South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 3 R · 2 D cosponsors

H 5495 — Second Chance Month

Last action — Introduced and adopted

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

This bill has passed the House. Introduced April 02, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 54% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 124 sponsors

    124 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 R · 2 D) — cross-party backing.

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

A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO DECLARE APRIL 2026 AS "SECOND CHANCE MONTH" IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO COMMEND SOTERIA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON ITS OUTSTANDING WORK IN ASSISTING FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO REENTER SOCIETY.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

56 added · 6 removed

56 line(s) added, 6 removed.

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2025-2026 Bill 5495 Text of Previous Version (Apr.
02, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 5495Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A house RESOLUTION   to declare April 2026 as "second chance month" in south carolina and to commend soteria community development corporation on its outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter society.    Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the critical services provided by the Soteria Community Development Corporation (CDC), a ministry established by Jerry Blassingame that assists formerly incarcerated individuals in reentering society and becoming productive citizens;
and   Whereas, individuals returning from prison and those who have paid their debt after committing a crime face significant barriers.
They often struggle to obtain housing, employment, education, regain voting rights, or volunteer in their community.  In addition, these individuals often must pay for significant debt that arises as a result of their conviction and incarceration;
and   Whereas, with a passion for reaching individuals whose lives have been impacted by crime, Soteria CDC provides individuals with the necessary essentials, including housing, job training, and discipleship programs that they need to transition smoothly back into society;
and   Whereas, from 2021 through 2023, only three percent of the men and women who completed six months of the program and zero percent of those who completed twelve months of the program served by Soteria CDC have returned to prison, a much lower percentage than the state average of more than twenty-one percent;
and   Whereas, Soteria CDC opened its first transitional home for men in 2001 with a four-bed capacity.  By 2005, the ministry had expanded to include reentry services for women.  After adding additional homes and later converting them into low-income rental properties, the Soteria House in Travelers Rest was opened in 2018, a sixteen-bed residential housing facility for men;
and   Whereas, Greenville County incarcerates more women than any other county in South Carolina.  To serve those women navigating the obstacles to reentering society, Soteria CDC opened a sixteen-bed transitional housing facility for women in May 2022, mirroring the men's program by offering housing, job training, and life-skills classes;
and   Whereas, recognizing the importance of providing support to individuals reentering society following incarceration, the House of Representatives is pleased to designate April as "Second Chance Month" in order to contribute to increased public awareness about the need for closure for those who have paid their debt and to encourage the creation of opportunities for individuals, employers, congregations, and communities to extend second chances.  Now, therefore,   Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
  That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, declare April 2026 as "Second Chance Month" in South Carolina and commend Soteria Community Development Corporation on its outstanding work in assisting formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter society.  ----XX---- This web page was last updated on April 02, 2026 at 11:04 AM
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Action History

  1. Introduced and adopted

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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124 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 46 not signed on

Sponsors (124)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (46)

46 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 46 →

"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 5495 do?
A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO DECLARE APRIL 2026 AS "SECOND CHANCE MONTH" IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO COMMEND SOTERIA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON ITS OUTSTANDING WORK IN ASSISTING FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO REENTER SOCIETY.
Who sponsors H 5495?
H 5495 is sponsored by Representative Chandra E. Dillard, Representative Terry Alexander, Representative Carl L. Anderson, Representative Lucas Atkinson, Representative William H. Bailey, Representative Nathan Ballentine, Representative Justin T. Bamberg, Representative Bruce W. Bannister, Representative Heather Bauer, Representative Thomas Beach, Representative Beth E. Bernstein, Representative Phillip Bowers, Representative Jeff Bradley, Representative Gary S. Brewer, Jr., T. Case Brittain, Jr. (Republican), Representative James Mikell "Mike" Burns, Representative Joseph M. "Joe" Bustos, Representative Paula Rawl Calhoon, Representative Micajah P. "Micah" Caskey IV, Representative Donald G. "Don" Chapman, Representative William M. "Bill" Chumley, Representative William "Bill" Clyburn, Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, Representative Neal A. Collins, Representative Brandon L. Cox, Representative Heather Ammons Crawford, Representative April Cromer, Representative Sylleste H. Davis, Representative Adam L. Duncan, Representative Sarita L. Edgerton, Representative Shannon S. Erickson, Representative Cally R. "Cal" Forrest, Jr., Stephen D. Frank (Republican), Representative Craig A. Gagnon, Representative Kambrell H. Garvin, Representative Gil Gatch, Representative Daniel Gibson, Representative Greg Ford, Representative Leon D. "Doug" Gilliam, Representative Wendell G. Gilliard, Representative Thomas Lee Gilreath, Representative Jerry N. Govan, Jr., Representative Hamilton R. Grant, Representative Thomas Duval "Val" Guest, Jr., Representative Brandon Guffey, Representative Patrick B. Haddon, Representative William "Bill" Hager, Representative Kevin Hardee, Representative Robert J. "Rob" Harris, Representative Christopher R. "Chris" Hart, Representative Thomas F. "Tom" Hartnett, Jr., Representative Charles V. Hartz, Representative Jackie E. "Coach" Hayes, Representative William G. "Bill" Herbkersman, Representative Lee Hewitt, Representative David R. Hiott, Representative William M. "Bill" Hixon, Representative Harriet A. Holman, Representative Lonnie Hosey, Henderson-Myers, Rosalyn D., Representative Leon Howard, Representative William C. "Chris" Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Representative Wendell K. Jones, Representative Wallace H. "Jay" Jordan, Jr., Representative John Gregory "Jay" Kilmartin, Representative John Richard C. King, Representative Roger K. Kirby, Representative John T. Lastinger, Jr., Representative Kathy Landing, Representative M. Brian Lawson, Representative Thomas R. "Randy" Ligon, Representative Steven Wayne Long, Representative Phillip D. Lowe, Jason Luck (Democrat), Representative Josiah Magnuson, Representative David Martin, Representative Donald Ryan McCabe, Jr., Representative John R. McCravy III, Representative Annie E. McDaniel, Representative Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis, Representative Cody T. Mitchell, Representative W. Scott Montgomery IV, Representative JA Moore, Representative Travis A. Moore, Representative T. Alan Morgan, Jr., Representative Dennis C. Moss, Representative Mike M. Neese, Representative Brandon Newton, Representative Wm. Weston J. Newton, Representative Melissa Lackey Oremus, Representative Jordan S. Pace, Representative Fawn M. Pedalino, Representative Thomas E. "Tommy" Pope, Representative Luke S. Rankin, Representative Robert T. Reese, Representative Michael F. Rivers, Sr., Representative Robby Robbins, Representative Seth Rose, Representative J. Todd Rutherford, Representative Richard Blake Sanders, Carla M. Schuessler (Republican), Representative Heath Sessions, Tiffany R. Spann-Wilder (Democrat), Representative Leonidas E. "Leon" Stavrinakis, Representative Bill Taylor, Representative James E. Teeple, Representative Jackie R. Terribile, Representative David Vaughan, Representative Courtney S. Waters, Representative J. David Weeks, Representative Elizabeth "Spencer" Wetmore, Representative Joseph S. "Joe" White, Representative William R. "Bill" Whitmire, Representative Paul B. Wickensimer, Representative Robert Q. Williams, Representative Mark N. Willis, Representative Chris Wooten, Representative Richard L. "Richie" Yow, Representative Marvin "Mark" Smith, Representative G. Murrell Smith, Jr., Representative Keishan M. Scott, and Representative Dianne Mitchell.
What is the current status of H 5495?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced April 02, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track H 5495?
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