Our policy focus areas are determined by our member organizations’ experience of emerging and ongoing needs at the community level. SCCADVASA strives to make sure these needs are heard, understood, and acted upon by our state legislators and congressional delegation.

State Updates

The second regular session of the 126th South Carolina legislature will convene on January 13, 2026.

This session is the second year of a two-year session, meaning that all bills filed must pass through both chambers and be signed by the Governor by the end of this session.

If you are looking to gain a better understanding of the legislative process and hear more about our 2026 priorities, we encourage you to attend the “SC 2026 Legislative Policy Priorities and Strategies for Change” SCKnowMore webinar on January 16, 2026 featuring Sara Barber, Executive Director of SCCADVASA.

Important Dates

May 7, 2026: Sine Die or the day on which the legislature adjourns for this year. Only legislation expressly identified in the Sine Die Resolution can be considered or acted upon beyond this date. Bills have until Sine Die to be signed into law.

SCCADVASA actively monitors all legislation that potentially impacts victims/survivors and our member organizations.

The impacts of domestic and sexual violence reach far into the lives of survivors. The voices, needs and perspectives of survivors on policymaking, in every area of their lives, is critical to building safer homes and communities.

SCCADVASA’s Legislative Priorities for 2026 include:

Dating Violence and Civil Restraining Orders: In 2025, we prepared a comprehensive bill to fill the gaps in criminal and civil protections for all victims/survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence. The proposed bill aimed to increase safety in multiple ways including:

  • The expansion of civil and criminal domestic violence protections to dating partners.
  • The expansion of access to civil restraining orders to victims of sexual assault committed by non-family members and non-household partners.
  • Authorize the Magistrate and Family courts to issue ex-parte emergency orders of protection.
  • Ensure clarity on the courts in which victims can seek protection.
  • Create a rebuttable presumption of parole eligibility when the court determines the person suffered a history of victimization in the relationship.

Some of the broad protections in this potential legislation were introduced singly in other bills that addressed specific goals of needed reform including:

  • S. 143 (Devine et al) remains on the contested calendar in the Senate. We are continuing to work to address concerns from the gun lobby to create possible amendments that would not trigger the firearm prohibitor for Orders of Protection issued in dating relationships.
  • H. 3603 (Bernstein, Calhoon et.al) is a similar bill that will hopefully be heard in House Judiciary Committee during this legislative session.

Lease Termination Relief for Victims of Domestic Violence:

  • H. 3569 (M.M. Smith, Cobb-Hunter et.al) which created a status of protected tenant to afford victims of domestic violence the ability to terminate a lease early in specified circumstances will be on the Senate calendar at the beginning of this session.

Policy Proposals that may have negative consequences for survivors: SCCADVASA’s consideration of all proposed legislation involves looking at the intent of a bill, whether it is necessary or if current law is meeting the need and to think through any potential unintended consequences that will negatively impact survivor safety. Policy work, especially in polarized times, can be difficult to navigate without alienating people. Bills introduced with the best of intentions may, in practice, have devastating consequences for survivors. It is important to look beyond the title given to a bill to ask whether it is necessary, whether it can be implemented and what its impact on survivors will be. SCCADVASA works with many partners and communities, both statewide and nationally before taking a position, and we are always guided by what will make our communities safer for everyone.

For example, in Fall 2025, SCCADVASA opposed SC Senate Bill 323, legislation that would have denied women and girls access to emergency contraception following a violent sexual assault by a male perpetrator and subjected victims and victim advocates to extreme civil and criminal penalties for discussing emergency contraception and other critical health and safety needs.