South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 172 — Campus Free Expression Act

Last action — Scrivener's error corrected

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

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 14, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 14% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

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 BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION ACT"; BY ADDING ARTICLE 4 TO TITLE 59, CHAPTER 101, SO AS TO LIST AND PROTECT FREE EXPRESSION RIGHTS; TO IDENTIFY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR AREAS OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES AS PUBLIC FORUMS; TO GUARANTEE EXISTING EXPRESSIVE ACTIVITY PROTECTIONS; TO PERMIT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO CHARGE SECURITY FEES FOR EXPRESSIVE ACTIVITIES BASED ON NEUTRAL CRITERIA; TO PROVIDE FOR CAUSES OF ACTION FOLLOWING A VIOLATION OF EXPRESSIVE RIGHTS; AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

3 added · 3 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill S 172 added specific language to emphasize the importance of protecting free expression rights. This change is significant because it clarifies the bill’s commitment to ensuring that individuals can express themselves freely and access public resources without restrictions. It highlights a growing recognition of the need for safeguarding free speech in public spaces.

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17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 172Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
14, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 172Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
TO IDENTIFY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR AREAS OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES AS PUBLIC FORUMS;
TO IDENTIFY PUBLICLY-ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR AREAS OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES AS PUBLIC FORUMS;
----XX---- This web page was last updated on January 17, 2025 at 03:31 PM
----XX---- This web page was last updated on January 14, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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Action History

  1. Scrivener's error corrected

  2. Referred to Committee on Education

  3. Introduced and read first time

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

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.

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 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 S 172 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "CAMPUS FREE EXPRESSION ACT"; BY ADDING ARTICLE 4 TO TITLE 59, CHAPTER 101, SO AS TO LIST AND PROTECT FREE EXPRESSION RIGHTS; TO IDENTIFY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR AREAS OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES AS PUBLIC FORUMS; TO GUARANTEE EXISTING EXPRESSIVE ACTIVITY PROTECTIONS; TO PERMIT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO CHARGE SECURITY FEES FOR EXPRESSIVE ACTIVITIES BASED ON NEUTRAL CRITERIA; TO PROVIDE FOR CAUSES OF ACTION FOLLOWING A VIOLATION OF EXPRESSIVE RIGHTS; AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.
Who sponsors S 172?
S 172 is sponsored by Senator Michael Johnson.
What is the current status of S 172?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 14, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 172?
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