South Carolina 126th General Assembly Status: Introduced 1 R cosponsors

H 4757 — A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "PARENTAL RIGHTS ACT" BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 TO CHAPTER 28, TITLE 59, TO AFFIRM AND ENUMERATE THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF PARENTS TO DIRECT THE UPBRINGING, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND GENERAL WELFARE OF THEIR CHILDREN, TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT MINIMUM STANDARDS TO IMPLEMENT PARENTAL RIGHTS AND A RELATED MODEL PARENTAL RIGHTS POLICY, TO PROVIDE LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES SHALL ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT RELATED POLICIES, TO ESTABLISH ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION OF ALLEGED VIOLATIONS, TO PROVIDE FOR A LIMITED PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION UPON EXHAUSTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 63-5-340, RELATING TO MINOR CONSENT FOR HEALTH SERVICES, SO AS TO CLARIFY, STRENGTHEN, AND EXPAND REQUIREMENTS FOR PARENTAL CONSENT FOR NONEMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT OF MINORS, TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES AND REMEDIES FOR VIOLATIONS ALLEGED BY PARENTS, AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY REPEALING SECTION 63-5-350 RELATING TO FURNISHING HEALTH SERVICES TO MINORS WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT; BY DESIGNATING THE EXISTING PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 28, TITLE 59 AS "GENERAL PROVISIONS"; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 63-5-370 RELATING TO CERTAIN CONSENT NOT BEING SUBJECT TO DISAFFIRMANCE.

Last action — Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 7)

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced December 16, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Parental Rights

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes the 'Parental Rights Act' to affirm and expand parental rights regarding the upbringing and education of children in South Carolina, including the requirement for parental consent in nonemergency medical treatments for minors.

  • Chapter 28, Title 59

    Article 3 Parental Rights in Education

    This new article enumerates the fundamental rights of parents related to the upbringing and education of children.

  • Section 63-5-340

    The provisions pertaining to the consent of a minor for nonemergency medical treatment are removed. → This section is amended to clarify, strengthen, and expand requirements for parental consent for nonemergency medical treatment of minors including procedures and remedies for violations alleged by parents.

    This change enhances parental authority concerning medical treatment decisions for minors.

  • Section 63-5-350

    Section 63-5-350 relating to furnishing health services to minors without parental consent is repealed.

    This repeal eliminates the allowance for providing certain health services to minors without parental consent.

  • Section 63-5-370

    Section 63-5-370 relating to certain consent not being subject to disaffirmance is repealed.

    This repeal removes specific provisions regarding consent that may have previously undermined parental rights.

Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 7)

  2. Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 7)

  3. Roll call Yeas-105 Nays-1 (House Journal-page 34)

  4. Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 33)

  5. Scrivener's error corrected

  6. Roll call Yeas-116 Nays-1 (House Journal-page 40)

  7. Read second time (House Journal-page 25)

  8. Amended (House Journal-page 25)

  9. Scrivener's error corrected

  10. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers

  11. Scrivener's error corrected

  12. Requests for debate-Rep(s). Hewitt, Hiott, Davis, Harris, Edgerton, White, Kilmartin, Brittain, Jones, Guest, Crawford, Hosey (House Journal-page 17)

  13. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Chapman

  14. Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 2)

  15. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Guffey, Lastinger

  16. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilreath

  17. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: D.Mitchell, Cromer

  18. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: White, Sanders

  19. Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 80)

  20. Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 80)

  21. Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs

  22. Prefiled

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 62 co-sponsors · 107 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (62)

Not signed on (107)

107 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 107 →

"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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights healthcare education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does H 4757 do?
Parental Rights
Who sponsors H 4757?
H 4757 is sponsored by Representative Phillip Bowers, Representative Donald G. "Don" Chapman, Representative John T. Lastinger, Jr., Representative Brandon Guffey, Representative Thomas Lee Gilreath, Representative April Cromer, Representative Dianne Mitchell, Representative Richard Blake Sanders, Representative Joseph S. "Joe" White, Representative John Gregory "Jay" Kilmartin, Representative Jackie R. Terribile, Representative Josiah Magnuson, Representative Sarita L. Edgerton, Representative William M. "Bill" Chumley, Representative Richard L. "Richie" Yow, Representative Chris Wooten, Representative Mark N. Willis, Representative Paul B. Wickensimer, Representative William R. "Bill" Whitmire, Representative David Vaughan, Representative James E. Teeple, Representative Bill Taylor, Representative G. Murrell Smith, Jr., Representative Heath Sessions, Carla M. Schuessler (Republican), Representative Robby Robbins, Representative Fawn M. Pedalino, Representative Melissa Lackey Oremus, Representative Wm. Weston J. Newton, Representative Brandon Newton, Representative Travis A. Moore, Representative Cody T. Mitchell, Representative Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis, Representative John R. McCravy III, Representative David Martin, Representative Phillip D. Lowe, Representative Steven Wayne Long, Representative Thomas R. "Randy" Ligon, Representative M. Brian Lawson, Representative Harriet A. Holman, Representative William M. "Bill" Hixon, Representative David R. Hiott, Representative Lee Hewitt, Representative William G. "Bill" Herbkersman, Representative Charles V. Hartz, Representative Thomas F. "Tom" Hartnett, Jr., Representative Kevin Hardee, Representative Patrick B. Haddon, Representative Gil Gatch, Representative Craig A. Gagnon, Representative Thomas Duval "Val" Guest, Jr., Representative Leon D. "Doug" Gilliam, Representative Cally R. "Cal" Forrest, Jr., Representative Adam L. Duncan, Representative Heather Ammons Crawford, Representative Micajah P. "Micah" Caskey IV, Representative Gary S. Brewer, Jr., Representative Jeff Bradley, Representative William H. Bailey, Representative Marvin "Mark" Smith, Representative Shannon S. Erickson, Representative Thomas E. "Tommy" Pope, and Representative Sylleste H. Davis.
What is the current status of H 4757?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced December 16, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 4757?
Track H 4757 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on H 4757

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.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of H 4757

Last checked for changes 4 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →