Vol. 42 June
6, 2025 No. 16L
First Regular Session (2025) of the 126th Session,
2025-2026
2025 Enacted Legislation
(Indexed)
House Research Staff (803.734.3230)
Richard Pearce, Esq., Sherry Moore, Andy
Allen, Don Hottel, Dir.
Don Hottel (editing, indexing)
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Table of Contents
State
Government Budget, Fiscal Year 2025-2026
[H. 4025, Act 69]
Capital
Reserve Fund [H. 4026, Act 74]
Electrical Utilities Hurricane Helene
Storm Recovery Bonds [S. 157, Act 2]
Electric
Vehicle Charging Stations [S. 275, Act 18]
V.C. Summer Nuclear Power
Projects [S. 051, Act no. pending]
Underground Facility Damage Prevention
Act [H. 3571, Act 65]
Educator
Assistance Act [H. 3196, Act 12]
Education Scholarship Trust Fund [S. 62,
Act
11]
Work-Based Learning Experiences [H.
3247, Act 6]
Palmetto
Fellows Enhancements for Accounting and Education Majors [S. 388, Act no.
pending]
Life
Scholarship Enhancements for Accounting and Education Majors [S. 389, Act no.
pending]
Public
Access to School Board Meetings [S. 77, Act
28]
Noncertified
Teachers [S. 79, Act 30]
Initial
Teaching Certificate [S. 78, Act
29]
Requirements
for Scholarships (Palmetto
Fellows and LIFE) [H. 3632, Act 44]
Charter
School Admissions Preferences [H. 3862,
Act 47]
Tort
Reform and Liquor Liability Insurance Premium Reductions [H. 3430, Act 42]
Captive
Insurance Companies [ S. 210, Act 62]
Revisions
to the Insurance Holding Company Regulatory Act [S. 220, Act 17]
South
Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act (H. 3276, Act 42]
Catawba
Nation and the Police Officers Retirement System [S. 127, Act 60 ]
Timely
Election of Public Service Commissioners [S. 271, Act no. pending]
Legislative
Review Period for Regulations [S. 164, Act 13]
Election
of Public Service Commissioners [H. 4402, Act no. pending]
Property
Rights Vesting Reforms [H. 3432, Act 25]
Operation
of Personal Delivery Devices in Richland County [H. 3969]
Images
of Children Used for Sexual Abuse [S. 28, Act 57]
Identifiable
Minor Morphed Images for Sexual Exploitation [S. 29, Act 58]
Illegal Use of Intimate Personal Images
[H. 3058, Act 37]
South
Carolina Child Abuse and Neglect Network
[S. 276, Act 19]
Judicial,
Court, and Legal Matters
Larger
Small Estate Probate Court Administrations [H. 3472, Act 26]
More
Family Court Judges [H. 3529, Act 7]
More
Resident Circuit Judges [H. 4160, Act 50]
Public Persona Personal Information
Protections [S. 126, Act 4]
Law
Enforcement and Public Safety
Public Persona Personal Information
Protections [S. 126, Act 4]
Organized
Retail Crime and Aggravated Retail Crime [H. 3523, Act 1]
Willful Failure to Stop for a Blue Light
and Siren [H. 3127, Act 37]
Illegal Gun Possession Criminal Charge
Dismissal Rights [S. 136]
Economic Development and Taxes
State and Federal Tax Conformity [S. 507, Act 63]
US
Congressional Member Term Limits Constitutional Convention [H. 3008]
Commission for Minority Affairs [S. 214, Act 56]
American
Revolution License Plates [H.
3175, Act 39]
Mayflower
Compact Day [H. 4267, Act
68]
Meals
to School Children Living in Poverty
[S. 425, Act 23]
Abandoned,
Derelict, and Sunken Vessels in South Carolina Waters [S. 367, Act 22]
Peer‑To‑Peer Car Sharing Programs
[S. 307, Act 20]
Commodities
Code [H. 4247, Act 67]
Continuing
Education Requirements For Real Estate Professionals [H. 3947, Act 27]
Public
Accountants and Public Accountants [S. 176, Act 34]
Revisions
to the South Carolina Firefighters Employment and Registration Act [S. 101,
Act 32]
Agriculture, Environment, and Natural
Resources
Department of Natural Resources,
Relating to Additional Regulations [S.
363, Act
34]
Surface
Water Study Committee (2024) [H. 3814, Act
no. pending]
South Carolina Conservation Education
Fund [S. 165, Act 15]
Quail Management Program [S. 345, Act
21]
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Federal
Management Plan [S. 219, Act 16]
Waste Tires, Unsafe Used Tires, and
Tire-Derived Products [S. 171, Act 33]
Bear Hunting (H. 3813, Act 46)
Military, Civil Defense and Veterans
Affairs [H. 4296, Act 55]
SC Military Affairs Advisory Council [S.
89, Act 31]
Redevelopment of Military Installations
[H. 3333, Act 24]
South Carolina Veterans Homes [S. 218, Act
5]
State’s Finances / Alix-partners
Forensic Accounting Report [S. 253, Act no. pending]
Labeling
of Cell-Cultured Meat [S. 103, Act 14]
Blood
Cancer Awareness Month [H.
4261, Act 51]
Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) [S.
2, Act 3]
Physician on Duty in Hospital Emergency
Rooms [H. 4067, Act 49]
Supervision of Anesthesiologist’s
Assistants [H. 3996, Act 48]
South Carolina Kratom Consumer
Protection Act (S. 221, Act 35)
Social Work Interstate Compact Act [H. 3752, Act 66]
Acts
The
General Assembly approved H. 4025 (Act 69),
the General Appropriation Bill and H. 4026 (Act 74),
the joint resolution making appropriations from the Capital Reserve Fund,
which together comprise the $14.8 billion Fiscal
Year 2025-2026 State Government Budget.
Requirements
After
$814 million is transferred to the Tax Relief Trust Fund that provides for the residential property tax
caps, $13.3 billion in recurring general fund revenue is available for
appropriation. The budget’s $1.5 billion
in nonrecurring revenue includes $332 million in the Contingency Reserve Fund and $370 million in Capital Reserve
Funds. Additionally, a total of $562
million in Education Lottery funds is available for appropriation and a total of
$162.2 million in Education Improvement Act funds,
$50.7 million in recurring and $111.5 million in nonrecurring revenue.
In
keeping with the “Comprehensive Tax Cut
Act of 2022,” $291 million is used to accelerate the income tax relief
schedule, allowing the rate for the highest income tax bracket to be
lowered from 6.3% to 6.0%.
$1.2
billion provides full funding for the
state financial reserve accounts used to cope with revenue shortfalls.
Roads
and Bridges
$200
million in nonrecurring funds is allocated to accelerate the Department of
Transportation’s
schedule for repairing and replacing the state’s bridges. SCDOT is also afforded $35 million in
nonrecurring funds to address damage from Hurricane Helene.
Airport
Enhancements
The
Division of Aeronautics receives $5.4 million in recurring funds and
$5 million in nonrecurring funds for airport safety and development and
$300,000 in recurring funds for operations.
The Department of Commerce is appropriated $80 million in nonrecurring
funds for airport enhancements.
Hurricanes
Helene and Debby
$40
million in nonrecurring funds is used for replenishing South Carolina’s
Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund in the aftermath of Hurricanes
Helene and Debby. The Office of
Resilience is also allocated $1 million in nonrecurring funds for data
collection and coordination and $5 million in nonrecurring funds for watershed
coordination and planning.
National
Guard
The
Adjutant General’s Office is afforded $2 million in nonrecurring funds for
armory revitalization and $1.96 million in nonrecurring funds for wireless
network support for National Guard Armories and other key facilities. $1 million in recurring funds is devoted to
the South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team for SC-HART emergency
response. The South Carolina Emergency
Management Division receives $1 million in nonrecurring funds for the
Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund, $3 million in nonrecurring funds for
the public assistance program, and $198.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund
for declared disasters relief.
General
Government
The
budget includes a provision requiring state agencies that issue benefit checks
to develop and implement measures to mitigate the risk of fraud. These agencies must outline the specific
steps being taken to prevent and detect fraudulent activity such as a
verification processes for recipient eligibility, security measures for check
issuance and distribution, and monitoring procedures to detect and address
fraudulent transactions. Each agency is
responsible for compiling a report detailing fraud mitigation measures
implemented along with any incidents of fraud detected and corrective actions
taken which must be submitted to the General Assembly by the end of the year.
In
order to better manage the number of full-time equivalent positions across
state government, a budget provision establishes a timeline for eliminating 25%
percent of agencies’ vacant FTE positions.
The
Department of Administration is allocated $6.9 million in recurring funds for
information security monitoring and protection tools, $2 million in recurring funds for
statewide information technology coordination, $9 million in nonrecurring funds
for a modernized IT service management platform, and $2.9 million in
nonrecurring funds and $21 million from the Capital Reserve Fund for security
upgrades at state-owned buildings.
$14.6
million in recurring funds is provided for aid to political subdivisions
through the Local Government Fund.
State
Employee Benefits
The
budget provides for a restructuring of pay grades for state agency employees in
classified full-time equivalent positions following expert recommendations for
reforming the State’s Classification and Compensation system commissioned from
an external consultant. $66.6 million in
recurring revenue is used to provide a 2% state employee pay increase,
or a greater increase in cases where it is needed to bring employees’ salaries
up to the minimum levels of the new pay grades established by the Department of
Administration.
$106
million in recurring funds is included to cover increased costs in the state's
health insurance plan so that employees are held harmless with no
increases in their monthly premium payments.
In-District
Expense Compensation
Legislators
of the General Assembly are afforded an additional $1,500 in their monthly
in-district expense compensation.
Education
$112
million in State Aid to Classrooms provides sufficient funding for local school
districts to approve a $1,500 teacher pay increase. The budget provides for a revised teacher
salary schedule with the minimum starting salary for teachers increased to
$48,500. The total for State Aid to Classrooms in the budget represents an
average per pupil appropriation of $5,884.
The average total is $19,075 per pupil when federal, local, and state
funding commitments are factored together.
$5
million in nonrecurring Education Improvement Act funds is used for the second phase of the
Teacher Strategic Compensation Pilot Program.
The
budget’s funding is sufficient to provide a school resource officer for every
public school in the state, with $56.2 million in recurring funds provided to
the Department of Public Safety as well as $8.3 million in nonrecurring funds
for officer equipment.
$20
million in nonrecurring Education Improvement Act funds is dedicated to school
facilities safety upgrades.
$4.4
million is provided to fully fund the increased enrollment in full-day
four-year-old kindergarten.
$1.8
million in recurring Education Improvement Act funds is allocated to the Child
Early Reading and Developmental Education Program.
$7
million in recurring EIA revenue and $24 million in nonrecurring EIA revenue
funds Summer Reading Camps.
$42
million in nonrecurring funds is allocated for high quality instructional
materials and $3.3 million recurring and $29.6 million in nonrecurring
Education Improvement Act funds is used for instructional materials.
The
Education Scholarship Trust Fund receives $30 million in recurring funds and
$15 million in nonrecurring funds.
The
Teaching Transformation Pilot Program is afforded $1 million in nonrecurring
Education Improvement Act funds.
$6
million in nonrecurring Education Improvement Act funds is used for statewide
implementation of the Imagination Library.
From
recurring Education Improvement Act revenue, $356,500 goes to Science PLUS,
$250,000 goes to Reach Out and Read, and $695,000 goes to the Call Me Mister
program.
$6.7
million in recurring Education Improvement Act funds is appropriated for the
School Leadership Accelerator.
$1.6
million in nonrecurring Education Improvement Act funds goes to the Child
Nutrition Program.
$1
million in recurring funds is provided through the Department of Agriculture
for the Certified SC School Cafeteria Program.
$750,000
in nonrecurring EIA funds is devoted to agriculture in the classroom.
The
Tech-to-Teach Pilot Program is afforded $1.5 million in nonrecurring
Education Improvement Act funds.
$5
million in nonrecurring funds is provided for the second phase of the School of
Workforce Innovation Pilot Program.
$3
million in recurring funds and $35 million in nonrecurring Education
Improvement Act funds is allocated for purchasing and leasing school buses.
Higher
Education
The
budget again includes a higher education tuition mitigation initiative in
which additional recurring funding is distributed among the state’s
institutions of higher learning. In
order to retain these appropriations, the institutions must comply with
provisions for freezing in-state tuition and mandatory fees during the
2025-2026 academic year for all in-state undergraduate students.
The
University of South Carolina is afforded $5.8 million in recurring funds
for its School of Law, $4.5 million in recurring funds for a Center for
Excellence in Neurological Critical Care and Rehabilitation Services, $100,000
in recurring funds for the Pediatric Brain Health Center, $100,000 in recurring
funds for brain health education, $500,000 in recurring funds for the Center
for Civil Rights History and Research, $2 million in recurring funds for a
Carolina Internship Pilot Program, $3.2 million in recurring funds for
operational and programmatic support at the College of Pharmacy Research,
$400,000 in recurring funds for the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center, $1
million in recurring funds for Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, and
$13.2 million in in nonrecurring funds for a battery center facility.
USC
Aiken receives $900,000 in recurring funds for
Cyber/Engineering Program Enhancement and $8.4 million in nonrecurring funds
for science building enhancements and modernization. USC Upstate receives $6 million in
nonrecurring funds for the Recreation and Tourism Management Center. USC Beaufort receives $9.3 million in
nonrecurring funds for a new convocation center. USC Sumter receives $3 million in
nonrecurring funds for the Facilities Management Center and $5.5 million in
nonrecurring funds for its Collaboration Lab.
Clemson
University is appropriated $4 million in recurring funds
for the expansion of its Institute for the Study of Capitalism, $4 million in
recurring funds for student experiential learning, $500,000 in recurring funds
for the energy center, $40 million in nonrecurring funds for a NextGen
Computing Complex, and $1 million for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
South
Carolina State University is afforded $5 million in nonrecurring funds
for the replacement of the Smith Hammond Middleton Convocation Center and $1
million in recurring funds along with $15 million in nonrecurring funds to
renovate the Dr. Maceo O. Nance Hall for the establishment of the new College
of Agriculture, Family, and Consumer Science.
The budget legislation provides for the forgiveness of the principal
balance, and all associated interest and costs of the South Carolina Budget
Control Board Operating Loan issued to South Carolina State University in 2015.
The
Medical University of South Carolina receives $5 million in recurring funds for
Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, $4.9 million in recurring funds for
dental tuition reduction, $3 million in recurring funds for residential
rehabilitation treatment assessment, $25 million in nonrecurring funds for a
College of Medicine academic building, $5.8 million in nonrecurring funds for
the Lancaster Medical Center Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, and $6.6
million in nonrecurring funds for the Southeastern Health AI Consortium.
The
Citadel is afforded $12.9 million in nonrecurring
funds for the replacement of its engineering building, $2 million in
nonrecurring funds for workforce housing renovation, and $7 million in
nonrecurring funds for the renovation of Deas Hall.
Coastal
Carolina University receives $4.5 million in nonrecurring funds
for the renovation of Wheelwright Auditorium.
Lander
University is appropriated $8 million in nonrecurring
funds for renovating the Marion Carnell Learning Center and $600,000 in
recurring funds for the SC Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on
College Campuses.
Francis
Marion University receives $5 million in nonrecurring funds for
the renovation of the Hyman Fine Arts Center and $2 million in nonrecurring
funds for the Leatherman Science Facility and the McNair Science Building
renovation.
The
Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries receives $1.5 million in Education Lottery
funds to further the cost-effective sharing of high-quality resources through
PASCAL.
Full
funding is provided in Education Lottery funds for the LIFE, HOPE, and Palmetto
Fellows higher education scholarship programs.
The
Commission on Higher Education is afforded $80 million in lottery funds for
need-based grants.
$3.6
million in lottery unclaimed prize funds is appropriated for College Transition
Program scholarships through the CHE.
The
Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission is allocated $20 million in lottery funds.
$6.2
million in lottery funds is provided to CHE for the National Guard Tuition
Repayment Program.
$9
million in lottery funds is allocated to the CHE’s Higher Education Excellence
Enhancement Program.
$8
million in lottery funds is devoted to CHE technology.
$10
million in lottery funds is provided to the Commission on Higher Education for
its Nursing Initiative.
$53
million in lottery funds is provided for the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program through CHE and the Board of Technical and
Comprehensive Education.
The
Board of Technical and Comprehensive Education is afforded $54.3 million in lottery funds and
$2.8 million in unclaimed prize funds for SC Workforce Industry Needs scholarships that help provide full tuition at
technical colleges for SC WINS recipients seeking degrees in industry sectors
with critical workforce needs.
$1
million in lottery funds is allocated to the Ready SC Program which provides worker training at the state’s
technical colleges that is customized to the needs of new and expanding
business and industry.
Commerce
The
Department of Employment and Workforce is afforded $10.3 million in nonrecurring
funds for the Statewide Education and Workforce Development Portal, $2.8 million in recurring funds for
maintenance of the portal, and $1 million in nonrecurring funds for the
Graduation Alliance.
The
Department of Commerce receives $1 million in recurring funds and $80
million in nonrecurring funds for site readiness through LocateSC to address
business and industry needs.
The
Rural Infrastructure Fund is appropriated $12 million in nonrecurring
funds and the Statewide Water and Sewer Fund is appropriated $15 million in
nonrecurring funds.
Agriculture
The
Department of Agriculture receives $1 million in recurring funds for
customer service activities at the State Farmers Market and $2 million in
nonrecurring funds for regional farmers markers.
PSA
Clemson
University PSA is afforded $1 million in recurring funds for
food safety and nutrition extension personnel and programmatic support.
SC
State University PSA receives $500,000 in recurring funds and
$650,000 in nonrecurring funds for statewide extension agribusiness
development, $500,000 in recurring funds and $500,000 in nonrecurring funds for
agriculture innovation research, $525,000 in nonrecurring funds for business
development training and assistance, $600,000 in nonrecurring funds for new
beginner farmer assistance, $250,000 in nonrecurring funds for future farm
planning, and $2.5 million in nonrecurring funds for the Animal Research and
Education Center.
PRT
The
Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism receives $9 million in nonrecurring funds for
tourism development, $2 million in recurring funds and $6 million in
nonrecurring funds for destination specific tourism marketing grants, $1.5
million in recurring funds for statewide marketing, $1.1 million in
nonrecurring funds for SC Association of Tourism Regions promotions, $4 million
in nonrecurring funds for film incentives, $4 million in nonrecurring funds for
its Sports Marketing Program, $250,000 in recurring funds for the Undiscovered
SC Grant Program, $1 in recurring funds for welcome center facility operations,
$3 million in nonrecurring funds for maintenance and repairs at state parks,
and $1.5 million in nonrecurring funds for beach renourishment grants.
The
Department of Archives and History receives $6 million in recurring funds and $4
million in nonrecurring funds for the commemoration of the 250th
anniversary of the American Revolution in South Carolina.
The
Arts Commission is afforded $500,000 in recurring funds and $1
million in nonrecurring funds for support grants for community arts
organizations. Environmental
Environment
The
Conservation Bank is provided $5.5 million in recurring funds
and $25 million in nonrecurring funds for conservation grant funding, $2
million in recurring funds and $8 million in nonrecurring funds for working
agricultural lands grants, $20 million in nonrecurring funds for strategic land
acquisition.
The
Department of Natural Resources is appropriated $2 million in recurring funds
for agency operations, $2.8 million in recurring funds for recruitment and
retention, $2 million in nonrecurring funds for law enforcement equipment, $3
million in recurring funds for wildlife management area maintenance, $1.5
million in nonrecurring funds for waterfowl impoundments infrastructure
maintenance, $1.5 million in nonrecurring funds for statewide flood inundation
map modeling, $27.8 million in nonrecurring funds for high hazard dams and
spillway repair, and $13.3 million in nonrecurring funds for disaster relief
grant match funding.
The
Department of Environmental Services is afforded $6.9 million in recurring funds
for workforce retention and credentialing, $1.9 million in recurring funds for
the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, $3.5 million in recurring
funds for its Drinking Water Program, $2.3 million in recurring funds for its
Air Quality Program, and $836,000 in recurring funds and $4,700 in nonrecurring
funds for electrical utilities permitting.
Health
The
Department of Public Health receives $3 million in recurring funds for
healthcare facility safety, $2 million in recurring funds for critical public
health services, $1.3 million in recurring funds and $1.6 million in
nonrecurring funds for its Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies initiative, and $10
million in nonrecurring funds for modernizing its information technology
infrastructure support systems.
The
Department of Health and Human Services receives $60.4 million in recurring funds for
Medicaid program maintenance of effort, $5.8 million in recurring funds for
Medicaid behavioral health provider rate adjustments, $10 million in recurring
funds for graduate medical education, $2.4 million in recurring funds for the
Partial Hospitalization Program/Intensive Outpatient Program, $4 million in
recurring funds for opioid treatment services, $7.5 million in recurring funds
to reduce the waiting list for home and community-based services, $2 million in
nonrecurring funds for the Children’s Hospital Collaborative, $2 million in
nonrecurring funds for statewide pediatric beds enhancements, and $150 million
from the Capital Reserve Fund for neurological critical care and rehabilitation
services in South Carolina.
The
budget includes a provision requiring the Director of the Department of Health
and Human Services to withhold funding to abortion providers to the fullest extent allowed under
the law.
The
Department of Mental Health receives $6 million in recurring funds for
state-mandated programs, $8 million in recurring funds to improve inpatient
services hospital bed capacity, $9.4 million in nonrecurring funds for
inpatient services capital needs, $2 million in recurring funds towards
community hospital bed days, and $2 million in recurring funds and $2.5 million
in nonrecurring funds for the Alternative Transportation Program.
The
Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services is afforded $5 million in recurring funds for
formula grants and direct treatment services and $1 million in recurring funds
for residential treatment and withdrawal management access.
The
Department of Disabilities and Special Needs receives $4.6 million in recurring funds and
$5 million in nonrecurring funds for residential services, $500,000 in
recurring funds for the Greenwood Genetics Center, and $1 million in
nonrecurring funds for the South Carolina Genomic Medicine Initiative.
The
Department of Social Services is appropriated $18.6 million in nonrecurring
funds for economic services system application modernization, $4 million in
recurring funds for early care and education, $11 million in recurring funds
for children and families, $1.7 million in recurring funds for foster family
board rate increase, $470,000 in recurring funds for emergency stabilization
beds, and $1.2 million in recurring funds for its domestic violence program.
The
Department on Aging is allocated $3 million in recurring funds for
maintenance of effort and $10 million in recurring funds for home and
community-based services.
Veterans’
Affairs
The
Department of Veterans’ Affairs is afforded $12 million in recurring funds for
veteran homes operating costs, $1 million in recurring funds for veteran homes
support costs, $2 million in nonrecurring funds for facility maintenance
improvements at the E. Roy Stone State Veterans Home, and $5 million in
nonrecurring funds for the Military Enhancement Fund.
Public
Safety
The
Attorney General’s Office is allocated $19.5 million in
nonrecurring funds for the crime victim assistance program and $250,000 in
recurring funds for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The
Prosecution Coordination Commission receives $4.2 million in recurring funds.
The
Commission on Indigent Defense is afforded $2.98 million in recurring funds.
The
budget emphasizes recruitment and retention initiatives at the state agencies
employing law enforcement officers.
The
Department of Public Safety receives $1 million in nonrecurring funds for
law enforcement equipment, $2.5 million in recurring funds to address vehicle
maintenance costs, $3 million in recurring funds for Highway Patrol critical
staff retention, and $1.2 million in recurring funds for ten additional Highway
Patrol Officers.
The
Department of Corrections is afforded $5 million in recurring funds for
operating expenses, $4 million in recurring funds and $3.5 million in
nonrecurring funds for cell phone interdiction, $2.5 million in nonrecurring
funds for deferred maintenance, $500,000 in nonrecurring funds for security
equipment replacement, and $1 million in nonrecurring funds for prison
industries operating costs.
The
Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services receives $2 million in recurring funds and
$750,000 in nonrecurring funds for IT modernization and $200,000 in recurring
funds for improved delivery of victim services.
The
Department of Juvenile Justice is allocated $2 million in recurring funds for
community and administrative salary increases, $3 million in recurring funds
for agency operations, $1.7 million in recurring funds for alternative
placements, and $1.3 million in nonrecurring funds for IT ongoing security
assessment and remediation.
The
Judicial Department is afforded $4.2 million in recurring funds
for judicial system enhancements, $25 million in nonrecurring funds for
modernization of the case management system and $3 million in recurring funds
for the Family Court case management system.
The
Election Commission is afforded $10.97 million in nonrecurring
funds for statewide voting system upgrades and $500,000 in recurring funds for
election integrity.
The Legislative Audit
Council was
authorized to hire an independent reviewer to evaluate at least two agencies
and make recommendations on improving efficiency and reducing waste. These provisos (91.27 and 118.22) were vetoed by the
Governor (Vetoes
8, 9) June 3rd. The General
Assembly has not addressed the vetoes as of this date.
H. 4026 (Act
74) is a joint resolution
making appropriations from the Capital Reserve Fund for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
Energy and Utilities
South Carolina Energy Security Act
[H. 3309, Act 41]
H.
3309 (Act 41)
is the “South Carolina Energy Security Act.”
Originating with the
work of the Economic Development and Utility Modernization Ad Hoc Committee
established by the Speaker of the House, this legislation makes comprehensive
provisions, in light of the rapid population growth and expansive economic development
that the state has experienced in recent years, as a means of implementing a
strategic and forward‑thinking approach for
developing new energy infrastructure capable of meeting the energy needs of
South Carolina’s residents and
supporting the continued prosperity of the state. The legislation emphasizes a broad array of
approaches to meeting the state’s energy needs including natural gas, nuclear,
biomass-fired generation, solar and other clean, renewable energy resources, as
well as battery facilities and other energy storage resources that can absorb
energy and release it for later use. The
legislation allows South Carolina’s Public Service Authority to enter into a
joint ownership arrangement of electrical generation and transmission
facilities with an investor-owned electric utility. The legislation includes provisions
encouraging the prompt siting, permitting, and completion of energy
infrastructure projects, energy corridor projects, and brownfield electrical
generation projects. Provisions are made
for an expedited appeals process that allows certain decisions or actions
concerning energy infrastructure projects to be appealed to the South Carolina
Supreme Court. Provisions are made for
economic development electric utility rates that the Public Service Commission
may offer to those who are identified by the South Carolina Department of
Commerce as transformational customers who are proposing to make sizeable new
commercial or industrial investments in South Carolina or significantly expand
their activities in the state. The legislation
allows for greater transparency in proceedings before the Public Service
Commission and greater flexibility in the way in which Public Service
Commissioners carry out their duties in overseeing the state’s public
utilities. The Office of Regulatory
Staff, in consultation with a stakeholder group that includes representatives
of consumer, environmental, manufacturing, forestry and agricultural
organizations, natural gas and electrical utilities, the South Carolina Public
Service Authority, and other affected state agencies, is charged with preparing
a comprehensive South Carolina energy assessment and action plan which must
identify recommended actions over a ten-year period to ensure the availability
of adequate, reliable, and economical supply of electric power and natural gas
to the people and economy of South Carolina.
S. 157 (Act 2) authorizes
Hurricane Helene storm recovery bonds to be issued under an expedited storm
damage securitization process that allows electrical utilities to borrow funds
necessary to cover the costs of repairing, restoring, and rebuilding
infrastructure following the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricane Helene in
2024.
S. 275 (Act
18) requires nondiscriminatory rates and
services for electric vehicle charging stations owned,
operated, or maintained by an electrical utility, a municipality, a
consolidated political subdivision, the Public Service Authority, or an
electric cooperative for direct public use.
These public utilities and political subdivisions are prohibited from
subsidizing their direct-current-fast-charging stations to give them an unfair
advantage compared to private sector EV charging stations.
S.
51 (Act no. pending) is a
resolution encouraging Santee Cooper to consider proposals for developing
abandoned V.C. Summer nuclear power projects. It takes into account the potential relief to ratepayers and
other possible impacts that the completion of these projects might pose for
South Carolinians. Any transaction by
Santee Cooper that involves a transfer of interest in real property is subject
to the approval process with the Joint Bond Review Committee established for
the Public Service Authority.
H.
3571 (Act 65) provides enhancements for the “Underground
Facility Damage Prevention Act”
with requirements for
providing notice to South Carolina’s 811 call center before engaging in
excavation, tunneling, drilling, or other activities that might damage buried
power lines, fiber optic cables, pipes, or other underground facilities. Revisions include enhanced penalties to serve
as a greater deterrent especially for willful misconduct and such egregious
violations as concealing damage or removing the stakes or other markers showing
the location of underground facilities.
After passing the House
five times, the Educator Assistance Act (H.
3196) (Act
12) is now an Act.
H. 3196 enacts the "Educator Assistance
Act" by increasing professionalism in
regard to continuing teacher development and contractual relationships with
districts.
The Act provides that, instead of having to take
recertification courses which can be a significant expense to
teachers, completion of district professional development will qualify for recertification. Professional
development is required as part of a teacher’s contract.
School districts must establish a sick leave
bank, but faculty and staff participation is
voluntary. Districts that have already implemented a policy that advances the
full annual leave balance to new employees with the first payroll disbursement
are exempt from this requirement.
If a board of trustees fails to notify a
teacher prior to May 1 regarding employment for
the next year, the State Department of Education (SDE) is to assess a penalty
of $10,000 per occurrence to be deducted from the district’s state funding, and
the teacher is considered to be hired. To give districts time to prepare,
implementation is delayed until 2026.
Notification of re-employment
must include the district’s projected minimum salary schedule for the upcoming school year as well as an
agreement to provide a final salary schedule as soon as practicable upon
completion of state and local appropriations processes. Districts must provide
teachers with the factors used to determine their pay category on the salary
schedule.
Teachers must be given two
weeks’ notice before the start of the school year of their respective school
assignments. A
teacher may not be moved to another location in the district unless the
superintendent can demonstrate the need for reassignment. Teachers must receive
written notice at least five school days in advance of the reassignment unless
the superintendent shows that such notice cannot be accomplished because of a
critical need, or the teacher made the request. The board of trustees must be
notified in writing of all teacher reassignments.
The time that the State
Board can receive a complaint for breach of contract is extended from thirty to sixty days, and the
mandatory suspension for breach of contract is reduced from one year to six
months. The State Board is given greater flexibility when deciding whether to
suspend or revoke a certificate. Educators with a bona fide residence change to
a noncontiguous county during the term of the educator's contract are not
considered to be in breach.
The Act specifies how
districts must use non-instructional days. Four days are for professional
development, two are for staff workdays that are self-directed and free from
required meetings, and four must be used for teacher planning and parent
conferences. Retired educator certificates are changed from renewable to
lifetime if the certificate has not been previously revoked.
SDE, in collaboration with
the Education Oversight Committee, is authorized to use data already being
collected through current processes to report on
in-state and out-of-state college enrollment, college persistence, and
postsecondary completion of South Carolina's high school graduates.
S. 62 (Act
11) amends the Education
Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) so that the statute incorporates the
recommendations put forward in the dissent of Eidson v. S.C. Department of
Education.
Eligible elementary and
secondary students may be awarded scholarships in the amount of $7,500
per scholarship student for the 2025-2026 School Year. For subsequent school
years, the allocation must be equivalent to the allocation from the previous
year, increased by the percentage increase in the average per pupil funding
from state sources unless an increased or decreased amount is authorized in the
appropriations act. (The original per student amount was $6,000). Expenses may
include, among other items, tuition and fees, instructional materials,
tutoring, computer hardware, and assessments. Transportation is also covered
and may not exceed $3,000 per year. (The previous limit was $750).
Public and non-profit
independent schools may accept scholarship funds, but home-schooled students
are excluded. A charter school may
accept funds only if it offers approved programs such as after school tutoring
services, transportation, or costs associated with participation in
extracurricular activities.
Student eligibility is
expanded, and application windows are amended. Eligible students must still
reside in the state. Families are required to meet a specified percentage of
the federal poverty guidelines to qualify:
· To be eligible in School Year 2025-2026, household income
cannot exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
· For 2026-2027, and all subsequent years, household income
cannot exceed 500 percent of the guidelines.
· Application windows are first open to current
participants and their siblings. They are then open as follows:
· families whose household income does not exceed 300
percent of federal poverty guidelines;
· families where the parent is an active-duty member of the
military, and,
· when the student attended a public school the previous
year.
· If slots are still available, any other eligible students
may apply.
•
A maximum of 10,000 students may participate
in the 2025-26 school year. For the 2026-27 school year, and all subsequent
years, the program must be made available to at least 15,000 scholarship
students but may be increased through the Appropriations Act at the direction
of the General Assembly. The source of funding is left to the discretion of the
General Assembly.
•
When applying for a scholarship, parents must
acknowledge that nonpublic school education service providers are not subject
to the Individuals with Disabilities Act and are not required to offer the same
services as the public schools.
•
The State Superintendent of Education must
appoint a trustee for the ESTF. The trustee’s terms and fee structure must be
commercially reasonable, and the Act lists the credentials trustees must
possess.
•
The Department must conduct random audits of
education service providers, the trust fund, and scholarship accounts on an
annual basis. The State Department of Education is also to develop model policy
guidelines for interdistrict transfers.
H. 3247 (Act 6) requires school districts to adopt a policy
that authorizes a student to be excused from school to participate in any
work-based learning experience (in events sponsored by Career and Technical
Student Organizations [CTSOs]). These experiences of student participation and
learning outcomes are directed by a certified teacher for assessment of
competencies. Absences authorized in the bill are to be considered “lawful
absences” (absences may not exceed ten school days per year).
S. 388 (Act no. pending) is a joint resolution
that makes permanent the $2,500 Palmetto Fellows enhancements for accounting and education
majors. Legislation
authorizing these enhancements passed last year (Act 156 of 2024), and the
regulations were initially implemented under emergency provisions. However, due
to a timing issue, a joint resolution was now required to ensure the permanent
regulations became effective in time for the Fall semester so students can
continue receiving these scholarships.
S.
389 (Act no. pending) is a joint resolution that makes
permanent the $2,500 LIFE scholarship enhancements for
accounting and education majors.
Legislation authorizing these enhancements passed last year (Act 156 of 2024)
and the regulations were initially implemented under emergency provisions.
However, due to a timing issue, a joint resolution was required to ensure the
permanent regulations became effective in time for the Fall semester so
students can continue receiving these scholarships.
S. 269 (Act 36) allows public school districts to hire
armed security personnel with arrest authority to work in schools and other
district properties (provides that public school districts with
more than 15,00 students may use security personnel licensed as a
proprietary security business). The
Act does not remove the requirement that districts must utilize School Resource
Officers (SROs) and provides that private security personnel may not be used in
the advisor and teacher roles authorized for SROs. There must be a written agreement with local
law enforcement for shared, consistent joint training and continuous education
in firearms, defensive tactics, active shooter or assailant scenarios, and
other areas addressed by the local law enforcement agency.
S. 77 (Act
28) promotes public access to school board
meetings by requiring
school boards to adopt and implement policies providing that electronic
transmission of meetings (subject to the Freedom of Information Act) are
open and accessible to the public. The State Board of Education must adopt a
model livestream meeting policy and a public school governing body may not
adopt or follow a livestream policy that prevents or impedes in-person
participation by the public. The
provisions of this Act must be implemented by January 1, 2026.
S.
79 (Act 30) establishes a five-year pilot program to
permit public school districts to hire noncertified teachers in a
ratio of up to ten percent of its entire teaching staff; provide academic,
evaluation, and experience requirements; and, enables annual program reporting
and provides noncertified teacher registration and clearance requirements.
S.
78 (Act 29)
provides that an individual's prior work experience may be awarded on an initial
teaching certificate if the prior experience is in or related to
the content field of the certificate, and to provide that existing certificate
holders may receive credit for prior work experience. Applicants must register,
pay associated fees, and provide transcripts. FBI and SLED criminal records
checks, both supported by fingerprints, are required. Individuals whose South
Carolina educator certificate has been suspended or revoked may not be employed
as a non-certified teacher.
Years
of experience may be awarded only for the purpose of advancement on the teacher
salary schedule and do not apply for state retirement or state health plan
purposes. The Act does not change existing requirements for earning an educator
certificate. If years are awarded,
educators may have their pay adjusted for the current school year to reflect
the new step on the state minimum salary schedule; however, they are not
entitled to retroactive pay.
H. 3632 (Act 44) relates to requirements for additional LIFE and Palmetto
Fellows scholarship
stipends, to provide that certain coursework in
economics and business statistics must
count towards certain required freshman year coursework in mathematics and
science, and to clarify these provisions apply beginning with accounting
majors who
completed such coursework as freshmen in the 2024-2025 school year.
H. 3862 (Act
47) amends the Charter School Act so
that schools may
give an enrollment preference to children of active-duty military service
members who reside or are stationed in the state. The priority is limited to no
more than ten percent of a school’s enrollment. Charter schools use lotteries
to determine who may enroll, and state law already allows preferences for
returning students, siblings, and children whose parents are educators at the
school. The Act adds students of military families to the list of preferences.
Insurance
Tort Reform and Liquor Liability Insurance
Premium Reductions [H. 3430, Act 42]
H. 3430 (Act 42), legislation to advance significant tort
reform measures for assigning liability responsibility amongst defendants and
tortfeasors who cause injuries to others, reduce and regulate dram shop
liability insurance premium expenses, regulate alcohol sales at collegiate
sports events, and rein in captive insurance company operations within our
borders. The Act was signed by the Governor on May 12, 2025.
It amends current state law to add the term
‘tortfeasors’ along
with defendants as potentially jointly and severally liable for proven injuries
and deaths they proximately cause to others, so long as they are more than 50%
at fault. Otherwise, their liability will be determined on a percentage basis
by employing comparative negligence legal standards.
Tortfeasors are not named defendants in
lawsuits but can be assigned liability responsibility nonetheless under
comparative liability principles. Judges and juries will make awards of damages
as they have been doing but, in addition, will now assign percentages of fault
to these tortfeasors. They will not be
added to judge- or jury-determined responsibility percentages if they are
granted immunity, defendants’ liability is imputed to them by tortfeasors’
fault, strict liability applies, the action is an asbestosis case, or the
action has been brought by the attorney general or
other public entity to recover public funds, remediation costs, or other third
party-inflicted damages. Note, though, that state actions for recovery
of these costs in perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl [PFAS] substance actions
are not subject to this prohibition against being held responsible. Percentages
of liability attributed to plaintiff conduct will not reduce the amount of
recoverable damages they are owed, however.
When two or more defendants act in concert,
they will be considered one party for purposes of assigning liability. Willful,
wanton, reckless, or otherwise intentionally-acting defendants, on the other
hand, will be held jointly and severally liable and not have any liability
share determined by a judge or jury.
Also as amended, businesses licensed to sell
alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption who stay open after 5:00 p.m.,
that stop serving at 12:00 a.m., will have to maintain liability policies with
an annual aggregate limit of $1,000,000, and with at least fifty percent of
this limit applicable to any single occurrence, but can qualify for a $100,000
premium reduction, as well as additional deductions for each hour they stop
serving alcohol before 6:00 p.m. They also could realize savings if they conduct
SC DOR, SLED, and SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disabilities [DBHDD], Office of Substance Abuse minimum curriculum-approved
alcohol server training programs for all of their servers; have less than 40%
of their gross sales resulting from alcohol sales (this reduction is up to
$100,000 for each of these measures being in place); or, are a nonprofit with
501(c)(3) tax exempt status, which obtains a single event permit. (These
nonprofits may be able to reduce their aggregate coverage by as much as
$500,000.) None of these reductions could take any policy aggregated limits
amount below $300,000.
This Act also restricts sales of alcohol at
collegiate sporting events. These venues are required to have trained servers,
digitalized identification forensic personal identification validation
technology, no sales in the student sections, perform random internal checks,
and take other measures to make sure sales at these events are properly
conducted. Vertical IDs are not bona fide age-verification documents
under any circumstances.
If violations occur, the presence of these
preventative measures can be considered mitigating factors before determining
fines or license suspensions by factoring in whether these vendors acted in
good faith.
Insurers have to establish liquor liability
mitigation measures and offer premium discounts as well. However, their
proposed insureds could not obtain any mitigation if they fail to produce
documentation of server training certificates in
responsible alcohol serving.
It also prohibits anyone from knowingly
selling alcohol to an intoxicated person and allow liquor liability insurance
to be in a limited amount in the aggregate versus per occurrence as current law
has been interpreted to state. Alcohol servers could only be considered a joint
and several tortfeasor if determined by a trier of fact to be more than 50% of
the total fault for any resulting indivisible damage.
When drivers have been charged with operating
a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or a combination
of them, or driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration, they will be added
to these jury verdict forms or be a part of a judicial determination in nonjury
matters as a tortfeasor and considered as set forth above. Licensees having
served these criminal defendants are also considered jointly and severally
liable and
are subject to civil penalties and license suspensions for serving them
alcohol.
Captive insurance company operations have
also been limited in our state under this legislation. While they cannot
directly issue workers compensation, homeowners, or motor vehicle insurance,
they can directly issue policies offered by their parent company, member
organization, or industrial insured group. In addition, special purpose captive
insurance companies can insure risks as approved by our State Department of
Insurance Director. As current state law sets out, they cannot accept or cede
reinsurance outside of the restrictions it states.
The Department of Insurance will publish an
annual report on liquor liability insurance rate trends and include other
specified information. In addition, captive insurance providers could not
modify or reduce insureds’ policy coverages by the costs incurred defending any
claims. Alcohol servers could only be considered a joint and several tortfeasor
if determined by a trier of fact to be at more than 50% of the total fault for
any resulting indivisible damages, as an additional feature of this Act.
S. 210 (Act
62). Legislators
approved revisions to state statutes governing captive insurance companies that
include provisions to ensure that an alien adversary may not exert corporate
control over an alien or foreign captive insurance company.
S. 220 (Act 17) provides for revisions to the Insurance
Holding Company Regulatory Act. The
legislation revises financial stability requirements and other provisions of
South Carolina’s Insurance Holding Company Regulatory Act to allow for greater
transparency, provide for enhanced oversight by the Department of Insurance, and bring state provisions into alignment
with the standards of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
H. 3276 (Act 42), the "South Carolina
Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act," creates a two-point traffic
offense for mobile unit device users who violate this distracted driving
prohibition. In addition, it levies unsuspendable mandatory fines of $100 for first
time offenders or a $200 fine for second or more violations committed within a
three-year time span. Twenty-five percent of these fines will be retained by
the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Motor Vehicles will maintain
records of prior offenses and share this information with the Department of
Public Safety.
Law enforcement officers with a clear
view to observe drivers violating these prohibitions have to see drivers using
a mobile unit device to compose, send, or read text-based communications while
driving on a public roadway before they have probable cause to initiate any
traffic stops. This violation cannot result in a custodial arrest or be the
basis of any search for, or seizures from this vehicle.
Drivers will be able to use
earpieces, wrist worn, or other such hands-free technology, as well as touch
their devices to activate or deactivate them, report any emergencies, or use
dictation to draft and messages but cannot support their devices with any body
part. Drivers who are parked or lawfully stopped are not violating this law.
It also prohibits so-called “citizens
arrests” of violators.
This law will be effective September
1, 2025; however, only written warning tickets can be issued for 180 days after
this effective date. Once that date passes, regular citations as point
violations could be written.
S. 127 (Act 60)
authorizes the Catawba Nation’s participation in the Police Officers Retirement
System. The legislation revises South Carolina
Police Officers Retirement System provisions to establish the conditions under
which the Catawba Nation may become an employer under SC PORS.
