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Members of the House Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday and Wednesday to debate and pass their version of the 2025-26 state budget (H. 4025). The House continued their work in chamber debating and passing several bills of interest to counties in preparation to debate the budget bill on the floor in a few weeks.
The Senate spent most of the week in subcommittee meetings receiving testimony on liquor liability (S. 184), tort reform (S. 244) and energy reform (H. 3309). The Senate Finance Committee also advanced several bills of note to the Senate floor.
Thank YOU to all the county officials who attended Counties Connect: A Legislative Action Day on Wednesday. Your presence at the State House was greatly appreciated!
Calls to Action:
This week’s report contains a wealth of information and several action items within. A quick overview of ways you can advocate for county government this coming week are to:
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Thank members of the House Ways and Means Committee for keeping their promise to counties and working to return much-needed funding to county governments throughout the state!
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Contact your House representatives and ask them to oppose the Boat Tax Reduction bill (H. 3858) because of the detrimental fiscal impact the bill will have on your county’s finances!
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Respond to the fiscal impact request SCAC will send out today on the Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI)/Point of Sale Cap (H. 3951) to let the General Assembly know the financial impact this bill will have on your county.
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Contact Kent Lesesne at klesesne@scac.sc if you have any concerns about the Stormwater Exemption for Farm Structures bill (H.3473). SCAC and other stakeholders expressed concerns to a House Agriculture subcommittee about this bill.
Bills of interest to counties are discussed below.
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2025-26 State Budget
Budget — H. 4025. The House Ways and Means Committee passed H. 4025 out of committee Wednesday. The House is scheduled to debate the bill on the floor the week of March 10. The Committee increased funding to the Local Government Fund (LGF) by $14,566,488 statewide. This represents full funding to the LGF under the statutory formula. See the estimated LGF county allocations for FY 2025-26.
Items the Ways and Means Committee funded this year include:
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$66 million to cover a base pay increase for state employees (see proviso 117.141);
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$89 million to cover a portion of the state employees’ share of a projected 4.6% increase in premiums for the State Health Plan (see proviso 108.6);
- $12 million in recurring money for the Rural County Stabilization Fund;
- $750,000 in recurring money for PTSD treatment for first responders;
- $3 million in recurring money to Labor Licensing and Regulation for the V-SAFE Fund;
- $3.784 million in recurring money for the Firefighter Cancer Benefit Plan;
- $1 million in recurring money to supplement the Councils of Governments;
- $1.1 million in additional recurring funding for State Aid to County Libraries to raise the per pupil funding to $2.75;
- $1.1 million in one-time money to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for regional tourism promotions (see proviso 49.1), $7.5 million for destination specific marketing grants and over $9.5 million for tourism development;
- $5 million in one-time money to the Rural Infrastructure Authority for the Rural Infrastructure Fund and $15 million for the statewide water and sewer fund;
- $81 million in one-time money to the Department of Commerce for LocateSC site readiness;
- $38 million in one-time money to the Office of Resiliency for the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund;
- $3 million in one-time money to the Conservation Bank for grant funding;
- $200 million one-time money to the Department of Transportation for bridge modernization, $50 million for repairs needed due to Hurricane Helene, and $9 million for road safety enhancements;
- $10.35 million to the Division of Aeronautics for airport safety and development;
- Over $222 million in one-time money to SC Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) to match Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for declared disaster relief (including Hurricane Helene) and $1 million for the revolving loan fund;
- $2.2 million in additional recurring money to the Department of Environmental Services (DES) for the air quality program and $2.5 million for the drinking water program;
- $2.5 million to Department of Health and Human Services in addition to over $12 million from the federal government for opioid treatment services;
- Almost $11 million in one-time money to the Election Commission for statewide voting system upgrades and almost $4 million in recurring money for annual election costs;
- Almost $20 million in new recurring money to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for veteran homes; and
- $3.5 million in one-time money to the Attorney General’s Office for the Crime Victim Assistance “SAVS” Program.
Please thank the members of the House Ways and Means Committee for keeping their promise to counties and working to return much-needed funding to county governments throughout the state!
In addition to the provisos that remain in the budget from last year, the Ways and Means Committee adopted the following new and amended provisos of interest:
118.20. SR: Homestead Exemption Fund. Amends the existing proviso to direct $114,369,000 in one-time money from the Homestead Exemption Fund to be distributed as a one-time, nonrecurring appropriation, by Sept. 30, 2025, to the General Fund of the state to provide income tax relief.
55.10. DES: Pollutants Remediation Fund. Amends the existing proviso dealing with PFAS polyfluoroalkyl remediation to change the allocation of funds. Previously, 60% of the funds were made available to private well owners and municipal, county, joint, or otherwise public drinking water systems serving 30,000 customers or fewer. The remaining 40% were made available to municipal, county, joint, or otherwise public drinking water systems serving more than 30,000 customers. The amended proviso now allows more than 60% to go to the smaller systems and up to 40% to the larger systems, at the Department of Environmental Services’ (DES) discretion.
55.20. DES: Innovative Reusable Byproduct Pilot Program. This existing proviso established the Innovative Reusable Byproduct Pilot Program from funds appropriated to DES to determine whether innovations in manufacturing, food production, timber, and other similar industries can provide new opportunities to use byproducts that would otherwise require management as solid waste. The committee amended the proviso to require DES to submit a program report to the General Assembly by June 30 each year.
55.pt. DES: Permitting Timeframes. Requires DES to issue a decision on a completed application for a permit no later than 90 days after the date the application is received by the department. DES and the applicant may mutually agree in writing to extend this review period, and the department may not stop, stay, or otherwise alter the review period without a written agreement.
92D.1. SCOR: Catastrophic Weather Event. Amends the existing proviso to update calendar year references, adds Hurricane Helene in reference to the catastrophic weather events, and adds the Office of Resilience’s Rapid Rebuild Program to the listed offices for funding improvements.
96.cvs. SS: Cable and Video Service Certificates. Prohibits the Secretary of State from automatically denying the application or amending the application for a cable or video service certificate pursuant to Section 58-12-310 if a community does not indicate its unconditional consent to the state-issued certificate of franchise authority within 65 days.
100.pap. ADJ: SC Public Assistance Program. Authorizes SCEMD to establish the South Carolina Public Assistance Program to support disaster recovery for localized hazard events that cause severe damage but do not meet thresholds nor criteria for federal disaster declaration. State agencies and nonprofit organizations will not be eligible to receive reimbursements under this program. SCEMD will use the funds to reimburse eligible entities for unbudgeted response and infrastructure repair costs. Cost reimbursement will be 75% of eligible costs.
100.17. ADJ:PPE Stockpile. Amends the existing proviso to allow SCEMD to donate excess or expired personal protective equipment for nonmedical use to nonprofit charitable organizations if the materials cannot be sold.
102.1. ELECT: County Boards of Voter Registration and Elections Compensation. Amends the existing proviso to update the amount provided annually per board member from $1,500 to $2,500 each. The total amount a county may pay its entire board is increased from $13,500 to $22,500 annually.
102.2. ELECT: Elections Managers & Clerks Per Diem. Amends the existing proviso to increase the per diem of elections managers and clerks from $75 per to $100 for the day of work and from $60 to $75 for training and paperwork.
108.6. PEBA: State Health Plan. Amends the existing proviso relating to employer premium increases to update the plan year reference and to provide for a 4.6% increase in employer premiums.
113.2. AS-TREAS: Quarterly Distributions. Amends the existing proviso relating to quarterly distributions of the amount appropriated for the LGF to update the fiscal year reference.
117.141. GP: Employee Compensation. Amends the existing proviso to provide a salary increase to state employees to either the minimum of the new state pay grades established by the Department of Administration, or 2%, whichever is greater.
117.147. GP: Homestead Exemption Fund. For Fiscal Year 2025-26, Section 11-11-156(C) of the Code of Laws, relating to remaining balances of the Homestead Exemption Fund at the end of a fiscal year, is suspended.
117.176. GP: Credit Unions. Amends the existing proviso to update the fiscal year reference. The proviso allows a federal or state credit union headquartered in South Carolina to act as a qualified public depository for deposits held by a municipality as long as the population of the municipality is less than 5,000, the municipality is not part of a federally recognized metropolitan statistical area, the municipality is located at least 10 miles from a bank or credit union branch, and the credit union occupies and supports a full-service branching facility in the defined area.
