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H 4560

Sex offender places of residence restrictions

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jordan Pace

Expands a 1,000-foot residency ban for certain sex offenders to include HOA/amenity centers and parks, with stronger enforcement, notices, school-district reporting, and penalties.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 4560

Summary — H 4560: Sex offender places of residence restrictions

Note: The materials supplied for H 4560 include multiple, jurisdictionally distinct texts (a South Carolina amendment to residential restrictions for certain sex offenders and unrelated Massachusetts local-authority language about a Carlisle senior tax exemption). The summary below treats the sex-offender text (which appears to amend S.C. Code §23‑3‑535) as the primary subject of the bill titled “Sex offender places of residence restrictions.” Verify the official bill text and jurisdiction before relying on this summary.

Purpose

To expand the statutory definition of places that trigger a 1,000‑foot residential prohibition for certain convicted sex offenders and to strengthen enforcement, notice, and school‑district reporting requirements. The bill aims to prevent specified sex offenders from living near locations where children congregate — including certain homeowner‑association and property‑owner‑association amenities.

Key provisions

  • Definition change:

    • Revises “within one thousand feet” to measure a straight line from the offender’s residence to the nearest property line of specified premises and expressly includes homeowner association‑owned and property owner association‑owned amenity centers, parks, and playgrounds.

  • Offenses covered:

    • Prohibits residency within 1,000 feet of the listed facilities by offenders convicted of:
    • Criminal sexual conduct with a minor (1st or 2nd degree)
    • Assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct with a minor
    • Kidnapping a person under 18
    • Trafficking in persons under 18 (except where court finds the offense did not include a sexual offense)

  • Exemptions / exceptions (situations where the prohibition does not apply):

    • Grandfathering if the offender lived within 1,000 feet before the bill’s effective date
    • Residence on property owned prior to the charging offense
    • Residence rendered within 1,000 feet due to establishment of a new covered facility
    • Specified institutional or licensed residences (jail, prison, certain group homes, residential treatment facilities, community residential care, nursing homes)
    • Temporary homeless shelter stays (subject to limits)

  • Enforcement and penalties:

    • Local law enforcement must notify an offender determined to be in violation, provide a list of prohibited areas, and give 30 days to vacate.
    • Penalties for failing to vacate:
    • 1st offense: misdemeanor — up to 30 days imprisonment and/or up to $500 fine
    • 2nd offense: misdemeanor — up to 3 years imprisonment and/or up to $1,000 fine
    • 3rd or subsequent offense: felony — up to 5 years imprisonment and/or up to $5,000 fine

  • Preemption of local ordinances:

    • Local governments may not adopt ordinances with penalties more severe or more lenient than the statute, nor may they alter the geographic boundaries of prohibited areas.

  • School‑district reporting and compliance:

    • At each school year’s start, districts must either:
    • Provide parents/guardians of students who use a given school bus stop with names and addresses of every sex offender who lives within 1,000 feet of that stop; or
    • Publish a hyperlink to the sex‑offender registry on the district website for parents to consult.
    • Local law enforcement must check districts’ compliance; districts that fail to comply after notice are subject to equitable injunctive relief and, if a plaintiff prevails, must pay the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees and costs.

  • Effective date:

    • The act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Sex offenders convicted of the enumerated offenses who might otherwise seek to live within 1,000 feet of schools, daycare centers, children’s recreational facilities, parks, public playgrounds, and homeowner/property association amenity areas.
  • Secondary: Families and children who use covered facilities or school bus stops; school districts (reporting duties); local law enforcement (enforcement and compliance monitoring); landlords and housing providers (tenant eligibility); homeowner/property associations (their amenities are specifically incorporated).
  • Local governments: limited ability to regulate beyond the statute.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Restricts housing options for covered offenders and may increase homelessness, relocation burdens, or concentration in areas outside the buffer zones.
  • Enforcement will require coordination among law enforcement, schools, and property owners; 30‑day vacate timelines may create urgent housing needs.
  • School reporting requirement may raise privacy, logistical, and liability considerations for districts.
  • The bill preempts variation in local rules, providing statewide uniformity but eliminating local flexibility.
  • Legal challenges are possible on constitutional or due‑process grounds, or challenges around measurement/application in dense or HOA‑dominated neighborhoods.

Recommendation: Confirm the bill’s official text and jurisdiction (appears to amend South Carolina law, S.C. Code §23‑3‑535) and status with the relevant legislative clerk or official online repository before using this summary for decision‑making.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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