South Carolina lawmakers are advancing several bills that would expand parental authority over education, healthcare decisions, and bathroom policies for students in public schools and colleges.
House Bill 4757, known as the "Parental Rights Act," received committee consideration on Jan. 20, 2026, and represents one of the most comprehensive parental rights proposals introduced this legislative session.
The bill would give parents authority to direct their children's upbringing, education, healthcare, and mental health decisions while creating new enforcement mechanisms.
Parents would gain rights to review all curriculum materials, access educational records, and withdraw children from instruction about gender roles or content that conflicts with family beliefs, according to wyff4.
The legislation requires schools to provide five days' notice and obtain consent before teaching about gender identity or sexual orientation. Parents could file complaints and sue school districts for violations, with liquidated damages set at five thousand dollars per violation.
Education and Healthcare Authority Under New Proposal
The bill also changes healthcare consent laws by requiring parental approval before medical providers can treat minors, except in emergencies. This repeals the existing South Carolina law that allows 16 and 17-year-olds to consent to most non-operative medical procedures without parental permission.
Separately, House Bill 4756, called the "South Carolina Student Physical Privacy Act," held hearings on Jan. 14, 2026.
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The bill mandates that public school and college restrooms, changing facilities, and dormitories be designated by biological sex. Students would be prohibited from using facilities that do not match their sex assigned at birth.
Schools or universities that violate the policy would face a 25 percent cut in state funding. The bill allows students to sue schools if they encounter someone of the opposite biological sex in these facilities, ACLU SC reported.
Additional Senate Legislation and Policy Considerations
Three related Senate bills also address parental rights. Senate Bill 243 mirrors the House parental rights legislation. Senate Bill 242 focuses specifically on healthcare consent requirements for minors.
Senate Bill 240, titled the "Parental Rights to Affirm Biological Sex in Child Welfare and Placement Act," requires courts to consider a parent's affirmation of a child's biological sex as a positive factor in custody cases.
All bills were introduced in January 2026 and remain in committee. The proposals have drawn support from Republican legislators who say parents deserve more involvement in their children's lives.
Critics, including the ACLU and advocacy groups, argue the bills would censor teachers, reduce confidential healthcare access for vulnerable youth, and discriminate against transgender students, as per the Palmetto Voice.
