FOIA fees

2025-2026 Bill 4728: FOIA fees - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Download
This Bill
in Microsoft Word Format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
H. 4728
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Frank, Edgerton and White
Document Path: LC-0470WAB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: FOIA fees
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 68
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 68
)

1/20/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: White

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
30-4-30
, RELATING TO FEES FOR RECORDS THAT PUBLIC BODIES MAY ESTABLISH
AND COLLECT UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE MEMBERS OF
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MUST RECEIVE COPIES OF RECORDS OR DOCUMENTS AT NO CHARGE
FOR REQUESTS RELATING TO THEIR LEGISLATIVE DUTIES.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
30-4-30
(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(
B) The public body may establish and
collect fees as provided for in this section. The public body may establish and
collect reasonable fees not to exceed the actual cost of the search, retrieval,
and redaction of records. The public body shall develop a fee schedule to be
posted online. The fee for the search, retrieval, or redaction of records shall
not exceed the prorated hourly salary of the lowest paid employee who, in the
reasonable discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skill and
training to perform the request. Fees charged by a public body must be uniform
for copies of the same record or document and may not exceed the prevailing
commercial rate for the producing of copies. Copy charges may not apply to
records that are transmitted in an electronic format. If records are not in
electronic format and the public body agrees to produce them in electronic
format, the public body may charge for the staff time required to transfer the
documents to electronic format. However, members of the General Assembly
may
must
receive copies of
records or documents at no charge from public bodies when their request relates
to their legislative duties. The records must be furnished at the lowest
possible cost to the person requesting the records. Records must be provided in
a form that is both convenient and practical for use by the person requesting
copies of the records concerned, if it is equally convenient for the public
body to provide the records in this form. Documents may be furnished when appropriate
without charge or at a reduced charge where the agency determines that waiver
or reduction of the fee is in the public interest because furnishing the
information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public. Fees
may not be charged for examination and review to determine if the documents are
subject to disclosure. A deposit not to exceed twenty-five percent of the total
reasonably anticipated cost for reproduction of the records may be required
prior to the public body searching for or making copies of records.

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM