What new SC laws are taking effect in 2025, or have already gone into effect as of January 1, 2025?
Below, we will cover a few laws that go into effect in 2025, as well as some pending legislation that will be considered by the SC legislature this year and new 2025 laws that are now in place in other states across the country.
New SC Laws Taking Effect in 2025
One new SC law that took effect January 1st, 2025, is a state-wide ban on cellphone use in schools.
Many school districts were already enforcing the policy, but, as of this month, all South Carolina schools must have a formal policy banning cellphones or lose state funding. There is an exception allowing the use of a cellphone for medical purposes, and each district will decide whether the ban extends to buses and athletic activities.
There are two new SC laws that will take effect on July 1st, 2025, including changes to the Judicial Selection Commission and the Seizure Safe Schools Act, which requires schools to have a seizure training program and a health care plan for students who have seizures (we are talking about health-related seizures, not seizures of contraband by law-enforcement).
The changes to the Judicial Selection Commission will increase the number of Commission members to 12 and give the Governor the authority to appoint four members – the latest development in the ongoing tug-of-war over who gets to select judges in SC (the lawmakers, the governor, or the electorate).
New SC Legislation Being Considered in 2025
Some bills that are not yet law, but that have been pre-filed and could become law this year include:
- Amendments to SC’s distracted driving laws – currently, drivers are prohibited from texting or manipulating their cellphone while driving, and the new bill would 1) make it illegal to hold a cellphone in your hand while driving, 2) create a “distracted driving” criminal offense, and 3) increase the penalties for texting while driving.
- A requirement for the State Law Enforcement Training Council to develop a statewide uniform policy for police pursuits in South Carolina – currently, there is a requirement for agencies to have a policy, but those policies are not uniform statewide.
- A bill that increases the penalties for certain offenses when a defendant strangles the alleged victim (strangulation is already an aggravating factor under SC’s domestic violence law).
- The Drug Induced Homicide bill that would punish the drug dealer with up to 30 years in prison when someone dies as a result of taking fentanyl.
Also, our South Carolina Attorney General is currently leading the charge to protect the First Amendment rights of students and teachers who want to bully transgender students by intentionally misgendering them.
SC Attorney General Alan Wilson says that school districts are “compelling students to lie,” which violates their First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech, when they are required to use a student’s preferred pronouns, and
“That is something that we cannot abide in Ohio, South Carolina or any state in this country,” he said. “Yes, the lawsuit has gotten struck down, or we have lost at the district court and the court of appeals level, but this is one of those cases that I think is best served by going to the US Supreme Court.”
He may be right, and I will not be shocked if our current U.S. Supreme Court decides that bullying of transgender children is protected First Amendment activity.
2025 Laws Taking Effect Nationwide
There are also laws taking effect in January 2025 in other states across the country, including:
- California passed a law prohibiting the use of digital replicas of actors or performers without permission and authorizing a cause of action for the estates of deceased performers for unauthorized AI use,
- California also passed a law requiring parent-influencers who profit from social media posts featuring their children to set aside earnings for the children and authorizing a lawsuit against the parents if they fail to set aside the earnings,
- A Florida law that is being challenged would prohibit children under 14 from having a social media account and require parental consent for children aged 14-15,
- Tennessee laws that are also being challenged would require parental consent for a minor to open a social media account and would require porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old,
- Under a new 2025 law, California will now prohibit school districts from requiring school staff to notify parents if a child changes their gender identification,
- Delaware passed a law requiring the state employee health plan and Medicaid to cover abortions with no deductible or costs to the insured,
- Minnesota banned guns with “binary triggers” that allow rounds to be fired when the trigger is pulled and again when the trigger is released,
- Kentucky legalized medical marijuana, and
- More than 20 states increased their minimum wages.
Criminal Defense Lawyers in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Columbia, SC
The criminal defense attorneys at the Thompson & Hiller Defense Firm focus exclusively on criminal defense cases in SC. We have obtained dismissals, pre-trial diversion resulting in dismissals, or acquittals following trial in hundreds of criminal cases, and we have a record of proven results.
We accept criminal defense cases in Columbia, SC as well as Myrtle Beach, SC, and the surrounding areas, with offices in both locations to better serve your needs.
If you have been charged with a crime in SC or if you think you may be under investigation, call us now at 843-444-6122 or contact us through our website for a free initial consultation to find out if we can help.