S. 271 (Act no. pending)
regards the Public Service Commissioners. This joint resolution suspends for Calendar
Year 2025 a provision prohibiting the General Assembly from holding an election
for Public Service Commissioners until a final determination is made by the
courts regarding its review of congressional districts’ compliance with
statutory or constitutional requirements.
The legislation provides that certain statutory requirements relating to
notice of vacancies in elective office do not apply to elections for members of
the Public Service Commission conducted by the General Assembly during Calendar
Years 2025 and 2026.
S. 164 (Act 13) reduces
the legislative review period for regulations from 120 days to 110 days,
addressing a timing issue created when the legislative session was shortened in
2017. In some years, such as 2025, there can be as few as 113 days in a
legislative session. Consequently, regulations filed during those years are not
effective within the same session. The bill also codifies an existing practice,
historically part of the Sine Die resolution, by pausing the legislative review period
from the second Friday in May through the second Monday in January.
H. 4402 (Act no. pending) is a
joint resolution addressing the election of Public Service Commissioners by the
General Assembly. The resolution
suspends for Calendar Years 2025 and 2026, the provision prohibiting the
General Assembly from holding an election until a final determination is made
by the courts regarding its review of congressional districts' compliance with
statutory or constitutional requirements.
Under the resolution, a requirement for providing notice of vacancies in
nonjudicial elective offices does not apply to elections for members of the
Public Service Commission conducted by the General Assembly during Calendar
Years 2025 and 2026.
Board Member Elections and Appointment
Procedure Revisions [H. 3933, Act 10]
H. 3933 (S.
363) is legislation to reduce board membership on
special purpose districts, which were formerly nonprofit entities
organized to provide water service, from nine to seven members. In addition, it
revises the appointment of members to serve. These appointments are made by the
Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. These appointments have to
be made based on proposed criteria set out in this proposal.
Property
Rights Vesting Reforms
[H. 3432, Act 25]
H. 3432 (Acts
25) updates nonvested property interests, powers of appointment, reformation of
property dispositions, timing of creation of property interests, and
discretionary trusts. It also increases the time a property interest can
vest within twenty-one years of the death of anyone alive at the time, or
absolutely within three hundred sixty years [up from the current ninety-year
deadline] if that is not the case.
Among other provisions, it also provides that
certain amounts paid to taxing authorities may not be considered an amount that
may be distributed for the settlor's benefit. The effective date of this
legislation is July 1, 1987 for nonvested property interests or powers of
appointment; January 1, 2025 for irrevocable trusts, trusts with spendthrift
provisions, IRS Section 671 trusts, trusts created or to be administered in
South Carolina, as well as for any required notices to be given.
H. 3969 was legislation to provide for the operation
of personal delivery devices in Richland County. The Act was vetoed by the Governor. The
House has not addressed the veto as of this date.
S. 28 (Act
57) addresses the rise of images being
created as obscene visual representations used for child sexual
abuse. These images, whether on undeveloped film,
artificially generated by any method, put on videotapes, existing on computer
disk storage, or on any other electronic platforms, fall under the penumbra of
this Act.
Law enforcement officials, criminal
defense counsel, solicitors, any Office of the Attorney General lawyer, telecommunications service providers,
and other named officials are exempt from prosecution under the provisions of
this bill.
Arrest warrants cannot be issued
without a true bill being reported by a State Grand Jury, a probable cause
determination after a completed Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
investigation made in conjunction with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and also conditioned upon the
warrant being processed by South Carolina Attorney General.
Adult violators face felony
convictions with penalties ranging from two to ten years in jail, as well as
having to register on the South Carolina State Sex Offender Registry once
convicted. Minor violators are to be prosecuted in the Family Court.
S. 29 (Act 58) considers adult offenders who computer-generate, or morph, images of
identifiable minors and then use these altered representations for
sexual exploitation purposes, to be committing a felony
offense under South Carolina law. Penalties range from two to twenty years.
Arrest warrants could not be issued without a true bill being reported by the
State Grand Jury, a probable cause determination after a completed Internet
Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation made in conjunction with the
South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and
the warrant being processed by the Attorney General. Violators under the age of eighteen are to be
tried in Family Court, where they are subject to the additional condition of
participating in behavioral health counseling amongst other sentencing choices.
S.
74 (Act 59)
confirms
that the Attorney General must be given access to communication
service and remote computing services customer account information in Internet Crimes Against Children cases. The Attorney General can issue any necessary subpoenas, after
setting out specific and articulable reasons for doing so. This law cannot be
used if an existing federal or state statutory provision already authorizes a
subpoena being issued. These compliant communication services are exempt from
liability for providing the account information contained within these
subpoenas.
H. 3058 (Act
37), an anti-revenge porn measure, adds
new definitions to state law for identifying violations of this proposed, new
criminal offense. Under this new law, intentionally disseminating intimate
images, or digitally created intimate images, without the consent or knowingly
without the consent of the person depicted constitutes criminal activity.
Sharing the image with someone is not tantamount to consent, however.
Penalties range from
$5,000 to $10,000 and/or from up to five to ten years in jail, and sentencing
judges are provided factors –in addition to the number of the offense--to
consider before imposing any sentences. Multiple images published as part of a
single act are to be considered a single offense under this Act.
H. 3654 (Act 8) covers
Child Welfare Records Access and Department of Children’s Advocacy procedures
and responsibilities. Among other things, this Act allows the Department of
Children’s Advocacy, including guardians ad litem, and employees of its
division of guardians ad litem, to provide child welfare reports to
county guardian ad litem program staff, the guardian ad litem
division, and the state’s child advocate. It also seeks to clarify that the
Department of Children’s Advocacy could employ a Continuum of Care director,
hire a division director and staff, as well as continue to provide annual
reports as it has been doing all along.
S. 276 (Act
19) relates to the South Carolina Children's
Advocacy Medical Response System Act (SCAMRS) and renames the Act the South
Carolina Child Abuse and Neglect Network (SCCANN).
H. 3472 (Act
26) modifies South Carolina
probate laws allowing ‘small estates’ dispositions and allow collection of
personal property by affidavit in probate court, for estates worth up to
$45,000, after deducting liens or other encumbrances, and, when appropriate,
exempt property, costs and expenses of estate administration, and reasonable funeral
expenses, as well as last illness medical expenses.
H. 3529 (Act 7) increases the number of
family court judges in the ninth, eleventh, and fourteenth circuits by one
additional judge.
H. 4160 (Act
50) converts existing at-large
circuit judge seats into additional resident circuit court judge seats
in the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth judicial
circuits.
See S. 126 under Law
Enforcement and Public Safety
S. 126 (Act 4) is
follow-up legislation to further clarify how active and retired judges and law enforcement officers can better protect their personal contact
information (by applying to have that done). It adds these individuals’
names and real estate tax parcel numbers to the
information privacy protections already covered by existing state law.
Applications to protect a specific home address can be updated any time it
changes, however. This bill requires South Carolina’s Office of Court
Administration and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy to work together
to develop an appropriate form for processing these requests.
It
also allows this information to be kept from publicly available internet
websites and indices maintained by state or local governments. Nevertheless,
this restricted personal contact information would still be in judges and law
enforcement officials records held by state or local government agencies. If
the information appears on a UCC filing statement or other business filing with
the SC Secretary of State, is not protected by this legislation.
This
information could be disclosed to personal representatives of a deceased
eligible requesting party, title insurance providers, title insurance agents,
professional engineers, as well as South Carolina licensed lawyers and land
surveyors. It protects state or local government employees or agents from legal
liability for handling this information.
This
Act delays implementation of from July 1, 2025 [the effective date set in 2023
Act 56] to January 1, 2026.
H. 3523 (Act 1) is an
effort to stem the rising number of ‘smash and grab’ incidents of retail thefts
that are occurring, by creating the offenses of organized retail crime and
aggravated retail crime.
These crimes occur when two or more people
work in concert to illegally take merchandise, property, money, or negotiable
documents that include gift cards, from retailers, with the intent to sell or
barter them with a retail property fence, as defined in this proposed
legislation.
It also sets out a graduated list of possible
penalties tied to the nature of the incidents, total value of what is stolen,
and the number of the offense committed. Thefts occurring in different counties
that exceed $2,000 of retail goods within 90 days could be combined into one
offense. These graduated penalties range range from $5,000 fines and/or three
years in jail to fines of up to $50,000 or twenty years in jail.
For crimes occurring in multiple counties,
the circuit solicitor or his deputy solicitors could prosecute them all in
their resident county, so long as the Attorney General approves the
prosecutions proceeding in that fashion.
H.
3127 (Act 37) punishes
motorists who are found guilty of a felony for failing to stop for a blue
light or siren when they increase their speed or otherwise
attempt to avoid law enforcement officers who have activated their patrol
vehicle blue lights and/or siren. First time offenders causing no injuries face
fines up to $500 and up to three years in jail along with a thirty day license
suspension. High speed offenders will be committing a felony, and face up to 10
years in jail, and have their license suspended for a year. Fleers causing
great bodily injury during their flight face up to 15 years in
jail. Motorists causing death while fleeing pursuing officers will face up to
30 years in jail. It will take effect on
May 12, 2026.
S.
136 allows anyone charged with only an unlawful
possession of a gun offense prior to the enactment of the South Carolina
Constitutional/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024, to be entitled to a dismissal
of their charge. First-time offenders will be entitled to expungement of their
charges as well. However, gun possession charges resulting from incidents
involving commission of other crimes cannot be automatically dismissed. No
civil actions for these gun possession charges being made could be filed after
any dismissals, however. The Act was vetoed by the Governor and subsequently overridden by
the Senate. The House has not addressed the veto as of this date.
Fentanyl-Induced Homicide [S. 156, Act 61]
S. 156 (Act 61) creates the criminal offense of Fentanyl-Induced Homicide. Anyone knowingly
providing unlawfully dispensed fentanyl, or any fentanyl-related substances, to
users who die as a proximate cause of ingesting it, is committing a new South
Carolina criminal offense of fentanyl-induced homicide under the provisions of
this Act.
Violators would have to
spend up to 30 years in jail.
In addition, any alleged
contributory negligence –whether purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent
injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion of fentanyl -- by
the deceased victim cannot be used as a defense to prosecutions for this crime.
However, anyone ingesting fentanyl by any means along with another consenting
person cannot be prosecuted for this crime, unless the person sharing the
fentanyl knew the user intended to commit suicide.
S.
507 (Act 63)
provides for state and federal tax conformity. The legislation updates
references to the federal Internal Revenue Code in South Carolina statutes and
coordinates state tax laws with federal tax provisions.
Sales
Tax Exemption on Durable Medical Equipment [H. 3800, Act 45]
H.
3800 (Act 45)
revises
the sales tax exemption on durable medical equipment and related supplies by
eliminating the eligibility requirement that the seller’s principal place of
business must be located in South Carolina.
Redevelopment of Military Installations [H. 3333, Act 24]
H. 3333 (Act 24) expands
projects that can be undertaken in the redevelopment of a federal military
installation to include certain affordable housing projects. The bill defines “affordable housing” as
residential housing for rent or sale that is appropriately priced for rent or
sale to a person or family whose income does not exceed eighty percent of the
median income for the local area, with adjustments for household size, from the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Act outlines that all or part of the new
property tax revenues generated in the tax increment financing (TIF) district
will be used to provide or support publicly and privately owned affordable
housing, including supporting infrastructure projects, in the district. The
obligations for redevelopment projects has been extended to not later than
thirty-five years after the adoption of an ordinance.
