---
type: "Bill"
title: "Protection from Financial Exploitation"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 13 TO CHAPTER 3 OF TITLE 34 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS PERTAINING TO THE FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF AN ELIGIBLE ADULT, AND TO SET FORTH PROCESSES BY WHICH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MAY PROTECT AN ELIGIBLE ADULT, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY CONTACTS FOR AN ELIGIBLE ADULT TO PROTECT THE ELIGIBLE ADULT. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 851"
citation: "South Carolina S 851 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alexander", "Garrett", "Young"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-01-28"
last_action: "2026-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/6ce98204-c336-4033-98a3-c8efb06b5c3e"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=851&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "e502a922ce529a66e7cecebc2439f991c61f10dede0417d9729e75cb40dda9ff"
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 851 (2025-2026) — Protection from Financial Exploitation

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 13 TO CHAPTER 3 OF TITLE 34 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS PERTAINING TO THE FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF AN ELIGIBLE ADULT, AND TO SET FORTH PROCESSES BY WHICH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MAY PROTECT AN ELIGIBLE ADULT, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY CONTACTS FOR AN ELIGIBLE ADULT TO PROTECT THE ELIGIBLE ADULT. - 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/851.htm)
2. **01/28/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/851_20260128.htm)
3. **03/12/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/851_20260312.htm)
4. **03/25/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/851_20260325.htm)
5. **04/22/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/851_20260422.htm)
6. **04/23/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/851_20260423.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **112–1** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Alexander — primary (person)
- Garrett — primary (person)
- Young — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-28** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-28** Referred to Committee on Banking and Insurance `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-12** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Banking and Insurance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-25** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-25** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2026-03-26** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-31** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-03-31** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-22** Committee report: Favorable Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-23** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-04-28** Debate adjourned
- **2026-04-29** Debate adjourned
- **2026-04-30** Debate adjourned until Tues., 5-5-26
- **2026-05-05** Requests for debate-Rep(s). Edgerton, Gilreath, Cromer, White, Kilmartin, Beach, Morgan, Terribile
- **2026-05-05** Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Edgerton
- **2026-05-07** Debate adjourned
- **2026-05-12** Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Cromer, Terribile, Gilreath, Beach, White, Kilmartin
- **2026-05-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-13** Roll call Yeas-112 Nays-1
- **2026-05-14** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-15** Ratified R 235
- **2026-05-19** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-05** Effective date 05/19/26
- **2026-06-03** Act No. 226

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/6ce98204-c336-4033-98a3-c8efb06b5c3e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).