South Carolina bill would put Ten Commandments in schools. What to know Bella Carpentier Greenville News March 5, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET
A bill requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in South Carolina public school classrooms has passed the state House. The bill specifies the display's size, font, and exact wording, and also allows for volunteer school chaplains. Supporters argue the bill recognizes the historical role of faith in the U.S. and provides mental health resources. Opponents, including some faith leaders, argue that faith should be voluntary and the bill violates the separation of church and state. A bill that would require the displaying of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms is gaining momentum in the South Carolina Statehouse.
Under House Bill 4762, public schools would be required to display the Ten Commandments in each of their classrooms by Jan. 1, 2027. The bill passed a third reading in the House on March 3, and awaits a committee assignment in the Senate.
What is included in the bill text? The bill text mandates when schools should display the Ten Commandments and how large the display would have to be. If the bill is signed into law, schools would have to have the Ten Commandments posted by Jan. 1, 2027.
More: SC bill would give governor full power to pick judicial commission members The display has to be a least 11 by 14 inches, and it needs to be the "central focus" of the poster it is on. It also needs to be printed in "large, easily readable font." The bill includes a script for how the Ten Commandments should be displayed, and requires display of a context statement. The context statement is three paragraphs that explains the "history of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education."
The bill also includes historical documents that schools "may" include in their classrooms but are not required, including the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Mayflower Compact. It also allows schools to adopt a volunteer school chaplain policy, making chaplains able to meet with students on school grounds and offer support services.
What is the argument for the bill? The House took a roll call vote on the bill's second reading on Feb. 25, passing the chamber in a vote of 84 to 31. Rep. Steven Long, R-Spartanburg, was the lead sponsor of the bill. He asserted the bill recognizes the impact of faith in the history of the U.S. "without establishing specific religious beliefs."
"It ensures the students of this state, the next generation, understand the true foundation on which this nation was built," Long said. He also advocated for a section of the bill that would allow the chaplains in public schools. "At a time when mental health needs are surging, this helps ensure the resources are available to families."
Who is speaking out against the bill? State Rep. Wendell Jones, D-Greenville, stood in front of the House Chamber and shared his perspective on the bill as a pastor. He spoke against the bill, saying that faith should be voluntary, not compulsory.
"It is because I love my faith, not in spite of it, that I oppose the mandatory Ten Commandments classroom posting," Jones said. "Not because I am ashamed of the Ten Commandments, not because I don't believe that they matter, but because coercion is not the heart of Christ."
He went on to say that the command to make disciples in the Bible is given to the church — not the government — and that the First Amendment is supposed to prohibit the establishment of a specific religion by a government.
"The gospel works because the spirit draws hearts," Jones said. "The gospel loses its power when belief is reduced to compliance."
How does the Constitution refer to the separation of church and state? The idea of the separation of church and state came from the establishment clause of the First Amendment. The clause states in part "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Louisiana is wrapped up in legal debates over the constitutionality of a law it passed in 2024, which required classrooms to post the Ten Commandments. According to USA Today, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Feb. 20 that allows the state to enforce its policy. Plaintiffs in the case, which include mix of religious and nonreligious families, have 90 days from the date of the ruling to file an appeal, which could send the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the past, the Supreme Court has set strong precedents in the separation of church and state. Stone v. Graham, a case decided in 1980, determined that a Kentucky statute requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools was unconstitutional under the establishment clause.
However, more recent makeups of the nation's highest court have shown more sympathy with religious cases. In the 2025 ruling Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of religious parents who wanted their kids to opt out of assigned readings that included LGBTQ+ themes.
How did lawmakers from Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson counties vote? Of the 28 House members who represent parts of Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson Counties, 22 representatives voted for the bill, all of which are Republicans.
Those who voted for the bill are Reps. Neal Collins, District 5, Patrick Haddon, District 19, Lee Gilreath, District 7, Stephen Frank, District 20, Thomas Beach, District 10, Dianne Mitchell, District 21, Mark Willis, District 16, Paul Wickensimer, District 22, Mike Burns, District 17, Alan Morgan, District 18, Chris Huff, District 28, David Vaughan, District 27, Bill Chumley, District 35, April Cromer, District 6, Don Chapman, District 8, Blake Sanders, District 9, Craig Gagnon, District 11, Dennis Moss, District 29, Brian Lawson, District 30, Travis Moore, District 33, Sarita Edgerton, District 34, Steven Long, District 37, and Josiah Magnuson, District 38.
Democrat Reps. Chandra Dillard, District 23, Wendell Jones, District 25, and Rosalyn Henderson-Myers voted against the bill. Republican Rep. Rob Harris, District 36, voted against the bill, and Reps. Bruce Bannister and W. Scott Montgomery did not vote.
Where is the bill in the legislative process? The bill is in the Senate after passing three readings in the House. It first has to pass committee before coming up for debate in the full Senate chamber. There is no date for when the bill might have a committee hearing.
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