H. 3008 is a
concurrent resolution that requires South Carolina to file a continuing application
for a constitutional convention under Article V of the United States Constitution, has passed the House and the
Senate. The scope of this proposal is only to propose congressional
term limits for Senators and Representatives serving in Washington, DC via a
US Constitutional Amendment Convention.
S.
214 (Act 56)
relates to the Commission for Minority Affairs, so as to rename the Commission
and to remove Commission membership requirements. The Act creates a State Commission for
Community Advancement and Engagement consisting of nine members and the
Governor ex officio. The Governor must appoint one person from each of the
congressional districts of the State and two persons from the State at large
upon the advice and consent of the Senate. The Governor designates the
chairman. The commission must meet quarterly and at other times as the chairman
determines necessary to study the causes and effects of the socio-economic
deprivation of communities in the State and to implement programs necessary to
address socio-economic inequities confronting the State. The commission is to provide
the State with a single point of contact for statistical and technical
assistance in the areas of research and planning for a greater economic future;
work with elected officials on the state, county, and local levels of
government in disseminating statistical data and its impact on their
constituencies; provide for publication of a statewide statistical abstract on
rural and under-resourced community affairs; provide statistical analyses for
members of the General Assembly on the state of rural and under-resourced
communities as the State experiences economic growth and changes; determine,
approve, and acknowledge by certification state recognition for Native American
Indian entities; however, notwithstanding their state certification, the tribes
have no power or authority to take any action which would establish, advance,
or promote any form of gambling in this State; among other functions.
H. 3175 (Act 39) provides that the
Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue license plates commemorating the 250th
anniversary of the American Revolution.
H.
4267 (Act
68) designates the twenty-first day of November
as "Mayflower Compact Day."
S. 425 (Act
23) seeks to formalize into law the current
practice (currently implemented through a budget proviso) of providing meals to
school children living in poverty. It requires public school districts to annually
identify the number of its students who live in poverty and increase access to
free school breakfasts and lunches for these students. The bill provides a definition
for “students in poverty.” The bill also
outlines that if a student is unable to pay for a meal or accrues meal debt,
the student's district or school may not publicly identify or penalize the
student in any way including, but not limited to, denying meals, serving
alternative meals, discarding meals after serving them to the student,
requiring chores or work in exchange for meals, prohibiting participation in
extracurricular activities, denying participation in graduation, withholding
diplomas, or refusing transcript requests.
S. 367 (Act 22) establishes
procedures and gives the Department of Natural Resources the authority to
identify and address abandoned, derelict, and sunken vessels in
state waters. It is unlawful for any person to cause or allow a vessel to
become abandoned or derelict. A violation constitutes a misdemeanor, punishable
by a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 60 days, or both. Violators
are also responsible for all costs related to the removal and disposal of the
vessel. The bill authorizes the removal
of sunken vessels at any time once the designated removal period has expired,
without liability to the responsible party.
Additionally, individuals who remove and dispose of abandoned or
derelict vessels may initiate a civil action against the responsible party
within a specified timeframe. The
Department of Environmental Services, in coordination with the Department of
Natural Resources, must develop and maintain an application and website to
enable law enforcement and the public to report vessels that are wrecked,
junked, or submerged.
S. 307 (Act
20) establishes guidelines governing the
operation of peer‑to‑peer car sharing programs, which are business platforms that connect vehicle
owners with drivers to enable the sharing of vehicles for financial
consideration. Provisions include
record-keeping and insurance coverage requirements.
H. 4247 (Act 67) addresses the enforcement of South Carolina’s
Commodities Code. The Act makes numerous
revisions to provisions of South Carolina’s Commodities Code and their
enforcement. The legislation provides
for the Attorney General, rather than the Secretary of State, to be the
administrator of the Commodities Code.
The Office of Attorney General is authorized to retain the first
$750,000 in fines and penalties received in a fiscal year in settlement of
litigation enforcement actions and reimbursements of expenses arising from
Commodities Code violations to offset investigative, prosecutorial, and
administrative costs of enforcing the code, after which any excess fines and
penalties received in a fiscal year must be deposited into the state’s general
fund. Fines for Commodities Code
violations are revised so that they mirror penalties in South Carolina’s
Uniform Securities Act. To enhance
transparency, the legislation provides that all enforcement orders are public
documents subject to the Freedom of Information Act and must be published on
the Attorney General’s website and be searchable by the name of the parties
involved. The legislation also updates
provisions governing litter control officers vested with custodial arrest
authority and specifies that a litter control officer may exercise the power of
arrest with respect to his primary duties of enforcement of litter control laws
and ordinances and other state and local laws and ordinances as may arise
incidental to the enforcement of his primary duties only if the officer has
been certified as a law enforcement officer pursuant to the statutes governing
the Law Enforcement Training Council and Criminal Justice Academy.
H. 3947 (Act
27) relates to continuing
education requirements for real estate professionals. In
order to restore reciprocity arrangements between South Carolina and other
states, the legislation revises continuing education requirements for licensure
renewal by South Carolina’s Real Estate Commission to
provide that nonresident brokers and nonresident associates who successfully
satisfy continuing education requirements of their jurisdiction of residence
may be exempt from the continuing education requirements of this state with
approval of the commission. The
legislation also allows an exemption from continuing education requirements for
more experienced real estate professionals renewing expired licenses. Under these provisions, an individual with an
expired license who, at the time of expiration, was in good standing, has
twenty-five years or more of licensure in South Carolina, and who is sixty-five
years of age, may apply to the Real Estate Commission for a renewal of the
expired license. The applicant must pay
the renewal fee as provided by law. Upon
renewal, the licensee is exempt from continuing education requirements as
provided by law.
S. 176 (Act
34) revises provisions
regulating certified public accountants and public accountants to provide
updates and bring state statutes into better alignment with provisions of the
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
S. 101 (Act 32) revises
the South Carolina Firefighters Employment and Registration Act to
include a more detailed definition of a fire department and a revision to the
minimum information that the Office of the State Fire Marshal must maintain for
each firefighter it registers by requiring a valid driver's license number
rather than a South Carolina driver's license number.
S. 363 (Act 34) is a Joint Resolution to approve regulations of the
Department of Natural Resources,
relating to additional regulations applicable to specific properties,
designated as Regulation Document number 5329, pursuant to the provisions of
Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.
H.
3814 (Act no. pending) is a Joint Resolution
updating the 2024 Surface Water Study Committee to study the current state of surface
water. The legislation expands the scope
to include groundwater. As a result, the
study committee's report is now extended to March 2, 2026.
S. 165 (Act 15) enacts the South Carolina
Conservation Education Fund under the “South Carolina Conservation Education
Act,” for the purpose of connecting youth with nature through classroom and
outdoor natural resource conservation education. The fund can receive state funds, federal
funds, local government funds, donations, gifts, and grants. The Department of Natural Resources will be
responsible for identifying programs that meet the conservation education
goals; distributing funds to approved programs in an effort to help youth take
part in outdoor education programs about natural resource conservation that the
Department approves.
S. 345 (Act 21) addresses the Department of Natural
Resources’ Quail Management Program and concerns related to the quail
population. Quail management has been
impacted by issues related to feeding practices and the overlap of turkey
hunting. It is unlawful to hunt wild
turkey over a baited area for quail managed for the restoration and
sustainability of wild bobwhite quail.
As a result, the bill clarifies definitions of “bait” and “baited area”
to resolve and improve the management of both programs. It is not a violation if the land is
permitted by the Department. The property cannot be leased for hunting turkey
or run a commercial hunting opportunity for turkey. The Department has the authority to pull the
permit.
S. 219 (Act 16) broadens the fishing opportunities
dealing with the catch and size limits for certain species under the
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Federal Management Plan. It outlines that the state of South Carolina’s
catch limit will be the higher catch limit between the Federal and State limits
and the state’s size limit will be the lower size between the Federal and State
size limits.
S.
171 (Act 33)
addresses waste
tires, unsafe used tires, and tire-derived products that
include revised fees and record-keeping requirements for waste tire generators,
waste tire haulers, and operators of waste tire facilities. The legislation includes provisions making it
unlawful to install onto a passenger car or light truck an unsafe used tire
with damage or tread wear that fails to conform to safety standards. Provisions are made for the Department of
Environmental Services to award grants from the Waste Tire Trust Fund to assist
in recruiting industries that utilize waste tires for alternative productive
uses, such as rubber modified asphalt, to keep tires out of the solid waste
stream.
H.
3813 (Act 46) regards
bear hunting. The Act revises
hunting seasons for still gun hunts, from October 11
through October 23 on private land and October 11 through October 16 on
wildlife management areas; and for dog hunts, October 17 through October 30 on
private land and on wildlife management areas.
Because the Department of Natural Resources now uses a tag system, the
bill updates legislation by removing references to registered “party dog” hunts
in Game Zone 1.
H. 3292 (Act 64) relates to golf cart permits and
the operation of golf carts, to provide certain municipalities and
counties may enact ordinances to allow golf carts to operate in designated
areas within their jurisdictions at night. This bill aims to revive a statute
for the same purpose allowed to sunset in 2021.
H. 4211 is a
Concurrent Resolution to recognize the essential value and importance of South
Carolina native plants to the state’s environment, landscape, agriculture,
history, and economy and to encourage state agencies, local governments and
private landowners to use native plants for landscaping, erosion control and
vegetation management whenever possible to promote the viability of migratory
and nonmigratory pollinators and to help to preserve South Carolina’s unique
flora and fauna.
Military and Veterans’ Affairs
H. 4296 (Act 55)
cleans
up outdated language throughout Title
25 (Military, Civil Defense and Veterans Affairs) of
the South Carolina Code of Laws.
H. 3910 (Act 54) deals with jurisdiction over certain lands relinquished by the United
States. This legislation addresses crimes committed by children of military
families. Currently, the only exception
to the United States' exclusive jurisdiction over lands it acquires in South
Carolina, including Department of Defense military installations, is for
service by the state's civil and criminal process courts. The Act expands the concurrent jurisdiction
with South Carolina and the United States over a military installation relating
to any violation of federal law committed by a juvenile that is also an offense
under state law with two conditions: (a) the United States Attorney, or the
United States District Court, for the applicable district in South Carolina,
waives exclusive jurisdiction; and (b) the violation of federal law is also a
crime or infraction under state law. The Act also states that when concurrent
jurisdiction has been established, the family court has exclusive original
jurisdiction over these cases. Upon the establishment of concurrent
jurisdiction, any state or local agency may enter into a reciprocal agreement
with any agency of the United States for coordination and designation of responsibilities
related to the concurrent jurisdiction.
S. 89 (Act 31) renames the South Carolina Military Base Task Force to the South
Carolina Military Affairs Advisory Council.
