Protect Contributors' Home Information

2025-2026 Bill 5312: Protect Contributors' Home Information - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5312
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. B. Newton
Document Path: LC-0327HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on March 4, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Protect Contributors' Home Information
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

3/4/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 7
)

3/4/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 7
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
03/04/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS
8-13-1308
AND
8-13-1309
, BOTH
RELATING TO FILING OF CERTIFIED CAMPAIGN REPORTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC
DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME; BY AMENDING
SECTION
8-13-1333
, RELATING TO SOLICITING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL DONOR'S STREET
NUMBER AND NAME; BY AMENDING SECTION
8-13-1360
, RELATING TO CONTRIBUTION AND
EXPENDITURE REPORTING FORMS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S OR DONOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME; AND BY ADDING
SECTION
8-13-1530
SO AS TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S OR DONOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME IN VIOLATION OF
ARTICLE 13, CHAPTER 13, TITLE 8.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
8-13-1308
(F) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
F) Certified campaign reports
detailing campaign contributions and expenditures must contain:

(
1)
the total of contributions accepted by the candidate or committee;

(
2)
the name and address of each person making a contribution of more than one
hundred dollars and the amount and date of receipt of each contribution;
provided, however, that the street number and street name of a
contributor who is an individual shall not be made publicly available in any
manner including, but not limited to, disclosure on any governmental websites
or in response to public records requests pursuant to the South Carolina
Freedom of Information Act;

(
3)
the total expenditures made by or on behalf of the candidate or committee;

(
4)
the name and address of each person to whom an expenditure is made from
campaign funds, including the date, amount, purpose, and beneficiary of the
expenditure.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
8-13-1309
(E) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
E) Certified campaign reports
detailing campaign contributions and expenditures must contain:

(
1)
the total amount of contributions accepted by the ballot measure committee;

(
2)
the name and address of each person making a contribution of more than one
hundred dollars and the amount and date of receipt of each contribution;
provided, however, that the street number and street name of a
contributor who is an individual shall not be made publicly available in any
manner including, but not limited to, disclosure on any governmental websites
or in response to public records requests pursuant to the South Carolina
Freedom of Information Act;

(
3)
the total amount of expenditures made by or on behalf of the ballot measure
committee; and

(
4)
the name and address of each person to whom an expenditure is made from
campaign funds, including the date, amount, purpose, and beneficiary of the
expenditure.

S
ECTION 3.
S
ection
8-13-1333
(C) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
C)
(
1) A legislative special interest
caucus must not solicit contributions as defined in Section
8-13-100
(9),
however, it may solicit funds from the general public for the limited purpose
of defraying mailing expenses, including cost of materials and postage, and for
members of the legislative special interest caucus to attend regional and
national conferences. Legislative special interest caucus members may attend a
regional or national conference only if the conference is exclusively comprised
of legislative special interest caucus counterparts and convenes for the
purpose of interacting and exchanging ideas among caucus members and the
conference is sponsored by a national organization with which the legislative
special interest caucus is affiliated. Attendance at any conference is
prohibited if the conference is sponsored by any lobbying group or extends an
invitation to persons other than legislators. Under no circumstances may a
legislative special interest caucus accept funds from a lobbyist. Each special
interest caucus must submit a financial statement to the appropriate
supervisory office by January first and July first of each year showing the
total amount of funds received and total amount of funds paid out. It must also
maintain the following records, for not less than four years, which must be
available to the appropriate supervisory office for inspection:

(
a)
the total amount of funds received by the legislative special interest caucus;

(
b)
the name and address of each person or entity making a donation and the amount
and date of receipt of each donation;
provided, however,
that the street number and street name of a donor who is an individual shall
not be made publicly available in any manner including, but not limited to,
disclosure on any governmental websites or in response to public records
requests pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act;

(
c)
all receipted bills, canceled checks, or other proof of payment for any
expenses paid by the legislative special interest caucus.

(
2)
A legislative special interest caucus may not accept a gift, loan, or anything
of value, except for funds permitted in subsection (C)(1) above.

S
ECTION 4.
S
ection
8-13-1360
(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
B) A candidate or committee must
disclose all information required on the form developed under this section.
However, the street number and street name of a contributor who
is an individual shall not be made publicly available in any manner including,
but not limited to, disclosure on any governmental websites or in response to
public records requests pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information
Act.

S
ECTION 5.
A
rticle 15, Chapter 13, Title 8 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
8-13-1530
.
(
A) Any contributor or
donor who is an individual whose street number, street name, or both are
disclosed to the public in violation of the provisions of Article 13 of this
chapter shall be entitled to recover a civil penalty in the amount of one
thousand dollars from the responsible agency for each report in which such
information is publicly disclosed.

(
B)
Any state or local officer or employee who intentionally discloses the street
number, street name, or both of a contributor or a donor who is an individual
in violation of the provisions of Article 13 of this chapter shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor and upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand
dollars or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

S
ECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on March 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM