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R171, H3163
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. M.M. Smith, Lawson, Pope, Spann-Wilder, McCravy, Hartnett, Teeple, Kilmartin, Montgomery, Sanders, Bauer, Guffey, Taylor and W. Newton
Document Path: LC-0122WAB25.docx
Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on April 23, 2025
Last Amended on April 10, 2025
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: May 15, 2026, Signed
Summary: Occupational diseases
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 12/5/2024 | House | Prefiled |
| 12/5/2024 | House | Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry |
| 1/14/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 113) |
| 1/14/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (House Journal-page 113) |
| 1/15/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartnett, Teeple |
| 2/5/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kilmartin |
| 3/27/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Montgomery |
| 4/1/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Sanders |
| 4/8/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bauer |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Guffey, Taylor |
| 4/9/2025 | House | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W. Newton |
| 4/10/2025 | Scrivener's error corrected | |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Amended (House Journal-page 32) |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 32) |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 32) |
| 4/22/2025 | House | Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 9) |
| 4/23/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 7) |
| 4/23/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 7) |
| 4/29/2026 | Senate | Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 5/5/2026 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 31) |
| 5/5/2026 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-3 (Senate Journal-page 31) |
| 5/6/2026 | Senate | Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 76) |
| 5/14/2026 | Ratified R 171 | |
| 5/15/2026 | Signed By Governor |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/05/2024
04/09/2025
04/10/2025
04/10/2025-A
04/29/2026
NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
(R171, H3163)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 42-11-30, RELATING TO COMPENSABLE OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES FOR FIREFIGHTERS, SO AS TO INCLUDE STROKES AND TO REVISE PRESUMPTION ENTITLEMENT CRITERIA.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Occupational diseases, firefighters
SECTION 1. Section 42-11-30(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, for purposes of the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Law, any impairment or injury to the health of a firefighter caused by heart disease, stroke, or respiratory disease resulting in total or partial disability or death is presumed to have arisen out of and in the course of employment, unless the contrary is shown by competent evidence, if the firefighter is at the time of such impairment or injury a bona fide member of a municipal, county, state, port authority, or fire control district fire department in this State. In order to be entitled to the presumption provided for in this section, any person becoming a member of a fire department after May 29, 1968, must be under the age of thirty-seven years and must have successfully passed a physical examination by a competent physician upon entering into such service or by July 1, 2012, a written report of which must have been made and filed before any alleged injury with the fire department, which examination failed to reveal any evidence of such condition or conditions, and the condition or conditions developed while actively engaged in fighting a fire, a technical rescue incident, or a firefighter training exercise that involves stressful or strenuous physical activity, or within twenty-four hours thereof. This presumption does not apply to clerical, administrative, or sedentary activities.
Time effective
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.
Approved the 15th day of May, 2026. -- S.
This web page was last updated on May 22, 2026 at 12:18 PM