S 0961 — AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1705, RELATING TO CATCH LIMITS FOR CERTAIN SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REVISE THE CATCH LIMIT FOR RED DRUM; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1710, RELATING TO SIZE LIMITS FOR CERTAIN SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REVISE THE SIZE LIMIT FOR RED DRUM; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1700, RELATING TO EQUIPMENT FOR THE CATCHING OF SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REQUIRE A NONOFFSET, NONSTAINLESS STEEL CIRCLE HOOK WHEN USING A HANDHELD HOOK AND LINE AND A HOOK SIZE OF 4/0 OR LARGER; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 50-9-650, RELATING TO DEER HUNTING, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ANTERLESS DEER TAGS ISSUED. - RATIFIED TITLE
Last action — Act No. 231
-
✓Introduced
-
✓In Committee
-
✓Passed Senate
-
✓Passed House
-
✓To Executive
-
6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 26, 2026. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Henry McMaster (Republican) on May 19, 2026.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
-
Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
-
1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
-
Mixed recorded votes
2 passed, 2 failed in recorded votes so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
In plain language
The bill revises catch limits and equipment requirements for fishing and increases deer hunting tags in South Carolina.
This legislation changes fishing regulations for red drum by updating size and catch limits and mandates specific fishing equipment. It also increases the number of antlerless deer tags available for hunting.
What this means for you
- Environment: This bill promotes sustainable fishing practices by revising size and catch limits, as well as equipment requirements.
Summary
Red drum, saltwater fish, deer hunting
Bill Text
- Full text View text Current html
Action History
-
Act No. 231
-
Effective date See Act for Effective Date
-
Signed By Governor
-
Ratified R 242
-
Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-6 (House Journal-page 27)
-
Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House Journal-page 26)
-
Returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 17)
-
Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 17)
-
House amendment amended (Senate Journal-page 17)
-
Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 2)
-
Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House Journal-page 92)
-
Roll call Yeas-98 Nays-3 (House Journal-page 91)
-
Read second time (House Journal-page 90)
-
Amended (House Journal-page 90)
-
Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 9)
-
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 43)
-
Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 43)
-
Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 20)
-
Roll call Ayes-39 Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 34)
-
Read second time (Senate Journal-page 34)
-
Committee report: Favorable Fish, Game and Forestry (Senate Journal-page 12)
-
Scrivener's error corrected
-
Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry (Senate Journal-page 3)
-
Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 3)
Sponsors
- Senator George E. "Chip" Campsen III · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on · 9 voted No
Sponsors (1)
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (169)
169 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 169 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 99 | 5 | 0 | 14 |
| Republican | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 103 | 6 | 0 | 14 |
| % of votes cast | 84% | 5% | 0% | 11% |
How each member voted (123)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| % of votes cast | 0% | 14% | 0% | 86% |
How each member voted (7)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Brad Hutto | — | Not Voting |
| Senator JD Chaplin | — | Nay |
| Senator Jeffrey R. Graham | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Margie Bright Matthews | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Ronnie A. Sabb | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Ronnie W. Cromer | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Tom Fernandez | — | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
How each member voted (3)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Darrell Jackson | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Jeff Zell | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Josh Kimbrell | — | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 94 | 3 | 0 | 22 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 98 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| % of votes cast | 79% | 2% | 0% | 19% |
How each member voted (124)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does S 0961 do?
- Red drum, saltwater fish, deer hunting
- Who sponsors S 0961?
- S 0961 is sponsored by Senator George E. "Chip" Campsen III.
- What is the current status of S 0961?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 26, 2026. Enacted.
- Where can I track S 0961?
- Track S 0961 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
Make your voice heard on S 0961
Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.
Stay ahead of S 0961
Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously
One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.
Track this bill →