---
type: "Bill"
title: "Trafficking in Fentanyl"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-190, RELATING TO SCHEDULE I SUBSTANCES, SO AS TO ADD FENTANYL-RELATED SUBSTANCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-370, RELATING TO PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO ADD AN OFFENSE FOR TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-370, RELATING TO NARCOTICS AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALITIES, SO AS TO ADD TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL; BY ADDING SECTION 44-53-393 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE TERM \"DRUG PARAPHERNALIA\" DOES NOT INCLUDE CERTAIN TESTING EQUIPMENT; AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-53-379 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CERTAIN DRUG-RELATED CRIMES TO POSSESS A FIREARM OR AMMUNITION WITHIN THIS STATE. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "H 3503"
citation: "South Carolina H 3503 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "B.J. Cox", "Bailey", "Blackwell", "Brewer", "Burns", "Calhoon", "Carter", "Caskey", "Chapman", "Chumley", "Connell", "Davis", "Felder", "Forrest", "Gilliam", "Guffey", "Haddon", "Hager", "Hiott", "Hixon", "Landing", "Lawson", "Leber", "Ligon", "M.M. Smith", "McCravy", "Mitchell", "Murphy", "Neese", "O'Neal", "Oremus", "Pedalino", "Pope", "Robbins", "S. Jones", "Sessions", "Taylor", "Thayer", "Trantham", "Vaughan", "W. Newton", "West", "Whitmire", "Willis", "Wooten", "Yow"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 35
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2022-12-08"
last_action: "2023-06-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3ccaa503-6d9d-4f8b-ada6-4f7b02645f01"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3503&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "b305d4430f5d66526610376827b246f8eb19c9bd1e800b3ebea1ce91d62d4c62"
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 H 3503 (2023-2024) — Trafficking in Fentanyl

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-190, RELATING TO SCHEDULE I SUBSTANCES, SO AS TO ADD FENTANYL-RELATED SUBSTANCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-370, RELATING TO PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO ADD AN OFFENSE FOR TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-53-370, RELATING TO NARCOTICS AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENALITIES, SO AS TO ADD TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL; BY ADDING SECTION 44-53-393 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE TERM "DRUG PARAPHERNALIA" DOES NOT INCLUDE CERTAIN TESTING EQUIPMENT; AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-53-379 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CERTAIN DRUG-RELATED CRIMES TO POSSESS A FIREARM OR AMMUNITION WITHIN THIS STATE. - 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/3503.htm)
2. **01/25/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230125.htm)
3. **02/01/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230201.htm)
4. **02/01/2023-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230201a.htm)
5. **05/09/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230509.htm)
6. **05/10/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230510.htm)
7. **05/11/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230511.htm)
8. **05/12/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230512.htm)
9. **05/23/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230523.htm)
10. **05/26/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20230526.htm)
11. **12/08/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/3503_20221208.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **96–21** (pass) · lower
- to lay on the table — **11–34** (fail) · upper
- 3rd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **103–1** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 4 — **71–43** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- B.J. Cox — primary (person)
- Bailey — primary (person)
- Blackwell — primary (person)
- Brewer — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- Calhoon — primary (person)
- Carter — primary (person)
- Caskey — primary (person)
- Chapman — primary (person)
- Chumley — primary (person)
- Connell — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Felder — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- Gilliam — primary (person)
- Guffey — primary (person)
- Haddon — primary (person)
- Hager — primary (person)
- Hiott — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- Landing — primary (person)
- Lawson — primary (person)
- Leber — primary (person)
- Ligon — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Mitchell — primary (person)
- Murphy — primary (person)
- Neese — primary (person)
- O'Neal — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Pedalino — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Robbins — primary (person)
- S. Jones — primary (person)
- Sessions — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Thayer — primary (person)
- Trantham — primary (person)
- Vaughan — primary (person)
- W. Newton — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)
- Whitmire — primary (person)
- Willis — primary (person)
- Wooten — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-12-08** Prefiled `filing`
- **2022-12-08** 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`
- **2023-01-19** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Vaughan, Robbins, B.J.Cox, M.M.Smith, Davis
- **2023-01-24** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Brewer, Murphy
- **2023-01-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Whitmire, Ligon, Felder, Yow, Mitchell, Hager, Connell
- **2023-01-25** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-01-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Carter, West
- **2023-01-26** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-01-31** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon, B.Newton, Neese, Landing, Blackwell
- **2023-01-31** Requests for debate-Rep(s). JE Johnson, Rutherford, Forrest, Pope, Bamberg, Hixon, Sessions, Guffey, B Newton, MM Smith, Brittain, Blackwell, Thayer, Hardee, McCravy, Hiott, Hosey, Hart, Mitchell, Guest, Lawson, Gilliam, Yow
- **2023-02-01** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Pedalino, Willis, W.Newton
- **2023-02-01** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-02-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-02-01** Roll call Yeas-96 Nays-21
- **2023-02-02** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-02-02** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-02-02** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-03** Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Matthews, Rice, Senn, Adams
- **2023-05-09** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-10** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-05-11** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2023-05-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-05-12** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-05-23** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-05-23** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-05-23** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2023-05-26** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-06-07** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2023-06-07** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-1
- **2023-06-14** Ratified R 97
- **2023-06-15** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-06-17** Effective date 6/15/23
- **2023-06-17** Act No. 72

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3ccaa503-6d9d-4f8b-ada6-4f7b02645f01`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).