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

H 4804 — AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-395, RELATING TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-405, RELATING TO SECOND DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM PENALTY TO THREE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT AND PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WHO VIOLATE THE STATUTE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-410, RELATING TO THIRD DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF IMAGES POSSESSED, INCLUDING A PENALTY OF UP TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE ONE TO TWENTY-FIVE IMAGES, ONE TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE TWENTY-SIX TO TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES, AND A PENALTY OF TWO TO TEN YEARS IF THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY IMAGES; AND TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE YEARS FOR A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER WHO VIOLATES THE STATUTE - RATIFIED TITLE

Last action — Act No. 189

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 16, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Henry McMaster (Republican) on May 18, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 62% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 36 sponsors

    1 primary, 35 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

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 increases penalties for sexual exploitation of minors in South Carolina.

This bill raises the minimum prison sentences for first, second, and third degree sexual exploitation of minors, especially for registered sex offenders. It also establishes stricter penalties based on the number of images possessed in third degree cases.

Summary

Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, penalties

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Act No. 189

  2. Effective date 05/18/26

  3. Signed By Governor

  4. Ratified R 204

  5. Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 40)

  6. Roll call Yeas-111 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 179)

  7. Returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 174)

  8. Senate amendment amended (House Journal-page 174)

  9. Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate Journal-page 18)

  10. Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 96)

  11. Read second time (Senate Journal-page 96)

  12. Amended (Senate Journal-page 96)

  13. Recalled from Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 6)

  14. Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 19)

  15. Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 19)

  16. Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 17)

  17. Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 262)

  18. Read second time (House Journal-page 259)

  19. Amended (House Journal-page 259)

  20. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers, Ligon, Chapman, B.Newton, W.Newton, Forrest, Oremus, Gibson

  21. Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary (House Journal-page 4)

  22. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger, C.Mitchell, Yow, Guffey

  23. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan

  24. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cromer, Edgerton, Burns, Beach, Morgan, Terribile, Pace, Kilmartin, Gilreath, Magnuson, Frank, McCravy, Hartz, D.Mitchell, Haddon, Willis, Wickensimer, Vaughan, Pedalino, Chumley

  25. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: White

  26. Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 95)

  27. Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 95)

  28. Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  29. Prefiled

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 35 co-sponsors · 134 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (35)

Not signed on (134)

134 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 134 →

"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

public-safety civil-rights
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Frequently asked questions

What does H 4804 do?
Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, penalties
Who sponsors H 4804?
H 4804 is sponsored by Representative T. Alan Morgan, Jr., Representative Thomas Beach, Representative James Mikell "Mike" Burns, Representative Sarita L. Edgerton, Representative April Cromer, Representative Joseph S. "Joe" White, Representative Thomas E. "Tommy" Pope, Representative Travis A. Moore, Representative Daniel Gibson, Representative Melissa Lackey Oremus, Representative Cally R. "Cal" Forrest, Jr., Representative Wm. Weston J. Newton, Representative Brandon Newton, Representative Donald G. "Don" Chapman, Representative Thomas R. "Randy" Ligon, Representative Phillip Bowers, Representative Brandon Guffey, Representative Richard L. "Richie" Yow, Representative Cody T. Mitchell, Representative John T. Lastinger, Jr., Representative Paul B. Wickensimer, Representative Jerry N. Govan, Jr., Representative William M. "Bill" Chumley, Representative Fawn M. Pedalino, Representative David Vaughan, Representative Mark N. Willis, Representative Patrick B. Haddon, Representative Dianne Mitchell, Representative Charles V. Hartz, Representative John R. McCravy III, Stephen D. Frank (Republican), Representative Josiah Magnuson, Representative Thomas Lee Gilreath, Representative John Gregory "Jay" Kilmartin, Representative Jordan S. Pace, and Representative Jackie R. Terribile.
What is the current status of H 4804?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 16, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track H 4804?
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