---
type: "Bill"
title: "Child Welfare"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTIONS 63-7-2630 AND 63-9-765 SO AS TO REQUIRE FAMILY COURTS TO CONSIDER THE APPROPRIATENESS OF NO CONTACT ORDERS OR SUPERVISED CONTACT ORDERS WHEN TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS OR FINALIZING ADOPTIONS; TO AUTHORIZE THESE ORDERS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 823"
citation: "South Carolina S 823 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Devine", "Hutto", "Reichenbach", "Walker"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 21
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-15"
last_action: "2026-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d8724625-e227-4ec8-9b13-4ab26317c7d2"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=823&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "3709c066246a1d1242f1cd4a9f94f2c50a51eb1910c07796ac7fb761560b259e"
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 823 (2025-2026) — Child Welfare

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTIONS 63-7-2630 AND 63-9-765 SO AS TO REQUIRE FAMILY COURTS TO CONSIDER THE APPROPRIATENESS OF NO CONTACT ORDERS OR SUPERVISED CONTACT ORDERS WHEN TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS OR FINALIZING ADOPTIONS; TO AUTHORIZE THESE ORDERS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - 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/823.htm)
2. **01/15/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260115.htm)
3. **01/22/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260122.htm)
4. **03/11/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260311.htm)
5. **03/17/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260317.htm)
6. **03/24/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260324.htm)
7. **05/06/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/823_20260506.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **115–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Devine — primary (person)
- Hutto — primary (person)
- Reichenbach — primary (person)
- Walker — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-15** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-15** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-03-11** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-17** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-17** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-17** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
- **2026-03-24** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-24** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-24** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
- **2026-03-26** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-03-26** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-06** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-12** Debate adjourned
- **2026-05-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-13** Roll call Yeas-115 Nays-0
- **2026-05-14** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-15** Ratified R 232
- **2026-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-05** Effective date 05/18/26
- **2026-06-02** Act No. 196

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d8724625-e227-4ec8-9b13-4ab26317c7d2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).