Great-grandparent Visitation

2025-2026 Bill 4647: Great-grandparent Visitation - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4647
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Caskey, McCravy, C. Mitchell, Pope, Clyburn and Taylor
Document Path: LC-0295VR26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Great-grandparent Visitation
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 46
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 46
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
63-3-530
, RELATING TO COURT-ORDERED GRANDPARENT VISITATION OF A MINOR
CHILD, SO AS TO ALLOW COURTS TO ORDER GREAT-GRANDPARENT VISITATION OF A MINOR
CHILD IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
63-3-530
(A)(33) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
33) to order visitation for the
grandparent
or great-grandparent
of a minor child
where either or both parents of the minor child is or are deceased, or are
divorced, or are living separate and apart in different habitats, if the court
finds that:

(1)
(
a)
the child's parents or guardians are unreasonably
depriving the grandparent
or great-grandparent
of
the opportunity to visit with the child, including denying visitation of the
minor child to the grandparent
or great-grandparent

for a period exceeding ninety days; and

(2)
(
b)
awarding grandparent visitation
or
great-grandparent visitation
would not interfere with the parent-child
relationship; and:

(a)
(
i)
the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that
the child's parents or guardians are unfit; or

(b)
(
ii)
the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that
there are compelling circumstances to overcome the presumption that the
parental decision is in the child's best interest.

T
he judge presiding
over this matter may award attorney's fees and costs to the prevailing party.

F
or purposes of this
item, "grandparent" means the natural or adoptive parent of a natural or
adoptive parent of a minor child
, and "great-grandparent"
means the natural or adoptive grandparent of a natural or adoptive parent of a
minor child
.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:38 PM