# South Carolina H 4123: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "PROTECTION OF MINORS FROM PORNOGRAPHY AND OBSCENITIES ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-375, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO THE ARTICLE REGARDING OBSCENITY LAWS, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITIONS OF "HARMFUL TO MINORS" AND "MATERIAL" TO INCLUDE ANY PORTION OF MATERIALS AND PERFORMANCES THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED OBSCENE, AND TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROFANE LANGUAGE"; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-385, RELATING TO THE OFFENSES OF DISSEMINATING HARMFUL MATERIAL TO MINORS AND EXHIBITING HARMFUL PERFORMANCES TO MINORS, DEFENSES, AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO LIMIT THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE PROVIDED BY THE STATUTE ONLY TO THE TEACHING OF AGE-APPROPRIATE SEX EDUCATION AND HUMAN BIOLOGY CURRICULUM.

South Carolina H 4123, A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "PROTECTION OF MINORS FROM PORNOGRAPHY AND OBSCENITIES ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-375, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO THE ARTICLE REGARDING OBSCENITY LAWS, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITIONS OF "HARMFUL TO MINORS" AND "MATERIAL" TO INCLUDE ANY PORTION OF MATERIALS AND PERFORMANCES THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED OBSCENE, AND TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROFANE LANGUAGE"; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-385, RELATING TO THE OFFENSES OF DISSEMINATING HARMFUL MATERIAL TO MINORS AND EXHIBITING HARMFUL PERFORMANCES TO MINORS, DEFENSES, AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO LIMIT THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE PROVIDED BY THE STATUTE ONLY TO THE TEACHING OF AGE-APPROPRIATE SEX EDUCATION AND HUMAN BIOLOGY CURRICULUM., is a 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by April Cromer (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-02-11 (Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Pedalino) (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H4123-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: South Carolina H 4123
- State: South Carolina
- Session: 126th General Assembly (2025-2026)
- Title: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "PROTECTION OF MINORS FROM PORNOGRAPHY AND OBSCENITIES ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-375, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO THE ARTICLE REGARDING OBSCENITY LAWS, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITIONS OF "HARMFUL TO MINORS" AND "MATERIAL" TO INCLUDE ANY PORTION OF MATERIALS AND PERFORMANCES THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED OBSCENE, AND TO DEFINE THE TERM "PROFANE LANGUAGE"; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-385, RELATING TO THE OFFENSES OF DISSEMINATING HARMFUL MATERIAL TO MINORS AND EXHIBITING HARMFUL PERFORMANCES TO MINORS, DEFENSES, AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO LIMIT THE AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE PROVIDED BY THE STATUTE ONLY TO THE TEACHING OF AGE-APPROPRIATE SEX EDUCATION AND HUMAN BIOLOGY CURRICULUM.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-03-04
- Last action: 2026-02-11, Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Pedalino
- Sponsor: April Cromer (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 41
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Protection of Minors from Pornography and Obscenities Act

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: April Cromer (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: B.J. Cox
- Cosponsor: Nathan Ballentine (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Thomas Beach (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Phillip Bowers (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: James Mikell "Mike" Burns (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Cody T. Mitchell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Micajah P. "Micah" Caskey IV (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: William M. "Bill" Chumley (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dianne Mitchell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Sarita L. Edgerton (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stephen D. Frank (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Daniel Gibson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Leon D. "Doug" Gilliam (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Thomas Lee Gilreath (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Brandon Guffey (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: William "Bill" Hager (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kevin Hardee (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: William C. "Chris" Huff (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John Gregory "Jay" Kilmartin (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John T. Lastinger, Jr. (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: M. Brian Lawson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Thomas R. "Randy" Ligon (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Steven Wayne Long (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marvin "Mark" Smith (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Josiah Magnuson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Donald Ryan McCabe, Jr. (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: John R. McCravy III (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Timothy A. "Tim" McGinnis (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dennis C. Moss (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Melissa Lackey Oremus (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jordan S. Pace (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Fawn M. Pedalino (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Luke S. Rankin (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Richard Blake Sanders (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jackie R. Terribile (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: David Vaughan (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Joseph S. "Joe" White (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Paul B. Wickensimer (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark N. Willis (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Chris Wooten (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Richard L. "Richie" Yow (Republican), House

## Actions (11)

- 2026-02-11: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Pedalino (House)
- 2026-02-03: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliam (House)
- 2026-01-21: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger (House)
- 2026-01-15: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: D.Mitchell (House)
- 2025-04-09: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Guffey (House)
- 2025-04-02: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Burns, Wickensimer (House)
- 2025-04-01: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Rankin, Beach, Edgerton, Magnuson, Sanders, McCabe (House)
- 2025-03-27: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey, Wooten, Kilmartin (House)
- 2025-03-26: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilreath, Huff, White, Terribile, Ballentine, Yow, C.Mitchell, McGinnis, Hardee, Willis, B.J.Cox, Hager, M.M.Smith, Chumley, Long, Ligon, Moss, Lawson, Bowers, Frank, Pace, McCravy, Gibson, Oremus, Vaughan (House)
- 2025-03-04: Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House)
- 2025-03-04: Introduced and read first time (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced: [HTML](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4123.htm)

## Related bills

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- S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATIO… (signed)
- H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE METHOD BY WHICH PERSONS FILE TO BECOME A CANDI… (signed)
- S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, RELATING TO DETERMINATION OF RATES OF TUITION AND FEES, DESIGNATED AS RE… (signed)
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## Sources
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4123.htm)

## Related
- [S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO AL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0623-2025-2026)
- [S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0586-2025-2026)
- [H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD O…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5653-2025-2026)
- [S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDU…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S1062-2025-2026)
- [S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0779-2025-2026)
- [H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5261-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H4123-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).