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/82dd3fe4-e807-4d6a-b487-020a19af8fdf"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=142&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "9bde6c38ea33d897e72b9b6161c673bf83e7bb70a5b691dd6fcc9c19d96dcad4"
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 S 142 (2023-2024) — Trafficking in persons, luring a child

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-2010, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF "SEX TRAFFICKING", SO AS TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION TO INCLUDE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR AND PROMOTING OR PARTICIPATING IN PROSTITUTION OF A MINOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-2020, RELATING TO TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, PENALTIES, MINOR VICTIMS AND DEFENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A TRAFFICKING VICTIM MAY RAISE DURESS AND COERCION AS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO OFFENSES COMMITTED AS A DIRECT RESULT OR INTERRELATED TO TRAFFICKING, TO PROVIDE THAT A TRAFFICKING VICTIM MAY HAVE CERTAIN OFFENSES EXPUNGED IF THE OFFENSES WERE A DIRECT RESULT OR INTERRELATED TO BEING A VICTIM OF TRAFFICKING, AND TO PROVIDE SIMILAR PROVISIONS FOR MINOR TRAFFICKING VICTIMS AND TO REQUIRE THE MINOR TO BE REFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; BY ADDING SECTION 16-25-130 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM WITHIN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO PROTECT THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, STALKING, HARASSMENT, AND OTHER SEXUAL OFFENSES; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-910, RELATING TO KIDNAPPING, SO AS TO ALLOW SENTENCING FOR THE KIDNAPPING OFFENSES WHEN ALSO SENTENCED FOR MURDER; BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-340 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF LURING A CHILD AND PROVIDE A PENALTY AND DEFENSES TO PROSECUTION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THIS ACT ARE RETROACTIVE. - 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/sess125_2023-2024/bills/142.htm)
2. **02/08/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230208.htm)
3. **02/22/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230222.htm)
4. **02/27/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230227.htm)
5. **03/09/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230309.htm)
6. **03/13/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230313.htm)
7. **03/14/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230314.htm)
8. **03/15/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20230315.htm)
9. **04/23/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240423.htm)
10. **04/23/2024-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240423a.htm)
11. **04/24/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240424.htm)
12. **04/25/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240425.htm)
13. **04/26/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240426.htm)
14. **05/08/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240508.htm)
15. **06/26/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20240626.htm)
16. **11/30/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/142_20221130.htm)

## Votes

- Adopt Free Conference Report — **100–1** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- to grant free conference powers — **41–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- to adopt — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **0–102** (fail) · lower
- Grant Free Conference Powers — **103–2** (pass) · lower
- to adopt — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- to adopt the free conference report — **42–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Campsen — primary (person)
- Garrett — primary (person)
- Goldfinch — primary (person)
- Gustafson — primary (person)
- Hutto — primary (person)
- Jackson — primary (person)
- McLeod — primary (person)
- Setzler — primary (person)
- Shealy — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-11-30** Prefiled `filing`
- **2022-11-30** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-01-10** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-02** Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Matthews, Rice, Senn, Adams
- **2023-02-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-02-22** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-27** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-03-09** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2023-03-09** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-03-13** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-03-14** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-03-15** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-03-15** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-03-15** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
- **2023-03-16** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-03-28** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-03-28** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-04-23** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-24** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2024-04-25** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2024-04-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-04-25** Roll call Yeas-97 Nays-0
- **2024-04-25** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2024-04-26** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2024-04-27** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-05-08** House amendment amended `amendment-amendment`
- **2024-05-08** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2024-05-08** Returned to House with amendments
- **2024-05-09** Non-concurrence in Senate amendment
- **2024-05-09** Roll call Yeas-0 Nays-102
- **2024-05-09** Senate insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Hutto, Gustafson, Adams
- **2024-05-09** Conference committee appointed Bernstein, Guest, Connell
- **2024-06-26** Free conference powers granted
- **2024-06-26** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-2
- **2024-06-26** Free conference committee appointed Berstien, Connell, Guest
- **2024-06-26** Free conference report received and adopted
- **2024-06-26** Roll call Yeas-100 Nays-1
- **2024-06-26** Free conference powers granted
- **2024-06-26** Free conference committee appointed Hutto, Gustafson, Adams
- **2024-06-26** Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-0
- **2024-06-26** Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
- **2024-06-26** Ordered enrolled for ratification
- **2024-06-27** Ratified R 238
- **2024-07-02** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2024-07-17** Effective date 07/02/24
- **2024-07-17** Act No. 213

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/82dd3fe4-e807-4d6a-b487-020a19af8fdf`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).