republic-os/legislation/us/states/sc/2025-2026/s-235.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Prostitution	AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-90, RELATING TO PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," REVISE THE STATUTE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-100, RELATING TO FURTHER ACTS OF PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, REVISE THE STATUTE REGARDING PROMOTING PROSTITUTION, INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION TO PERSONS COERCED AS RESULT OF BEING A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-110, RELATING TO SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION OFFENSES, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," AND INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-115 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF A PROSTITUTION OFFENSE MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF THE ARREST RECORD. - RATIFIED TITLE	us/states/sc	South Carolina General Assembly	2025-2026	S 235	South Carolina S 235 (2025-2026)	bill		enacted	Kimbrell Leber Zell	12	27	2	2025-01-16	2026-06-05	openstates	ocd-bill/f092f5e2-bb5e-4d6b-bc63-45a321a79d56	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=235&session=126&summary=B	7644ec31f26eb04773e6e0ccc9c0464f395d51f87e792fb7f557f132509fd1b8	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-sc

South Carolina S 235 (2025-2026) — Prostitution

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-90, RELATING TO PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," REVISE THE STATUTE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-100, RELATING TO FURTHER ACTS OF PROSTITUTION, SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, REVISE THE STATUTE REGARDING PROMOTING PROSTITUTION, INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO PROSECUTION TO PERSONS COERCED AS RESULT OF BEING A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-110, RELATING TO SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION OFFENSES, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROSTITUTION," AND INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-115 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PERSONS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF A PROSTITUTION OFFENSE MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF THE ARREST RECORD. - RATIFIED TITLE

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Filed (filed) — source
2. 01/16/2025 (committee substitute) — source
3. 03/03/2025 (committee substitute) — source
4. 03/12/2025 (committee substitute) — source
5. 03/13/2025 (committee substitute) — source
6. 03/17/2025 (committee substitute) — source
7. 03/25/2025 (committee substitute) — source
8. 03/28/2025 (committee substitute) — source
9. 05/06/2026 (committee substitute) — source
10. 05/07/2026 (committee substitute) — source
11. 05/13/2026 (committee substitute) — source
12. 05/14/2026 (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• 2nd Reading — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Passage of Bill — 107–1 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• Kimbrell — primary (person)
• Leber — primary (person)
• Zell — primary (person)

Timeline

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

• 2025-01-16 Introduced and read first time introduction, reading-1
• 2025-01-16 Referred to Committee on Judiciary referral-committee
• 2025-02-21 Referred to Subcommittee: Adams (ch), Kimbrell, Devine, Blackmon, Kennedy, Leber, Walker
• 2025-03-03 Scrivener's error corrected
• 2025-03-12 Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary committee-passage-favorable
• 2025-03-17 Scrivener's error corrected
• 2025-03-25 Committee Amendment Tabled amendment-deferral
• 2025-03-25 Amended amendment-passage
• 2025-03-25 Read second time reading-2
• 2025-03-25 Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
• 2025-03-27 Read third time and sent to House passage, reading-3
• 2025-03-28 Scrivener's error corrected
• 2025-04-02 Introduced and read first time introduction, reading-1
• 2025-04-02 Referred to Committee on Judiciary referral-committee
• 2026-05-06 Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary committee-passage-favorable
• 2026-05-07 Scrivener's error corrected
• 2026-05-12 Debate adjourned
• 2026-05-13 Amended amendment-passage
• 2026-05-13 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-05-13 Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-1
• 2026-05-14 Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments passage, reading-3
• 2026-05-14 Scrivener's error corrected
• 2026-05-14 Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
• 2026-05-15 Ratified R 222
• 2026-05-18 Signed By Governor executive-signature
• 2026-06-05 Effective date 05/18/26
• 2026-06-02 Act No. 192

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/f092f5e2-bb5e-4d6b-bc63-45a321a79d56. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).