117.de. GP: Prohibition on the Use of State Funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs. Prohibits state agencies, including institutions of higher education, school districts, charter schools, and all political subdivisions from using state funds to establish or support any office, unit, or division within that agency, for the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
117.fm. GP: Fraud Mitigation. Requires all state agencies that issue checks as a benefit to the general public, rather than as payment for services rendered, and that do not use the procurement process for such disbursements, to develop and implement measures to mitigate the risk of fraud. The agencies must also compile a report detailing fraud mitigation measures implemented and any incidents of fraud detected, and corrective actions taken. Agencies must submit the report to the General Assembly by Dec. 31 of the current fiscal year.
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Revenue, Finance, and Economic Development
Boat Property Tax Reduction — H. 3858. This bill gives boat owners a 50% property tax reduction on boats registered and titled in South Carolina, which would ultimately be subsidized by small businesses, car owners, renters, and other taxpayers. The bill also eliminates the titling and taxing of all outboard motors. SCAC was notified this bill is going to receive a hearing soon. South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office estimates that the statewide property tax reduction caused by this exemption would total over $59 million!
Please contact your House representatives and ask them to oppose H. 3858 because of the detrimental fiscal impact the bill will have on your county’s finances!
Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI)/Point of Sale Cap — H. 3951. Property that is sold goes on the property tax books for counties at the sales price, which is known as the Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI). Act 57 of 2011 was a compromise between SCAC and other stakeholders to provide a 25% property tax exemption for ATIs involving 6% property. This bill limits the increase in property tax value following an ATI so that the exemption value does not exceed 110% of the property tax value. The owner of the property can elect to use this exemption or use the exemption provided in Act 57. The exemption allowed by this section does not apply unless the owner of the property, or the owner's agent, notifies the county assessor of the election to claim the exemption and that the property will be subject to the assessment ratio provided pursuant to Section 12-43-220(e) before Jan. 31 for the tax year for which the owner first claims eligibility for the exemption. No further notifications are necessary from the current owner while the property remains subject to the assessment ratio provided pursuant to Section 12-43-220(e).
This bill is likely to be scheduled for a committee hearing soon. Please respond to the fiscal impact statement request from the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office regarding the financial impact this bill will have on your county. It will be sent by SCAC today to county auditors, assessors, tax collectors, treasurers, and chief administrative officers.
Low-Income Housing Property Tax Exemption — S. 125. This bill limits the property tax exemption for certain property of a nonprofit housing corporation to only the percentage of property equal to the corporation’s ownership interest in the property, if that interest is at least 50%. The bill also requires the nonprofit housing corporation to apply to the Department of Revenue for the initial exemption, to certify their ownership percentage, and to provide a rent roll or other suitable documentation proving compliance with the requirements of Revenue Procedure 96-32. The bill also requires annual recertification in subsequent years and notification by the Department of Revenue to the chief administrative officer of any county with jurisdiction over the property, an SCAC policy position. The Senate Finance Committee changed the effective date of the bill to 2026 and gave the bill a favorable report, as amended. S. 125 is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Continuing Resolution — S. 291. This bill allows for the continuing authority to pay the expenses of state government at the levels appropriated in Act 226 of 2024 if the 2025-26 Fiscal Year begins without a General Appropriations Act and provides for exceptions. The Senate Finance Committee reported the bill out favorably, and it is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
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Public Safety, Corrections and Judicial
Coroner Qualifications — H. 3048. This bill amends the qualification requirements for a candidate running for coroner. It deletes a provision allowing a candidate to simply be enrolled in a recognized forensic science degree or certification program to be completed within one year of being elected to the office of coroner. However, there is currently no requirement to verify that, upon election, the coroner previously obtained a forensic degree or completed the certification program. The bill also requires a candidate to be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check performed by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) at the candidate’s expense. The bill also requires the candidate to, at the time of filing, submit an affidavit along with supporting documents verifying that they meet the qualifications. This is a SCAC policy position.
The House Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment to change the fingerprint provision to require candidates to provide their fingerprints to SLED at the time of filing to seek office, rather than “no later than 130 days prior to the General Election.” The background check records are to be filed by the candidate with the county executive committee of the person’s political party. The Committee gave H. 3048 a favorable report, as amended, and the bill is pending second reading on the House calendar.
