South Carolina Anti-Trans BillResponse Guide

South Carolina lawmakers have introduced several bills in 2026 that would dramatically restrict privacy, safety, and healthcare access for trans people, young people, and families across the state. These proposals are often framed as “privacy” or “parental rights” measures, but their real impact is exclusion, forced disclosure, and reduced access to care.

Here’s what you need to know, and how to take action.

H.4756: Statewide Bathroom Ban in Schools and Colleges

H.4756 mandates that all K-12 schools and public colleges in South Carolina restrict access to restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping facilities based solely on “biological sex assigned at birth.” Schools that do not comply risk losing 25% of certain state funds.

This bill ignores the difference between sex assigned at birth and gender identity and pressures schools to abandon inclusive practices to avoid lawsuits or financial penalties. H.4756 One-Pager (1) (1)

This is not about safety or privacy. Existing policies already address misconduct in shared spaces. Instead, H.4756 forces schools to police bodies and gender expression.

H.4757: “Parental Rights” With Far-Reaching Consequences

H.4757 is a sweeping bill that goes far beyond education. It combines forced outing policies, censorship of inclusive learning, elimination of safe spaces, and major changes to youth healthcare consent.

Forced outing and loss of privacy

The bill requires school staff to disclose information about a student’s emotional or mental health to parents and explicitly targets trans and nonbinary students. Even counseling records could be accessed.

This removes trust between students and school staff and puts young people at real risk of rejection, abuse, or homelessness.

Attacks on inclusive education and safe spaces

H.4757 requires advance parental consent before lessons that reference gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. It also threatens student groups like GSAs by forcing disclosure of member identities.

Raising the medical age of consent from 16 to 18

One of the most dangerous provisions of H.4757 raises the medical age of consent, eliminating confidential care for minors. This would make it harder or impossible for young people to access:

• Pregnancy counseling and abortion referrals

• STI testing and treatment

• Contraception

• Care following sexual assault

This change disproportionately harms LGBTQ+ youth and those without supportive households, increasing the risk of delayed care, trauma, and medical neglect.

Anti-Abortion Bills With Overlapping Harm

Two additional bills, H.4760 and H.3537, target abortion access and will further limit care for South Carolinians already struggling to find affirming providers. These bills compound the harms of H.4757 by narrowing healthcare options even more.

Our colleagues in reproductive justice are leading these efforts, and we’re standing with them.

Take action now

• Write to Rep. Weston Newton about H.4760 and H.3537 via the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) Act Now page

• Send a message to the House Judiciary Committee using Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic’s action link

• Donate to the Harriet Hancock Center to support their life-saving work.