In addition, the Act updates the purpose of the Council to coordinate
with military communities to support mission readiness for installations and to
improve the quality of life for service members and their families. The bill adds Aiken and Edgefield as military
counties, as well as the City of North Augusta, and makes appropriate
changes. This council shall convene no
less than once every calendar year at such times as requested by the council's
chairperson, secretary, or the Governor.
The bill adds that members of the executive committee shall be
recommended by the county legislative delegation to the Governor for
consideration for appointment.
Evaluation of County Veterans’ Affairs Offices [H. 3563, Act 43]
H. 3563 (Act 43) relates to the evaluation of county veterans’ affairs offices. This Act
requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or designee to evaluate each county
office no more than twice per year to determine the level of service being
provided to veterans and to ensure compliance with established uniform methods
and procedures. The Department shall reevaluate any deficiencies noted no more
than six months from the initial inspection. The Department may assist a county
in creating and executing a corrective action plan by the time of reinspection.
The secretary shall report the results of final inspection, in writing, to the
legislative delegation and the county administrator of each county within
ninety days of the final evaluation. The secretary or designee shall not have
the authority to remove a county officer for any reason.
H. 3333 (Act 24) expands projects that can be undertaken in the redevelopment of a
federal military installation to include certain affordable housing
projects. The bill defines “affordable
housing” as residential housing for rent or sale that is appropriately priced
for rent or sale to a person or family whose income does not exceed eighty
percent of the median income for the local area, with adjustments for household
size, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Act outlines that all or part of the new
property tax revenues generated in the tax increment financing (TIF) district
will be used to provide or support publicly and privately owned affordable
housing, including supporting infrastructure projects, in the district. The
obligations for redevelopment projects have been extended to not later than
thirty-five years after the adoption of an ordinance.
S.
218 (Act 5) gives
the SC Department of Veterans Affairs the authority to fully manage and oversee
operations by adopting policies and procedures for admissions and
discharges. The legislation further
allows the Department to set and collect residence and service fees, as well as
to receive payments from the assignment of any state or Federal benefit. With the creation of the SC Department of
Veterans Affairs, the South Carolina Veterans Retirement Homes,
previously under the Department of Mental Health, was moved under the authority
of Veterans Affairs.
S.
253 (Act
72)
addresses
accounting
discrepancies in the state’s finances.
The forensic accounting firm AlixPartners (commissioned to report on the
subject) determined that a purported $1.8 billion surplus in the State Treasury
was an accounting error made during the transition to a new state bookkeeping
system rather than unexpended funds. The legislation directs the State
Treasurer, Comptroller General, and State Auditor to work in concert to
effectuate, within one year, the implementation of recommendations made in the
AlixPartners forensic accounting report and other relevant studies. Audit support funding is redirected to the
Department of Administration to be utilized to hire an independent consultant
to assess and oversee compliance. The
legislation’s compliance timeline requires monthly reports on implementation
and, by the one-year deadline, the submission of a comprehensive final report
from the independent compliance monitor.
S. 103 (Act 14) deals
with the labeling of cell-cultured meat (meat
developed in a lab). The Act provides for the definition of "artificial or
cell-cultivated food product" as any food product developed in a
laboratory or
facility and grown from a biopsy of living animal cells including, but not
limited to, livestock, poultry, fish, crustaceans, or other animal
protein. It shall be unlawful for any
person to label any artificial or cell-cultivated food product such as beef,
poultry, fish, crustacean, or any other animal protein that the artificial or
cell-cultivated food product may resemble for the purposes of advertising,
manufacturing, selling, or holding or offering for sale.
H. 4261 (Act 51) designates the month of
September of each year as “Blood Cancer Awareness Month” to demonstrate the state’s
commitment to the study, prevention, and eradication of blood cancers and
encourage all South Carolinians to support patients and their families, as well
as efforts to better understand and find cures for these diseases.
S. 2 (Act
3) creates within the executive branch
of state government an agency to be known as the Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental Disabilities (the replacement agency for the South
Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs). This Act is an effort to consolidate
efficient healthcare that will result in the reduction of administration
duplication and improve public health outcomes. The governor, with the advice
and consent of the Senate, appoints the Director to Act as the head and
governing authority. There will
be three components of this new agency; the Office of Substance Use Services (currently
known as DAODAS); the Office of Mental Health and the Office of
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (currently known as DDSN). Each component office shall be headed by an
office director who shall be appointed by the department's director.
The legislation outlines that the Director
shall develop and execute a cohesive and comprehensive plan for services
provided by the component offices housed within the department. Among many things, the bill also outlines
that the director may, to the extent authorized through the Annual
Appropriations Act or relevant permanent law, 1) organize the administration of
the department, including the assignment of personnel to the offices and among
its component departments, as is necessary to carry out the department's
duties; 2) develop the budget for the department, including the component
offices, to reflect the priorities of its comprehensive service plan and 3)
provide to the governor and General Assembly, an annual accountability report
containing the agency's mission, objectives to accomplish the mission, and
performance measures that show the degree to which objectives are being
met. In addition, the Department's
annual accountability report shall include a review of efforts to maximize
efficiency and identify any duplicative services. They are also to develop a plan to consolidate,
and coordinate identified duplicative programs and to eliminate redundancy (while
ensuring that the quality, accessibility, and specialization of services are
preserved or enhanced). As a result, the
bill makes conforming changes throughout the code to reflect the newly formed Department
and offices.
H. 4067 (Act 49) formalizes in law the current
practice of ensuring at least one physician is on duty in hospital emergency
rooms. The Act specifies that the physician does not need to be physically
present in the emergency department but must be on the premises.
H.
3996 (Act 48)
changes the anesthesiologist’s supervisory ratio,
from two to four, of anesthesiologist's assistants at any one time. In addition, the bill also removes the
in-person interview requirement for anesthesiologist assistants.
S. 221 (Act
35) creates the South Carolina Kratom Consumer
Protection Act. The Act provides for the
regulation of the sale of kratom products by retailers and processors. Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast
Asia and is a supplement that is sold as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain
reliever, and remedy for the symptoms of quitting opioids. “Kratom” commonly refers to an herbal
substance that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects. Kratom and
kratom-based products are currently legal and accessible in many areas;
however, kratom or its related compounds have not been approved by the U. S.
Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective. Among many things, the bill
outlines that it is unlawful for a kratom processor or kratom retailer to
distribute, dispense, or sell any kratom product to any individual under
twenty-one years of age. In addition,
retailers cannot display or store a kratom product in a location that allow
product(s) to be accessed by anyone under twenty-one years of age. The bill creates penalties for
violations. This provision goes into
effect 60 days after the Governor signs the bill.
H. 3752 (Act
66) is the “Social Work Interstate Compact
Act.” The Act was
approved to make provisions for South Carolina to join a compact to
facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers with
the goal of improving public access to competent social work services while
preserving the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and
safety through the current system of state licensure.
3M
H. 3333, 34
H. 3910, 40
H. 3996, 43
H. 4067, 43
S. 002, 42
S. 218, 41
S. 221, 44
accounting discrepancies in the state’s finances, 42
accounting majors, 24
Act 01, 33
Act 02, 18
Act 03, 42
Act 04, 32
Act 05, 41
Act 06, 22
Act 07, 32
Act 08, 31
Act 11, 21
Act 12, 19
Act 14, 42
Act 15, 38
Act 16, 39
Act 17, 27
Act 18, 19
Act 19, 31
Act 20, 36
Act 21, 39
Act 22, 36
Act 23, 36
Act 24, 34, 41
Act 26, 31
Act 27, 37
Act 28, 23
Act 29, 24
Act 30, 23
Act 32, 38
Act 33, 39
Act 34, 38
Act 35, 44
Act 36, 23
Act 37, 31, 33
Act 39, 35
Act 41, 18
Act 42, 25
Act 44, 24
Act 45, 34
Act 46, 39
Act 47, 24
Act 48, 43
Act 49, 43
Act 50, 32
Act 51, 42
Act 54, 40
Act 55, 40
Act 56, 35
Act 57, 30
Act 59, 30
Act 61, 34
Act 62, 27
Act 63, 34
Act 64, 39
Act 65, 19
Act 66, 44
Act 67, 37
Act 68, 35
Act 69, 7
Act 72, 42
Act 74, 7, 17
Acts
Educator Assistance Act, 19
South Carolina Energy Security Act, 18
South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act, 27
Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act, 19
Acts 25, 29
Ag
H. 3814, 38
H. 4211, 40
S. 103, 42
S. 165, 38
S. 219, 39
S. 345, 39
S. 367, 36
S. 425, 36
American
Revolution, 35
anti-revenge porn measure, 31
Appropriations
Act. See budget
Article V, 35
artificial or cell-cultivated food product, 42
attorney general, 25, 30
Attorney General, 30
Behavioral
Health and Developmental Disabilities
Office of
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
currently
known as DDSN, 43
Office of
Substance Use Services
currently
known as DAODAS, 43
the
replacement agency for the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, 42
Blood Cancer Awareness Month, 42
budget
abortion ,