Drug-Induced Homicide — S. 156 and S. 183. S. 156 establishes fentanyl-induced homicide as a felony offense against the person who unlawfully delivers, dispenses, or otherwise provides fentanyl to a person who dies after injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion of any amount of the substance. This offense consists of the unlawful delivery, dispensation, or provision of fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance to another person whose death is caused by their injection, inhalation, absorption, or ingestion of such substance. It is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 30 years. Further, the bill also provides that a defense may not be established due to a decedent contributing to their own death by their purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent consumption of the fentanyl-related substance or by consenting to the administration of the fentanyl-related substance by another person. People charged for these offenses may also be charged for other drug-related offenses, including assisted suicide.
S. 183 expands the new offense outlined in S. 156 to other controlled substances. The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted a technical amendment to S. 183 and gave S. 156 and S. 183 favorable reports. Both bills are pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Tort Reform — S. 244. This bill provides tort reform regarding the amount of fault to be assigned to either the person bringing a claim for damages if their actions partially caused the damage or to the defendant(s). It also makes changes to liquor liability laws by requiring alcohol server training. It requires a business with a liquor license to carry liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence. Finally, the bill redefines occurrence for medical malpractice claims to mean an unfolding sequence of events following a single act of negligence, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same harmful conditions. Multiple events occurring without a break in the chain of events shall be considered one occurrence. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee took further testimony from the public and several stakeholders before giving the bill a favorable report. S. 244 will be on the full committee’s next agenda.
Dram Shop Liability — S. 184. This bill provides a procedure for determining when an establishment serving alcohol to a person may be held liable if that person subsequently causes injury to a third party based on their impairment from alcohol. It also mandates that an establishment be civilly liable for selling alcohol to someone younger than 21 who subsequently injures a third party based on their alcohol impairment. A Senate Judiciary subcommittee took further testimony from the public and several stakeholders before giving the bill a favorable report. S. 184 will be on the full committee’s next agenda.
Pending Gun Charges — S. 136. This bill requires the dismissal of certain unlawful handgun possession charges from before the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024. It also clarifies that this dismissal does not necessitate dismissing related charges or serve as a basis for civil actions from the arrest. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave S. 136 a favorable report, and the bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Hands-Free Driving — H. 3276. This bill creates the “South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act” to enhance the provisions of our current hands-free statute and to increase the penalties under the new act. The bill offers several exceptions, including use by a first responder while performing official duties. The bill also shifts 25% of the fine and fee revenue that would otherwise flow to counties to the Department of Public Safety for use to educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving. The House Judiciary Committee adjourned debate on H. 3276.
Failure to Stop — H. 3127. This bill increases the penalties for failure to stop when signaled by law enforcement. A person will be guilty of a felony and imprisoned for not more than 10 years. The bill also lists several aggravated factors that can affect sentencing. The House Judiciary Committee adjourned debate on H. 3127.
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Land Use, Natural Resources and Transportation
Utility Storm Damage Recovery — S. 157 and H. 3756. These bills specify that, due to the widespread destruction of electrical utility infrastructure caused by Hurricane Helene and the extraordinary expenses incurred to repair, restore, and rebuild that infrastructure, electrical utilities may include the cost of capital from the date of the storm through the issuance of storm recovery bonds for cost recovery.
The bills also specify that the cost of capital will be determined by the interest rate paid by the utility to borrow the funds necessary to cover the restoration and recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene, if the interest rate percentage does not exceed the utility’s total weighted average cost of capital percentage established in the utility’s most recent base rate case proceeding. The bill further allows electrical utilities to defer the review and approval of a financing order by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to either a future base rate proceeding or a separate proceeding to be established at the request of the utility. Finally, the bill defines the term “qualified independent third party” as the person or entity that may need to be designated and retained by the PSC who has relevant expertise in accounting, finance, or utility regulation, sufficient to make professional judgements necessary to certify whether the sale of storm recovery bonds complies with the requirements of current law. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave S.157 a favorable report and the bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar. A House Labor, Commerce, and Industry subcommittee gave H. 3756 a favorable report, and it will be on the next full committee’s agenda.
