South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 701 — Addition of US Space Force

Last action — Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  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 December 10, 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 BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-310, RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTING DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AS MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-610, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA UNIFORM MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-7-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO ABSENCES IN MILITARY SERVICE, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-5-910, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTIANING TO THE MILITARY PARENT EQUAL PROTECTION ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

67 added · 6 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendments to Bill S 701 include defining members of the United States Space Force as part of the Armed Forces, ensuring they receive the same absentee voting rights as other military members. These changes also update related definitions across several sections of South Carolina's voting laws to maintain consistency. This matters because it recognizes members of the Space Force as serving in the same capacity as other military branches, enhancing their access to voting, which is crucial for those away from their home voting locations.

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2025-2026 Bill 701 Text of Previous Version (Dec.
10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 701Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-310, RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTING DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AS MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES;
BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-610, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA UNIFORM MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES;
BY AMENDING SECTION 8-7-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO ABSENCES IN MILITARY SERVICE, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES;
AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-5-910, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTIANING TO THE MILITARY PARENT EQUAL PROTECTION ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Section 7-15-310(1) of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      (1) "Members of the Armed Forces of the United States" means members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components.
  SECTION 2.  Section 7-15-610 (1), (11), and (12) of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      (1) "Members of the Armed Forces of the United States" means members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components.
    (11) "Uniformed service" means:
       (a) active and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States;
       (b) the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States;  or        (c) the National Guard or organized militia.
    (12) "Uniformed-service voter" means an individual who is qualified to vote and is:
       (a) a member of the active or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States who is on active duty;
       (b) a member of the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States;
       (c) a member on activated status of the National Guard or organized militia;  or        (d) a spouse or dependent of a member referred to in this item.
  SECTION 3.  Section 8-7-10(2) of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      (2) "Military service" means service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, or Marine Corps of the United States or any compulsory service in any capacity to the Federal Government for the purpose of national defense;  and   SECTION 4.  Section 63-5-910(A)(1) of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      (A)(1) In the case of a parent who is a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or a Reserve component of these services, "military service or service" means a deployment for combat operations, a contingency operation, or a natural disaster based on orders that do not permit a family member to accompany the member on the deployment.
  SECTION 5.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on December 10, 2025 at 02:21 PM
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How this bill changes current law

6 changes Share ↗

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

The bill includes members of the United States Space Force in various definitions related to absentee voting and military service in South Carolina law.

  • Section 7-15-310

    members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components. → members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components.

    This change adds the United States Space Force to the definition of Armed Forces members.

  • Section 7-15-610

    members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components. → members of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Air Force, the United States Space Force, the United States Coast Guard, or any of their respective components.

    This change adds the United States Space Force to the definition of Armed Forces members.

  • Section 7-15-610

    active and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States; → active and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States;

    This change adds the Space Force to the definition of 'uniformed service'.

  • Section 7-15-610

    a member of the active or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States who is on active duty; → a member of the active or reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States who is on active duty;

    This change adds the Space Force to the definition of 'uniformed-service voter'.

  • Section 8-7-10

    in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps of the United States → in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, or Marine Corps of the United States

    This change adds the Space Force to the definition of 'military service'.

  • Section 63-5-910

    Military service or service means a deployment for combat operations, a contingency operation, or a natural disaster based on orders that do not permit a family member to accompany the member on the deployment. → In the case of a parent who is a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or a Reserve component of these services, 'military service or service' means a deployment for combat operations, a contingency operation, or a natural disaster based on orders that do not permit a family member to accompany the member on the deployment.

    This change clarifies the definition of military service to include members of the Space Force.

Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  2. Introduced and read first time

  3. Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  4. Prefiled

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

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Frequently asked questions

What does S 701 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-310, RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTING DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AS MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-610, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA UNIFORM MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-7-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO ABSENCES IN MILITARY SERVICE, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 63-5-910, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS PERTIANING TO THE MILITARY PARENT EQUAL PROTECTION ACT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.
Who sponsors S 701?
S 701 is sponsored by Senator Stephen L. Goldfinch.
What is the current status of S 701?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced December 10, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 701?
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