---
type: "Bill"
title: "Unauthorized Fees for Claim Assistance"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE \"SOUTH CAROLINA SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN VETERANS' BENEFITS ACT\"; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, SET GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR COMPENSATION, MEMORIALIZE TERMS, AND STATE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 695"
citation: "South Carolina S 695 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Devine", "Graham", "Sutton", "Walker", "Young"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-12-10"
last_action: "2026-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dbb12867-ea07-47a6-b0bc-a4f9f301fa13"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=695&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "0b74308e807126ece3559d76bc79516b99cc84533f25e7420ee93e6d3d278c4f"
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 695 (2025-2026) — Unauthorized Fees for Claim Assistance

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN VETERANS' BENEFITS ACT"; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, SET GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR COMPENSATION, MEMORIALIZE TERMS, AND STATE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. - 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/695.htm)
2. **01/29/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260129.htm)
3. **02/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260205.htm)
4. **05/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260505.htm)
5. **05/06/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260506.htm)
6. **05/07/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260507.htm)
7. **05/08/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20260508.htm)
8. **12/10/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20251210.htm)
9. **12/10/2025-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/695_20251210a.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **46–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **100–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Devine — primary (person)
- Graham — primary (person)
- Sutton — primary (person)
- Walker — primary (person)
- Young — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-12-10** Prefiled `filing`
- **2025-12-10** Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-13** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-29** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Family and Veterans' Services `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-05** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-05** Roll call Ayes-46 Nays-0
- **2026-02-10** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-11** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-02-11** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-05** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-06** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-05-07** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-07** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-07** Roll call Yeas-100 Nays-0
- **2026-05-07** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2026-05-08** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-05-13** Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
- **2026-05-14** Ratified R 146
- **2026-05-19** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-05** Effective date 05/19/26
- **2026-06-02** Act No. 211

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dbb12867-ea07-47a6-b0bc-a4f9f301fa13`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).