SC legislative session starts Jan. 13. How many new bills have already been filed?
Going into the last year of a two-year session, state lawmakers looking to get a head start on legislation filed 327 bills before returning to Columbia.
The annual practice of lawmakers filing bills ahead of the upcoming session concluded Tuesday with House members filing 258 bills ahead of the legislative session that begins Jan. 13. Senators last week filed 69 bills.
Prefiled bills often give an indication of the priorities for lawmakers and legislative leadership. They show what else they’ve been working on while away from Columbia. It’s also a way to show constituents they’re working to keep campaign promises.
Next year’s work will be the second of the 126th General Assembly and will come ahead of the entire House of Representatives and each statewide officer being up for election. So expect to see some legislation filed to help make a campaign point.
How many bills become laws?
What chances do any of these bills have to become law? It depends on who’s sponsoring them and whether it gains support. A lot of bills have to be filed year after year to gain enough traction to get passed and signed into law. To note, any lawmaker can file a bill at anytime during session.
Whatever didn’t cross the finish line last year is technically still alive.
House members filed 1,563 bills and resolutions in 2025. Of those pieces of legislation, 659 were filed before the start of the session.
Senators filed 685 bills and resolutions in 2025, and 153 were filed before the start of session.
By the end of the 2025 session, Gov. Henry McMaster signed 94 bills, and vetoed three. One of those vetoes was overridden.
Who sponsored the most for 2026?
In the upper chamber, state Sen. Carlisle Kennedy, R-Lexington, had the most by far. Of the 69 bills pre-filed, 14 had Kennedy listed as a sponsor, and 13 of those he was the sole sponsor.
In the House, state Rep. Tommy Pope, R-York, was a sponsor or co-sponsor on 33 bills.
