Rights of detained persons

2025-2026 Bill 719: Rights of detained persons - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 719
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Tedder
Document Path: LC-0156AHB26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Rights of detained persons
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/10/2025

Senate

Prefiled

12/10/2025

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 30
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 30
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/10/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
17-13-55
SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN INFORMATION MUST BE PROVIDED TO PERSONS
DETAINED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS and audio and video recording equipment
must be activated upon detainment of a person.

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

S
ECTION 1.
C
hapter 13, Title 17 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
17-13-55
.
(
A) A law enforcement
officer authorized, with reasonable suspicion, to detain a person found
violating or attempting to violate any of the laws of the State and who detains
a person, whether or not an arrest is subsequently made of such person, must activate
audio and video recording equipment upon detaining a person and inform the
detained person of the following:

(
1)
that the person is being detained;

(
2)
the reason why the person is being detained; and

(
3)
when the person being detained is free to leave.

(
B)
Prior to arrest, statements obtained by a law enforcement officer who fails to
provide a person detained with the required information provided in subsection
(A) are inadmissible in a court of law.

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 1:08 PM