H 5205 — AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 4 TO CHAPTER 101, TITLE 59 SO AS TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN THIS STATE TO IMPLEMENT A SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ALL NEW STUDENTS, TO PROVIDE EXCLUSIONS FROM THE PROGRAMS, TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAMS, TO REQUIRE CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 59-101-440 SO AS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS STATE SHALL MAKE OPIOID AND FENTANYL PREVENTION EDUCATION AND AWARENESS INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ENROLLED STUDENTS, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS AND DEFINITIONS. - RATIFIED TITLE
Last action — Act No. 161
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 18, 2026. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Henry McMaster (Republican) on May 15, 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
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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5 sponsors
1 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).
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Mixed recorded votes
2 passed, 1 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 requires South Carolina public colleges to implement safety training programs for students.
This bill mandates safety training programs for new students at public colleges and universities in South Carolina, including opioid and fentanyl prevention education. It establishes program requirements, exclusion criteria, and reporting obligations.
What this means for you
- Students: This means that as a new student, you will be required to participate in safety training that includes important information on opioid and fentanyl prevention.
Summary
College Safety Training Programs for Students
Bill Text
- Full text View text Current html
Action History
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Act No. 161
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Effective date 05/15/26
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Signed By Governor
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Ratified R 215
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Roll call Yeas-116 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 67)
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Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House Journal-page 66)
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Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 38)
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Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 82)
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Read second time (Senate Journal-page 85)
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Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 85)
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Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education (Senate Journal-page 6)
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Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 9)
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Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
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Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 17)
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Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 64)
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Read second time (House Journal-page 63)
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Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan
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Scrivener's error corrected
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Committee report: Favorable Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 11)
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Scrivener's error corrected
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Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 49)
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Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 49)
Sponsors
- Jr. Representative Jerry N. Govan · Cosponsor
- Tiffany R. Spann-Wilder · Cosponsor
- Representative Hamilton R. Grant · Cosponsor
- Representative Shannon S. Erickson · Cosponsor
- Representative Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 165 not signed on
"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 | 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 Margie Bright Matthews | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Stephen L. Goldfinch | — | Not Voting |
| Senator Tom Fernandez | — | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 103 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Republican | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 106 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| % of votes cast | 85% | 0% | 0% | 15% |
How each member voted (124)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 111 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Republican | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Democrat | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 115 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| % of votes cast | 93% | 0% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (123)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does H 5205 do?
- College Safety Training Programs for Students
- Who sponsors H 5205?
- H 5205 is sponsored by Representative Jerry N. Govan, Jr., Tiffany R. Spann-Wilder (Democrat), Representative Hamilton R. Grant, Representative Shannon S. Erickson, and Representative Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis.
- What is the current status of H 5205?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 18, 2026. Enacted.
- Where can I track H 5205?
- Track H 5205 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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