Public colleges must teach new students campus safety starting in 2027–2028

Public colleges must provide safety training to new students covered by the requirement. Training covers new undergraduate and graduate students who physically attend classes on campus, whether full time or part time. Students enrolled only in adult education, dual enrollment, or certificate programs are exempt. Continuing education students and transient students, who temporarily attend another college, are also exempt. Campuses choose how to deliver training. Required topics include emergency response, violence prevention and safe reporting, and mental health resources. Training must occur during initial orientation or within the first 30 days of the student's arrival on campus.

Public colleges must report safety information and publish campus safety plans that can be shared. Public colleges and universities report to the Commission on Higher Education; technical colleges report to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education. Security reports also go to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Crime summaries cover specified serious crimes reported on college-owned, leased, or controlled property. They must identify campus ties of alleged victims and offenders when possible, but need not disclose identifying information or details that would compromise an ongoing investigation. Colleges without safety plans must develop them. They must post portions that are not confidential, sensitive, or legally protected and review and update posted plans at least once each academic year. State higher education agencies check compliance by December 1 each year and notify legislative education leaders of failures by January 1. Training reports are due before January 31 each academic year. Starting in 2027–2028, security reports cover the prior calendar year and are due by October 31, with legislative summaries by December 1. Interim data requested by specified legislative leaders are due within 30 calendar days.

Public colleges must make opioid and fentanyl prevention information available to enrolled students and post it publicly online. The information serves enrolled students. The public website must also allow parents and legal guardians to view it. Information must explain how to recognize an overdose, respond and contact emergency services, and understand legal protections for people who seek medical help or provide aid in good faith. Colleges may provide education in person or electronically. The student education requirement begins with the 2027–2028 school year.

Colleges must train residence hall staff to give overdose reversal medicine and may keep that medicine for emergencies. Training covers staff assigned to student residence halls. Colleges may make medicine available for suspected overdoses on property they own or control. Colleges may keep naloxone or another overdose reversal medicine under a standing medical order, statewide protocol, or another method allowed by the South Carolina Overdose Prevention Act. People who give the medicine in good faith and follow their training receive the legal protections provided by the referenced state laws. The law took effect May 15, 2026. The staff training and medicine provisions have no separate delayed start date.