withholding of funding, 15
academic
libraries, 12
Aeronautics, 7
Aging, 15
Agriculture, 13
agriculture
in the classroom, 10
Airport
Enhancements, 7
Alcohol
and Other Drug Abuse Services, 15
Archives
and History, 14
Arts
Commission, 14
Attorney
General’s, 16
Board of
Technical and Comprehensive Education, 12
Capital
Reserve Fund, 7
Certified
SC School Cafeteria Program, 10
CHE
technology, 12
Child
Early Reading and Developmental Education, 9
Child
Nutrition Program, 10
Clemson
University, 11
Coastal
Carolina University, 11
College
Transition Program, 12
Commerce, 12, 13
Conservation
Bank, 14
Contingency
Reserve Fund, 7
Corrections, 16
Department
of Agriculture, 13
Disabilities
and Special Needs, 15
Education, 9
education
enhancements
Science
PLUS, Reach Out and Read, Call Me Mister, School Leadership Accelerator, 10
Education
Improvement Act, 9
Education
Improvement Act funds, 7
Education
Lottery funds, 7
Education Scholarship
Trust Fund, 10
Election
Commission, 17
Employment
and Workforce, 13
Environment, 14
Environmental
Services, 14
financial
reserve accounts, 7
Francis
Marion University, 12
fraud,
mitigate the risk of, 8
FTE
positions
timeline
for eliminating 25% percent of agencies’ vacant FTE positions, 8
General
Appropriation bill, 7
General
Government, 8
Health, 14
Health and
Human Services, 14
Higher
Education, 10
Higher
Education Excellence Enhancement Program, 12
higher
education scholarship programs
LIFE,
HOPE, and Palmetto Fellows, 12
Higher
Education Tuition Grants Commission, 12
Hurricanes
Helene and Debby, 7
Imagination
Library, 10
Indigent
Defense, 16
information
security monitoring and protection, 8
instructional
materials, 10
Judicial
Department, 16
Juvenile
Justice, 16
kindergarten, 9
Lander
University, 12
law
enforcement recruitment and retention initiatives, 16
Legislative Audit Council, 17
Local
Government Fund, 8
Medical
University of South Carolina, 11
Mental
Health, 15
National
Guard, 8
National
Guard Tuition Repayment Program, 12
Natural
Resources, 14
need-based
grants, 12
Nursing
Initiative, 12
Parks,
Recreation and Tourism, 13
Probation,
Parole and Pardon Services, 16
Prosecution
Coordination Commission, 16
PRT, 13
PSA, 13
PSA,
Clemson University, 13
PSA, SC
State University, 13
Public
Health, 14
Public
Safety, 16
Ready SC
Program, 12
Roads and
Bridges, 7
Rural
Infrastructure Fund, 13
SC
Workforce Industry Needs, 12
school
buses, 10
School of
Workforce Innovation Pilot Program, 10
Social
Services, 15
South
Carolina State University, 11
State Aid
to Classrooms, 9
State
Employee Benefits, 9
State
Government Budget, Fiscal Year 2025-2026, 7
state's
health insurance plan, 9
Summer
Reading Camps, 9
Tax Relief
Trust Fund, 7
Teaching
Transformation Pilot Program, 10
Tech-to-Teach
Pilot Program, 10
The
Citadel, 11
Transportation, 7
Tuition
Assistance Program, 12
tuition
mitigation initiative, higher education, 10
University
of South Carolina, 10
USC system, 11
Veterans’
Affairs, 15
vetoes (vetoes 8, 9) Legislative Audit
Council provisos, 17
Budget and Finance, 7
Business and Commerce, 36
captive insurance companies, 27
Catawba Nation participation in the Police Officers
Retirement System, 28
cell-cultured meat, 42
changes
the anesthesiologist’s supervisory ratio, 43
Charter School Act
amends, 24
charter school admissions preferences, 24
Committee, 38
communication
service and remote computing services customer account information, 30
computer-generated images of
identifiable minors, 30
Congressional term limits for Senators and Representatives serving in
Washington, DC, 35
constitutional convention under Article V, 35
Department of Insurance, 27
Economic Development and
Taxes, 34
economics and business statistics, 24
Education, 19
H. 3175, 35
H. 3196, 19
H. 3247, 22
H. 3292, 39
H. 3632, 24
H. 3862, 24
H. 4267, 35
S. 062, 21
S. 077, 23
S. 078, 24
S. 079, 23
S. 269, 23
S. 276, 31
Educator Assistance
breach of contract, 20
data collection, 20
district professional
development, 19
minimum salary schedule, 20
recertification courses, 19
sick leave bank, 20
teacher employment, 20
teacher school assignments, 20
Educator Assistance Act, 19
electric vehicle charging stations, 19
Energy Security Act, 18
enrolled for ratification
S. 156, 34
facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers, 44
failing to stop for
a blue light or siren
felony, 33
fentanyl, 34
fentanyl-induced homicide, 34
Firefighters Employment and Registration Act, revisions to, 38
General Government, 27
golf cart permits, 39
golf carts, 39
great bodily injury, 33
H. 3008, 35
H. 3058, 31
H. 3058, Act 37, 31
H. 3127, 33
H. 3127, Act 37, 33
H. 3175, 35
H. 3175, Act 39, 35
H. 3196, 19
H. 3196, Act 12, 19
H. 3247, 22
H. 3247, Act 6, 22
H. 3276, 27
H. 3276, Act 42, 27
H. 3292, 39
H. 3292, Act 64, 39
H. 3309, 18
H. 3309, Act 41, 18
H. 3333, 34, 41
H. 3333, Act 24, 34, 41
H. 3430, 25
H. 3430, Act 42, 25
H. 3432, 29
H. 3432,
Act 25, 29
H. 3472, 31
H. 3472, Act 26, 31
H. 3523, 33
H. 3523, Act 1, 33
H. 3529, 32
H. 3529, Act 7, 32
H. 3571, 19
H. 3571, Act 65, 19
H. 3632, 24
H. 3632, Act 44, 24
H. 3654, 31
H. 3654, Act 8, 31
H. 3752, 44
H. 3752, Act 66, 44
H. 3800, 34
H. 3800, Act 45, 34
H. 3813, 39
H. 3813, Act 46, 39
H. 3814, 38
H. 3814, Act no. pending, 38
H. 3862, 24
H. 3862, Act 47, 24
H. 3910, 40
H. 3910, Act 54, 40
H. 3933, 29
H. 3933, Act 10, 29
H. 3947, 37
H. 3947, Act 27, 37
H. 3969, 29
H. 3996, 43
H. 3996, Act 48, 43
H. 4025, 7
H. 4026, 7, 17
H. 4026, Act 74, 17
H. 4067, 43
H. 4067, Act 49, 43
H. 4160, 32
H. 4160, Act 50, 32
H. 4211, 40
H. 4247, 37
H. 4247, Act 67, 37
H. 4261, 42
H. 4261, Act 51, 42
H. 4267, 35
H. 4267, Act 68, 35
H. 4296, 40
H. 4296, Act 55, 40
H. 4402, 28
H. 4402, Act no. pending, 28
Health, 42
Hurricane Helene storm recovery bonds, 18
In-District
Expense Compensation, 9
initial teaching certificate, 24
Insurance Holding Company Regulatory Act, revisions to, 27
Internet Crimes
Against Children cases, 30
Internet Crimes Against Children Task
Force, 30
jointly and severally liable, 26
judges, 32
Judicial, Court, and Legal Matters, 31
Judiciary
H. 3008, 35
H. 3058, 31
H. 3127, 33
H. 3276, 27
H. 3430, 25
H. 3432, 29
H. 3472, 31
H. 3523, 33
H. 3529, 32
H. 3654, 31
H. 3969, 29
H. 4160, 32
S. 028, 30
S. 029, 30
S. 074, 30
S. 126, 32
S. 136, 33
S. 156, 34
S. 214, 35
laboratory, 42
Law and Civil Society, 35
Law Enforcement and Public Safety, 32
law
enforcement officers, 32
LCI
H. 3309, 18
H. 3571, 19
H. 3752, 44
H. 3947, 37
H. 4247, 37
S. 051, 19
S. 176, 38
S. 210, 27
S. 220, 27
S. 271, 28
S. 275, 19
S. 307, 36
license
plates
commemorating
the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, 35
LIFE scholarship, 23
LIFE scholarship
enhancements for accounting and education majors, 23
LIFE scholarship stipends, 24
Mayflower Compact Day, 35
meals to school children living in poverty, 36
military,
civil defense and veterans affairs, 40
morphed images being generated as obscene visual representations of child
sexual abuse, 30
noncertified teachers, 23
nuclear power projects, 19
Palmetto Fellows, 22
Palmetto Fellows scholarship stipends, 24
peer‑to‑peer car sharing programs, 36
personal
information protections
judges and
law enforcement, 32
possession of a gun offense,
unlawful
entitled to a
dismissal of their charge, 33
property
rights vesting reforms, 29
public access to school board meetings
electronic transmission, 23
Public Service Commissioners, timely election of, 28
Real Estate Commission, 37
real estate professionals, continuing education requirements
for, 37
Regulations
S. 164, 28
S. 388, 22
S. 389, 23
Requirements, 7
S. 002, 42
S. 002, Act 3, 42
S. 028, 30
S. 028, Act 57, 30
S. 029, 30
S. 029, Act 58, 30
S. 051, 19
S. 062, 21
S. 062, Act 11, 21
S. 074, 30
S. 074, Act 59, 30
S. 077, 23
S. 077, Act 28, 23
S. 078, 24
S. 078 , Act 29, 24
S. 079, 23
S. 101, 38
S. 101, Act 32, 38
S. 103, 42
S. 103 , Act 14, 42
S. 126, 32
S. 126, Act 4, 32
S. 127, 28
S. 127, Act 60, 28
S. 136, 33
S. 156, 34
S. 156, Act 61, 34
S. 157, 18
S. 157, Act 2, 18
S. 164, 28
S. 164, Act 13, 28
S. 165, 38
S. 165, Act 15, 38
S. 171, 39
S. 171, Act 33, 39
S. 176, 38
S. 176, Act 34, 38
S. 210, 27
S. 210, Act 62, 27
S. 214, 35
S. 214, Act 56, 35
S. 218, 41
S. 218, Act 5, 41
S. 219, 39
S. 219, Act 16, 39
S. 220, 27
S. 220, Act 17, 27
S. 221, 44
S. 221, Act 35, 44
S. 253, 42
S. 269, 23
S. 269, Act 36, 23
S. 271, 28
S. 275, 19
S. 275, Act 18, 19
S. 276, 31
S. 276, Act 19, 31
S. 307, 36
S. 307, Act 20, 36
S. 345, 39
S. 345, Act 21, 39
S. 363, 38
S. 363, Act 34, 38
S. 367, 36
S. 367, Act 22, 36
S. 388, 22
S. 389, 23
S. 425, 36
S. 425 , Act 23, 36
S. 507, 34
S. 507, Act 63, 34
S. 79, Act 30, 23
SC
Department of Veterans Affairs, 41
scholarship stipends, 24
security personnel licensed as a proprietary security
business, 23
server training certificates, 26
sexual exploitation, 30
Sine Die resolution, 28
South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act, 27
special
purpose districts, 29
Surface
Water Study Committee, 38
Table of Contents, 3
tortfeasors’, 25
Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act, 19
V.C. Summer nuclear power projects, consider proposals for
developing abandoned, 19
vessels, abandoned, derelict, and sunken, 36
vetoes
H. 3969, 29
H. 4025 (budget, veto 8, 9), 17
S. 136, 33
waste tires, unsafe used tires, and tire-derived products, 39
without reference
H. 3933, 29
H. 4261, 42
H. 4296, 40
H. 4402, 28
S. 157, 18
S. 253, 42
WM
H. 3800, 34
H. 4025, 7
H. 4026, 17
S. 127, 28
S. 171, 39
S. 507, 34
Note
to the reader regarding these Legislative Summaries
Sources
The
versions of bills and acts that these summaries are based on can be found in
the House and Senate Journals of the 126th Session (First Session, 2025) and
other webpage resources: (https://www.scstatehouse.gov).
Citation
Style (Chicago Manual of Style) for Students/Researchers
South
Carolina General Assembly, South Carolina House of Representatives, Legislative
Update, 2025. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/hupdate.php
Online Resources
These
summaries are on the South Carolina General Assembly homepage (http://www.scstatehouse.gov). Go
to “Publications” and then “Legislative Updates” (https://www.scstatehouse.gov/publications.php). This
lists all the Legislative Updates.
Style
The
House Research Office uses the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style
(with in-house style modifications, esp. regarding numbers/numerals).
NOTE: In the Word file within the Table of
Contents, you can go directly to the act or bill summary by pressing the Ctrl
key, pointing the cursor at the line and left click the mouse.]
Use
'THE BELOW CONSTITUTED SUMMARY IS PREPARED BY THE STAFF OF THE SOUTH
CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND IS NOT THE EXPRESSION OF THE
LEGISLATION'S SPONSOR(S) OR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IT IS STRICTLY FOR
THE INTERNAL USE AND BENEFIT OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND IS
NOT TO BE CONSTRUED BY A COURT OF LAW AS AN EXPRESSION OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT'. House Rule 4.19
Tuesday, June
10, 2025