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2025-2026 Bill 766: Waiver of fees for birth certificates and Special ID Cards for homeless and former foster care individuals - South Carolina Legislature Online
South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 766
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Graham
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3115
Document Path: LC-0423CM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Medical Affairs
Summary: Waiver of fees for birth certificates and Special ID Cards for homeless and former foster care individuals
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date
Body
Action Description with journal page number
1/13/2026
Senate
Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 46
)
1/13/2026
Senate
Referred to Committee on
Medical Affairs
(
Senate Journal-page 46
)
View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/13/2026
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
44-63-110
, RELATING TO FEES CHARGED FOR COPIES OF BIRTH CERTIFICATES,
SO AS TO WAIVE THE FEES FOR HOMELESS PERSONS AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF
THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
56-1-3350
, RELATING TO ISSUANCE
OF SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS, AND FEES CHARGED, SO AS TO WAIVE THE FEES FOR
HOMELESS PERSONS AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
44-63-110
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
S
ection
44-63-110
.
(A)
For making, furnishing, or certifying any card,
certificate, or certified copy of the record, for filing a record amendment
according to the provisions of Section
44-63-60
,
44-63-80
,
44-63-90
,
or
44-63-100
, or for searching the record, when no
card, certificate, or certified copy is made, a fee in an amount as determined
by the
Board of the
Department of
Public
Health
and Environmental
Control
must be paid by the applicant, except that the Department of
Social Services or its designee is not required to pay a fee when the
information is needed for the purpose of establishing paternity or
establishing, modifying, or enforcing a child support obligation. The amount of
the fee established by the
board
department
may not exceed the cost of the services
performed and to the extent possible must be charged on a uniform basis
throughout the State. When verification of the facts contained in these records
is needed for Veterans Administration purposes in connection with a claim, it
must be furnished without charge to the Veterans' Affairs Department of the
Governor's Office or to a county veterans affairs officer upon request and upon
the furnishing of satisfactory evidence that the request is for the purpose
authorized in this chapter.
(
B)
(
1) Notwithstanding the provisions of
subsection (A), fees for applicant requests pursuant to this section must be
waived for all requests made by a homeless person whose status is verified as
provided in item (2) and children who have aged out of the foster care system.
A homeless person shall be provided no more than four birth records annually
pursuant to this section.
(
2) An individual's status as a
homeless person may be verified by a human services agency, legal services
agency, or other similar agency that has knowledge of the individual's housing
status including, but not limited to:
(
a) a homeless service agency
receiving federal, state, county, or municipal funding to provide those
services or otherwise sanctioned by a local continuum of care;
(
b) an attorney licensed to practice
in the State;
(
c) a public school homeless liaison
or school social worker; or
(
d) a human service provider funded by
the State to serve homeless or runaway youth, individuals with mental illness,
or individuals with addictions.
(
3) The department shall promulgate
regulations to establish standards and procedures consistent with this section
for waiver of applicable fees.
S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
56-1-3350
of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:
(
G)
(
1) Notwithstanding the provisions of
subsection (C), fees for applicant requests pursuant to this section must be
waived for all requests made by a homeless person whose status is verified as
provided in item (2) and children who have aged out of the foster care system.
(
2)
An individual's status as a homeless person may be verified by a human services
agency, legal services agency, or other similar agency that has knowledge of
the individual's housing status including, but not limited to:
(
a)
a homeless service agency receiving federal, state, county, or municipal
funding to provide those services or otherwise sanctioned by a local continuum
of care;
(
b)
an attorney licensed to practice in the State;
(
c)
a public school homeless liaison or school social worker; or
(
d)
a human service provider funded by the State to serve homeless or runaway
youth, individuals with mental illness, or individuals with addictions.
(
3)
The department shall promulgate regulations to establish standards and
procedures consistent with this section for waiver of applicable fees.
S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 12:37 PM