South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A32, R50, S101

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Gambrell
Document Path: LC-0137WAB25.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2025
Last Amended on May 1, 2025
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: May 12, 2025, Signed

Summary: Firefighter registration requirements

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
12/11/2024 Senate Prefiled
12/11/2024 Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
1/14/2025 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 71)
1/14/2025 Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (Senate Journal-page 71)
2/18/2025 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry (Senate Journal-page 14)
2/20/2025 Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 16)
2/20/2025 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 16)
2/20/2025 Senate Roll call Ayes-37 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 16)
2/25/2025 Senate Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 13)
2/26/2025 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 14)
2/26/2025 House Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (House Journal-page 14)
4/30/2025 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry (House Journal-page 12)
5/1/2025 House Amended (House Journal-page 111)
5/1/2025 House Read second time (House Journal-page 111)
5/1/2025 House Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 112)
5/1/2025 House Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House Journal-page 114)
5/2/2025 House Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 9)
5/6/2025 Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 93)
5/8/2025 Ratified R 50
5/12/2025 Signed By Governor
5/19/2025 Effective date 05/12/25
5/19/2025 Act No. 32

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/11/2024
12/11/2024-A
12/11/2024-B
02/18/2025
02/20/2025
04/30/2025
05/01/2025

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(A32, R50, S101)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-80-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA FIREFIGHTERS EMPLOYMENT AND REGISTRATION ACT, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "FIRE DEPARTMENT"; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-80-40, RELATING TO FIREFIGHTER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CLARIFICATION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 40-80-50, RELATING TO FIREFIGHTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT A DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIRED FOR DOCUMENTATION MUST BE ISSUED BY THIS STATE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Definitions

SECTION 1.    Section 40-80-10(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(B) For purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Employer" means any fire department which puts an individual or employee in service as a firefighter or assigns any person to work or to official duties as a firefighter whether or not the firefighter receives financial compensation.

(2) "Employment date" means the date the fire chief certifies the firefighter has been added to the fire department's roster as a recruit or is trained and prepared to perform firefighting duties.

(3) "Fire chief" means the highest ranking officer or official in charge of a fire department, whether or not called by some other title.

(4) "Fire department" means any legally organized fire department or fire service in this State that:

(a) engages in fire suppression and other related fire service activities;

(b) provides fire protection to a dedicated response district, other than their own property, and must be officially recognized, created or chartered by a town, municipality, county, or the state;

(c) has a Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating through the Insurance Services Office (ISO). This rating may be as an individual department or in conjunction with neighboring districts;

(d) is dispatched by a 911 dispatch center or a local government-owned Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Effective no later than July 1, 2026, the fire department must be verified by the State Fire Marshal's Office and issued a valid South Carolina Fire Department (SCFD) number and is eligible for a National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) number; and

(e) is registered and maintains a roster of its members with both the State Fire Marshal and the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association.

(5) "Firefighter" means any person, male or female, paid or unpaid, who engages in rescue, fire suppression, or related activities under the supervision of a fire chief or fire department.

(6) "Firefighting duties" means duties relating to rescue, fire suppression, public safety, and related activities as assigned by a fire chief.

Registration requirements

SECTION 2.    Section 40-80-40(C) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(C) A firefighter who works for or serves more than one fire department must be registered by each fire department.

Registration information and documentation requirements

SECTION 3.    Section 40-80-50 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 40-80-50.    Upon recommendation of a fire chief or other employer, the Office of the State Fire Marshal must register each firefighter subject to the provisions of Sections 40-80-30 and 40-80-40. The Office of the State Fire Marshal must maintain as minimum information on each firefighter the complete name, the date of birth, the social security number, a valid driver's license number, the employer, and the date of employment or membership. The Office of the State Fire Marshal must notify the chief of the employing fire department or other employer of the registration. This notification may be transmitted electronically or in written form. The fire chief must utilize forms as required and provided by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Time effective

SECTION 4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of May, 2025.

Approved the 12th day of May, 2025.

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This web page was last updated on May 19, 2025 at 1:05 PM