South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 753 — Coroner Qualifications

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.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low 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

Stalled 20% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    4 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-130, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

189 added · 4 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of Bill S 753 includes amendments to the qualifications required for coroners in South Carolina. Notably, it now mandates that all coroner candidates undergo fingerprinting and background checks before the general election. This change is significant because it aims to ensure that only trustworthy individuals serve in this important public safety role, potentially enhancing community confidence in local law enforcement and coroner services.

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2025-2026 Bill 753 Text of Previous Version (Dec.
10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 753Indicates 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 17-5-130, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Section 17-5-130 of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      Section 17-5-130.  (A)(1) A coroner in this State shall have all of the following qualifications, the person shall:
           (a) be a citizen of the United States;
           (b) be a resident of the county in which the person seeks the office of coroner for at least one year before qualifying for the election to the office;
           (c) be a registered voter;
           (d) have attained the age of twenty-one years before the date of qualifying for election to the office;
           (e) have obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by the State Department of Education;  and            (f) have not been convicted of a felony offense or an offense involving moral turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or the United States.;
and            (g) be fingerprinted and have the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) make a search of local, state, and federal fingerprint files for any criminal record.
Fingerprints are to be taken under the direction of any law enforcement agency and must be made available to SLED at the time the candidate files to seek the office.
The results of the records search are to be filed by the candidate with the county executive committee of the person's political party.
A person seeking nomination by petition must file the records search with the county election commission in the county of his residence.
       (2) In addition to the requirements of subsection (A)(1), a coroner in this State shall have at least one of the following qualifications, the person shall:
           (a) have at least three years of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
           (b) have a two-year associate degree and two years of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
           (c) have a four-year baccalaureate degree and one year of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
           (d) be a law enforcement officer, as defined by Section 23-23-10(E)(1), who is certified by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council with a minimum of two years of experience;
           (e) have completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program or be enrolled in a recognized forensic science degree or certification program to be completed within one year of being elected to the office of coroner;
           (f) be a medical doctor;  or            (g) have a bachelor of science degree in nursing.
    (B)(1) A person who offers his candidacy for the office of coroner, no later than the close of filing, shall file a sworn affidavit with the county executive committee of the person's political party.
       (2) The county executive committee of a political party with whom a person has filed his affidavit must file a copy of the affidavit with the appropriate county election commission by noon on the tenth day following the deadline for filing affidavits by candidates.
If the tenth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the affidavit must be filed by noon the following day.
       (3) A person who seeks nomination by petition for the office of coroner, no later than the close of filing, shall file a sworn affidavit with the county election commission in the county of his residence.
       (4) The affidavit required by the provisions of this subsection must contain the following information:
           (a) the person's date and place of birth;
           (b) the person's citizenship;
           (c) the county the person is a resident of, and how long the person has been a resident of that county;
           (d) whether the person is a registered voter;
           (e) the date the person obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by the State Department of Education;
           (f) whether the person has been convicted of a felony offense or an offense involving moral turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or the United States;
           (g) the date the person obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree, if applicable;
           (h) the date the person completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program, or information regarding the person's enrollment in a recognized forensic science degree or certification program, if applicable;  and            (i) the number of years of experience the person has as a death investigator, certified law enforcement officer, or licensed private investigator, if applicable.
    (C) Each person serving as coroner in the person's first term is required to complete a basic training session to be determined by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
This basic training session must be completed no later than the end of the calendar year following the person's election as coroner.
A person appointed to fill the unexpired term in the office of coroner shall complete a basic training session to be determined by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy within one calendar year of the date of appointment.
This section must not be construed to require an individual to repeat the basic training session if the person has successfully completed the session prior to the person's election or appointment as coroner.
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A coroner who is unable to attend this training session when offered because of an emergency or extenuating circumstances, within one year from the date the disability or cause terminates, shall complete the standard basic training session required of coroners.
A coroner who does not fulfill the obligations of this subsection is subject to suspension by the Governor until the coroner completes the training session.
    (D) A person holding the office of coroner or deputy coroner who was elected, appointed, or employed prior to January 1, 1994, and who has served continuously since that time shall attend a minimum of sixteen hours training annually as may be selected by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council on or before December 31, 1995.
Each year, all coroners and deputy coroners shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours training annually as selected by the council.
Certification or records of attendance or training must be maintained as directed by the council.
    (E)(1) The basis for the minimum annual requirement of in-service training is the calendar year.
A coroner who satisfactorily completes the basic training session in accordance with the provisions of subsection (C) is excused from the minimum annual training requirements of subsection (D) for the calendar year in which the basic training session is completed.
       (2) The Board of Directors of the South Carolina Coroners Association, in its discretion, may grant a waiver of the requirements of the annual in-service training upon presentation of evidence by a coroner that he was unable to complete the training due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances.
       (3) A coroner who fails to complete the minimum annual in-service training required by this section may be suspended from office, without pay, by the Governor for ninety days.
The Governor may continue to suspend a coroner until the coroner completes the annual minimum in-service training required in this section.
The Governor shall appoint, at the time of the coroner's suspension, a qualified person to perform as acting coroner during the suspension.
    (F) A coroner in office on the effective date of this section is exempt from the provisions of this section except for the provisions of subsection (D).
    (G)(1) The Director of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy shall appoint a Coroners Training Advisory Committee to assist in the determination of training requirements for coroners and deputy coroners and to determine those forensic science degree and certification programs that qualify as 'recognized' pursuant to the requirements of this section.
Also, the committee shall assist in determining annual training requirements as set forth in this section.
The committee must consist of no fewer than five coroners and at least one physician trained in forensic pathology as recommended by the South Carolina Coroners Association.
The members of the committee shall serve without compensation.
       (2) The Coroners Training Advisory Committee shall govern the qualifications of all coroners, deputy coroners, and candidates for coroner as set forth in this section.
Also, the committee must certify all coroners.
The committee may require a coroner or a deputy coroner to appear before it for performance review.
Failure to appear before the committee or failure to follow state law relating to the performance of official duties may result in sanctioning in the form of a private or public reprimand.
Also, the committee may recommend suspension to the Governor and loss of funding to the county council.
A person may appeal an action of the committee pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 23, Title 1.
The committee may hire an administrative assistant if it is determined necessary.
    (H) Expenses of all training authorized or required by this section must be paid by the county the coroner or deputy coroner serves, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council is authorized to set and collect fees for this training.
  SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on December 10, 2025 at 02:33 PM
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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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4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 166 not signed on

Sponsors (4)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (166)

166 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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 elections
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 753 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-130, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.
Who sponsors S 753?
S 753 is sponsored by Senator Jeff Zell, Senator Everett Stubbs, Senator Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms, and Senator Allen Blackmon.
What is the current status of S 753?
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 753?
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