---
type: "Bill"
title: "Fentanyl Induced Homicide"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-80 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF FENTANYL-INDUCED HOMICIDE, TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS, TO PROHIBIT AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, AND TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH PERSONS SHALL NOT BE PROSECUTED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-1-10, RELATING TO A LIST OF EXCEPTIONS FOR FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS, SO AS TO ADD FENTANYL-INDUCED HOMICIDE. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 156"
citation: "South Carolina S 156 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Adams", "Alexander", "Bennett", "Garrett", "Kimbrell", "Peeler", "Rankin", "Stubbs", "Turner", "Walker", "Young"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 36
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2025-01-14"
last_action: "2025-05-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e1c03040-6f83-4c1e-adee-8f8eb0e2b046"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=156&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "214ea6deb2a10a2ac52e079f6d8ea1b2d73d7d5f46068fe9366b5e610ca3e0bb"
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 156 (2025-2026) — Fentanyl Induced Homicide

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 16-3-80 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF FENTANYL-INDUCED HOMICIDE, TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS, TO PROHIBIT AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE, AND TO PROVIDE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH PERSONS SHALL NOT BE PROSECUTED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-1-10, RELATING TO A LIST OF EXCEPTIONS FOR FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS, SO AS TO ADD FENTANYL-INDUCED HOMICIDE. - 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/sess126_2025-2026/bills/156.htm)
2. **01/14/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250114.htm)
3. **02/19/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250219.htm)
4. **02/25/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250225.htm)
5. **03/05/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250305.htm)
6. **03/26/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250326.htm)
7. **03/26/2025-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250326a.htm)
8. **04/09/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250409.htm)
9. **05/08/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/156_20250508.htm)

## Votes

- to adopt the free conference report — **44–1** (pass) · upper
- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper
- Adopt Free Conference Report — **92–14** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- to concur — **1–40** (fail) · upper
- Grant Free Conference Powers — **101–7** (pass) · lower
- to grant free conference powers — **44–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Adams — primary (person)
- Alexander — primary (person)
- Bennett — primary (person)
- Garrett — primary (person)
- Kimbrell — primary (person)
- Peeler — primary (person)
- Rankin — primary (person)
- Stubbs — primary (person)
- Turner — primary (person)
- Walker — primary (person)
- Young — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-14** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-01-14** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-14** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-01-14** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-07** Referred to Subcommittee: Adams (ch), Tedder, Fernandez, Kennedy, Sutton
- **2025-02-19** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-25** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2025-02-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-02-25** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2025-02-26** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-04** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-04** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-05** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2025-03-26** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-27** Requests for debate-Rep(s). B Newton, Guest, Weeks, Jordan, Spann-Wilder, Garvin, Hosey, Williams, Martin, King
- **2025-04-09** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2025-04-09** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-04-09** Roll call Yeas-96 Nays-0
- **2025-04-10** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-29** Non-concurrence in House amendment
- **2025-04-29** Roll call Ayes-1 Nays-40
- **2025-04-30** House insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Reps. JE Johnson, Robbins, Rose
- **2025-04-30** Conference committee appointed Hembree, Sabb, Adams
- **2025-05-08** Free conference powers granted
- **2025-05-08** Roll call Yeas-101 Nays-7
- **2025-05-08** Free conference committee appointed JE Johnson, Robbins, Rose
- **2025-05-08** Free conference report adopted
- **2025-05-08** Roll call Yeas-92 Nays-14
- **2025-05-08** Free conference powers granted
- **2025-05-08** Free conference committee appointed Hembree, Sabb, Adams
- **2025-05-08** Free conference report adopted
- **2025-05-08** Ordered enrolled for ratification
- **2025-05-20** Ratified R 87
- **2025-05-22** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-27** Effective date 05/22/25
- **2025-05-27** Act No. 61

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e1c03040-6f83-4c1e-adee-8f8eb0e2b046`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).