South Carolina House Bill H5312

South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/4/26
• Refer: 3/4/26

Caption

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 8-13-1308 AND 8-13-1309, BOTH RELATING TO FILING OF CERTIFIED CAMPAIGN REPORTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-13-1333, RELATING TO SOLICITING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL DONOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-13-1360, RELATING TO CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE REPORTING FORMS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S OR DONOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME; AND BY ADDING SECTION 8-13-1530 SO AS TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR'S OR DONOR'S STREET NUMBER AND NAME IN VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 13, CHAPTER 13, TITLE 8.

Summary

H5312 amends South Carolina’s campaign finance disclosure laws to prevent the public release of an individual contributor’s or donor’s street number and street name. The bill changes reporting rules for certified campaign reports, ballot measure committee reports, legislative special interest caucus donation records, and campaign reporting forms so that these addresses may still be collected and retained, but not made publicly available on government websites or through Freedom of Information Act requests. The bill also adds a new enforcement section creating penalties for unauthorized public disclosure of this information. An individual whose street address is publicly disclosed in violation of the law could recover a $1,000 civil penalty from the responsible agency for each affected report, and a state or local officer or employee who intentionally discloses the information could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both. The act would take effect upon gubernatorial approval.

Impact

The bill would revise multiple provisions in Title 8, Chapter 13 of the South Carolina Code governing campaign finance and related disclosure requirements. It preserves the underlying obligation to report contributor and donor names, addresses, amounts, and dates, but limits public access to the street number and street name for individual contributors and donors. It also creates new civil and criminal penalties for violations, affecting state and local agencies, officers, and employees responsible for reporting or publishing campaign finance information.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or voting pattern to assess. Based on the bill caption and text, the measure appears to be framed as a privacy protection bill for contributors’ home information, suggesting support from privacy-minded lawmakers and likely concern from transparency advocates. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided materials means the overall sentiment cannot be measured beyond the bill’s stated purpose.

Contention

The main point of contention is the balance between donor privacy and public transparency in campaign finance reporting. Supporters are likely to argue that withholding street numbers and street names protects contributors from unwanted exposure while still preserving disclosure of names, amounts, and dates. Opponents, if any, would likely focus on the reduced usefulness of public records for identifying donors, verifying compliance, or tracing political influence, especially because the bill also restricts disclosure in response to FOIA requests and imposes penalties for intentional release.