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S752 • 2026

Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Senator Zell
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Referred to Committee on Education ( Senate Journal-page 42 )
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

What This Bill Does

  • Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Introduced and read first time ( Senate Journal-page 42 )

  2. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Referred to Committee on Education ( Senate Journal-page 42 )

  3. 2025-12-10 Senate

    Prefiled

  4. 2025-12-10 Senate

    Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
2025-2026 Bill 752: Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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This Bill
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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
S. 752
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Zell
Document Path: SEDU-0011KG26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Education
Summary: Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction
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
Education

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 42
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Education
(
Senate Journal-page 42
)

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 AMENDING
SECTION
59-1-460
, RELATING TO EXCUSED SCHOOL ATTENDANCE FOR RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION, SO AS TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ADOPT A
POLICY.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
59-1-460
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
59-1-460
.
(
A)
The
Each
school district
board of trustees
may
shall
adopt
a policy that authorizes a student to be excused from school to attend a class
in religious instruction conducted by a private entity if:

(
1)
the student's parent or guardian gives written consent;

(
2)
the sponsoring entity maintains attendance records and makes them available to
the public school the student attends;

(
3)
transportation to and from the place of instruction, including transportation
for students with disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the
sponsoring entity, parent, or guardian;

(
4)
the sponsoring entity makes provisions for and assumes liability for the
student who is excused; and

(
5)
no public funds are expended and no public school personnel are involved in
providing the religious instruction.

(
B)
It is the responsibility of a participating student to make up any missed
schoolwork. However, no student may be released from a core academic subject
class to attend a religious instruction class. While in attendance in a
religious instruction class pursuant to this section, a student is not
considered to be absent from school.

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