# South Carolina S 0695: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN VETERANS' BENEFITS ACT"; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, SET GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR COMPENSATION, MEMORIALIZE TERMS, AND STATE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.

South Carolina S 0695, AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN VETERANS' BENEFITS ACT"; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, SET GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR COMPENSATION, MEMORIALIZE TERMS, AND STATE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE., is a 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Tom Young, Jr. (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-05 (Effective date 05/19/26); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0695-2025-2026
- 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 S 0695
- State: South Carolina
- Session: 126th General Assembly (2025-2026)
- Title: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN VETERANS' BENEFITS ACT"; AND BY ADDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, SET GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR COMPENSATION, MEMORIALIZE TERMS, AND STATE PENALTIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-10
- Last action: 2026-06-05, Effective date 05/19/26
- Sponsor: Tom Young, Jr. (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (146 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

Unauthorized Fees for Claim Assistance

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Tight limits on paid veterans’ claim help: benefit, high. South Carolina sets strict rules on paid help with veterans’ benefits. No one can charge to prepare, advise on, present, or prosecute a claim unless federal law allows it. No upfront or nonrefundable fees are allowed. Any fee must be in writing, depend on a benefit increase, and be the smaller of f…
- Clear disclosures and data safety for veterans: benefit, medium. Paid providers must give a written disclosure at the start saying they are not part of the VA or the state veterans’ department and that free help may be available. It must be in at least 12‑point type, you must sign it, and they must keep a copy during service and for one year after. Providers can…
- Penalties for abusing veterans seeking benefits: benefit, medium. Breaking these rules is a misdemeanor. Courts can fine up to $1,000 and/or jail up to 30 days for each case. Veterans who lose money can sue under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act. The Attorney General can get injunctions without posting a bond, and each day of violation counts separat…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Tom Young, Jr. (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Tameika Isaac Devine (Democrat), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jeffrey R. Graham (Democrat), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ed Sutton (Democrat), Senate
- Cosponsor: Overture Walker (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-05-07 | House | (Unauthorized Fees for Claim Assistance)Passage of Bill | pass | 100 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | Senate | (Unauthorized Fees for Claim Assistance)2nd Reading | pass | 46 | 0 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2026-06-05: Effective date 05/19/26 (legislature)
- 2026-06-02: Act No. 211 (legislature)
- 2026-05-19: Signed By Governor (Governor)
- 2026-05-14: Ratified R 146 (legislature)
- 2026-05-13: Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-05-08: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature)
- 2026-05-08: Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House)
- 2026-05-07: Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House)
- 2026-05-07: Roll call Yeas-100 Nays-0 (House)
- 2026-05-07: Read second time (House)
- 2026-05-07: Amended (House)
- 2026-05-06: Scrivener's error corrected (legislature)
- 2026-05-05: Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House)
- 2026-02-11: Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House)
- 2026-02-11: Introduced and read first time (House)
- 2026-02-10: Read third time and sent to House (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Roll call Ayes-46 Nays-0 (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Amended (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-01-29: Committee report: Favorable with amendment Family and Veterans' Services (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services (Senate)
- 2026-01-13: Introduced and read first time (Senate)
- 2025-12-10: Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services (Senate)
- 2025-12-10: Prefiled (Senate)

## Bill text

- Introduced: [HTML](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/695.htm)

## Related bills

- S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO INSTEAD ENFORCE AE STANDARDS IN GEORGETOWN COUNTY'S FLOOD DAMA… (became law)
- 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)
- S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RECEIVE A MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; TO PROVID… (signed)
- H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING AS PROVIDED FOR IN CHAPTER 3, TITLE 61 TO MAY 1, 2026. (signed)

## Sources
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/695.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-S0695-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).