By Sarah Knox, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy
The legislative session for 2025 has wrapped up, and the General Assembly has finalized its FY 25-26 budget. The General Assembly will come back into regular session on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 for the second year of the two year session. Work that was not finished at the end of this legislative year can be finalized next year.
Let’s look back at the 2025 legislative session.
Legislative Session Began with Many New Members
The legislative session began in January with 13 new Senators and 19 (later 20, due to a special election) new members.
Children’s Trust Testified on Several Key Pieces of Legislation
Children’s Trust staff testified in front of many committees at the State House on several different issues, including the importance of child care, school meals for children, and landmark kinship care legislation.
Children’s Trust CEO Sue Williams testified on the importance of child care.
New Leadership Chosen for the Joint Committee on Children
In March, the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children elected Representative Paula Rawl Calhoon as Chair and Senator Mike Reichenbach as Vice Chair. Be on the lookout this fall for the Joint Committee’s public hearing meetings!
Former State Child Advocate Amanda Whittle Elected to the Second Judicial Circuit
Amanda Whittle was elected as a Family Court judge to the Second Judicial Circuit and left the Department of Child Advocacy. As of this writing, a new state Child Advocate has not been chosen.
Family Resource Centers and Home Visitors Recognized at the State House
In March, the Senate recognized members of the S.C. Family Resource Center Network, and in April, the House and Senate recognized members of the SC Home Visiting Consortium and met with Lt. Governor Pamela Evette.
Home visitors gathered at the state house for National Home Visiting Week in April.
Children’s Trust Marked Child Abuse Prevention Month at the State House
Members of the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children joined Children’s Trust, the S.C. Department of Social Services, the S.C. Department of Children’s Advocacy and other partners in a news conference at the State House for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
In April, over 200 organizations and agencies joined our CAP Month campaign—more than ever before.
Director Tony Catone Confirmed as New Director of the Department of Social Services
During the last week of legislative session, the Senate confirmed Director Tony Catone as the new Director of the Department of Social Services. We look forward to continuing to work with Director Catone to prevent child abuse and neglect in South Carolina!
Some Bills Passed, but There Is More Work to Be Done
S.425 (School Meals for Children in Poverty) was passed and signed into law this year. In effect, this bill will ensure that more children across South Carolina have access to free school meals.
Additionally, it codifies into permanent law that meal shaming or meal-debt shaming is not allowed in schools. This program has been shown to reduce childhood hunger in South Carolina by approximately 17%. Children’s Trust testified in favor of this bill and wrote letters of support.
S.2 (Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities): Passed the General Assembly and was signed into law.
S.28 (AI Child Abuse): Passed the General Assembly and was signed into law.
S.29 (Morphed Pornography of Identifiable Children): Passed the General Assembly and was signed into law.
Thank you to the General Assembly for passing these bills and to Governor McMaster for signing them into law.
Next year, we will continue to work to pass meaningful legislation on child care, kinship care, and investments in child abuse and neglect prevention.
