---
type: "Bill"
title: "Homicide by Child Abuse"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-85, RELATING TO HOMICIDE BY CHILD ABUSE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE AGE OF A CHILD UNDER THIS SECTION FROM UNDER THE AGE OF ELEVEN TO UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 405"
citation: "South Carolina S 405 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alexander", "Martin", "Young"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-03-04"
last_action: "2026-03-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9fcbc666-9f50-4814-9e40-b18bc860b565"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=405&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "bf9012e729b0732c3b87bf4667db99ce13a927b0cb82748950a978603b0b7339"
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 405 (2025-2026) — Homicide by Child Abuse

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-3-85, RELATING TO HOMICIDE BY CHILD ABUSE, SO AS TO INCREASE THE AGE OF A CHILD UNDER THIS SECTION FROM UNDER THE AGE OF ELEVEN TO UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN. - 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/405.htm)
2. **02/03/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/405_20260203.htm)
3. **02/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/405_20260205.htm)
4. **03/04/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/405_20250304.htm)
5. **03/05/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/405_20260305.htm)
6. **03/26/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/405_20250326.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **110–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

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

## Timeline

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

- **2025-03-04** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-04** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-26** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-01** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-04-01** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2025-04-02** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-04-03** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-04-03** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-03** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-05** Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-0
- **2026-02-05** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2026-02-06** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-11** Non-concurrence in House amendment
- **2026-03-05** House recedes from amendment(s)
- **2026-03-05** Ordered enrolled for ratification
- **2026-03-05** Ratified R 106
- **2026-03-09** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-12** Effective date 03/09/26
- **2026-03-12** Act No. 101

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9fcbc666-9f50-4814-9e40-b18bc860b565`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).