Children

2025-2026 Bill 733: Children - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 733
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Kennedy, Leber, Bright, Fernandez, Rice, Cash, Garrett, Blackmon and Zell
Document Path: LC-0338VR26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Children
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 35
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 35
)

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
6-1-200
SO AS TO PROHIBIT STATE
AGENCIES, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS, OR ENTITIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED IN WHOLE OR IN
PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM USING ANY PUBLIC FUNDS TO HOST OR PROVIDE DRAG STORY
HOURS OR OTHER DRAG SHOWS FOR MINORS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN; TO ESTABLISH
PENALTIES; AND TO DEFINE TERMS.

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

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 1, Chapter 1, Title 6 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
6-1-200
.
(
A)
(
1) No state agency, political
subdivision, including school districts, or any entity that is supported in
whole or in part by public funds may use any public funds to host or provide a
drag story hour or other drag show attended by minors under the age of eighteen.
If any such institution whose funding is commingled hosts or provides for such a
drag story hour or other drag show, the expenditures of the drag story hour or
other drag show are deemed to be from public funds. If any such institution
violates the provision of this section, then the appropriate official in charge
of disbursing public funds, must cease disbursing funds to the offending
institution.

(
2) No
state agency, political subdivision, including school districts, or any entity
that is supported in whole or in part by public funds may host or provide a
drag story hour or other drag show attended by minors under the age of eighteen
on its premises or allow the use of its premises by a private entity to host or
provide a drag story hour or other drag show attended by minors under the age
of eighteen.

(
B)
(
1) In addition to the loss of public
funding by the offending institution pursuant to subsection (A), the Attorney
General shall:

(
a)
impose a civil fine against the offending institution of five hundred dollars
for every person in attendance at a drag story hour or drag show hosted or
provided by the offending institution, or otherwise occurring on its premises,
that violates subsection (A), which must be credited to the state general fund;
and

(
b)
issue as part of a press release a public reprimand of the offending
institution and its chief executive officer.

(
2)
A parent or legal guardian of a minor under the age of eighteen may file a
private action against an offending institution in a court of law based on an
actual or threatened violation of this section and obtain compensatory damages,
injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other appropriate relief.

(
C) For purposes of this section:

(
1) "Drag
show" means a performance in which a performer exhibits a gender identity that
is different than the performer's gender assigned at birth using clothing,
makeup, or other physical markers and sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise
performs before an audience, including minors under the age of eighteen for
entertainment, and includes a drag story hour.

(
2)
"Drag story hour" means a program where drag performers read children's books before
an audience including minors under the age of eighteen in public spaces such as
libraries, schools, and bookstores.

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 1:09 PM