Litter Officers — H. 3222. This bill revises the means for determining the limit on the number of litter control officers that a county may have to be updated with the most recent census and corrects an incorrect reference in the code. The House gave H. 3222 a third reading and sent the bill to the Senate.
Storm Water Exemption for Farm Structures — H. 3473. This bill exempts agricultural structures used to house livestock, poultry, crops, or other agricultural products, materials, or equipment, and broiler houses from stormwater management requirements. The construction of other types of agricultural structures of one acre or more, such as machine sheds, repair shops, and other major buildings that need a building permit shall require the submittal and approval of a stormwater management and sediment control plan prior to the start construction. A House Agriculture subcommittee adjourned debate after SCAC and other stakeholders expressed concerns about the bill. Please contact Kent Lesesne at klesesne@scac.sc@scac.sc if you have any concerns about this bill.
Forestry Commission — H. 3629. This is a cleanup bill to update the statutory provisions for the State Commission of Forestry (Commission) to current practices. Among other things, it provides that only the Commission can go on any land in the state, including private property, to control and extinguish wildfires. Currently county forestry boards have that authority. It also removes the authority of county forestry boards to adopt and review annual forestry plans and gives that authority to the Commission. It removes the requirement that county forest fire protection officers only be hired or fired with the consent of the county forestry board and that county forest fire protection officers are required to be residents of the county in which they are employed. The House Agriculture Environmental subcommittee amended the bill to include timberland in the types of land the Commission can acquire or purchase and gave the bill a favorable report as amended.
SC811 — H. 3571. This bill updates definitions for what constitutes a large project among others, requires operators to become members of the Operators Association Notification Center, and outlines penalties for failure to notify about an excavation or demolition or for failure to join the association. The bill requires notification to the Operators Association Notification Center not less than three full working days prior to the commencement date and not less than 10 days prior to the commencement date for a subaqueous facility. The bill also requires quarterly reports of damage caused by excavation or demolition, creates exemptions for notice requirements in cases of emergency, and provides for a complaint process through the Attorney General’s office as well as penalties. A House Labor, Commerce, and Industry subcommittee gave H.3571 a favorable report, as amended. The adopted amendment allows the Attorney General’s office to authorize prima facie cases to go to court. The bill will be on the next full committee’s agenda.
Transportation Improvement Projects — H. 3768. This bill extends the sunset expiration of Act 36 of 2019 until 2031. SCAC collaborated with stakeholders on the original Act in 2019 dealing with costs associated with relocating water and sewer lines for transportation improvement projects. A House Education and Public Works subcommittee reported H.3768 out favorably, and the bill will be placed on the next full committee’s agenda.
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County Government and Intergovernmental Relations
Municipal Annexation of Farmland — S. 264. This bill requires the express written consent of an owner of real property on which farm buildings or agricultural structures are located—if those structures are exempt from taxation under Section 12-37-220(B)(14)—or of any real property assessed under Section 12-43-220(d), as well as any adjacent real property owned directly or indirectly in common with the exempt property, before a municipality can annex the property. The Senate Finance Committee gave S. 264 a favorable report, and the bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Political Parties and Primaries — H. 3556. This bill requires the state executive committee to hear protests and contests related to county officers, lesser county officers, and municipal officers. Additionally, this bill authorizes the committee to adopt a resolution mandating that a surety bond accompanies any protest or contest. Further, the committee is responsible for handling appeals from its decisions and the timeframe for conducting these hearings will be extended. Municipal primary protests and contests will be filed, heard, and decided according to the procedures outlined in sections 7-17-560 and 7-17-570. Sections 7-17-520, 7-17-530, 7-17-540, 7-17-550, 7-17-580, and 7-17-590, which pertain to primary protests and contests for certain offices, will be repealed. A House Judiciary subcommittee gave H. 3556 a favorable report, and the bill will be on the next full committee’s agenda.
Candidate Filing — H. 3557. This bill addresses the qualifications for candidates running in general elections. It aims to shorten the candidate filing period and requires all candidates from each political party in the state to pay a filing fee. Additionally, the bill allows political parties to charge a certification fee to all candidates. It also amends Section 7-11-210, which pertains to the filing of party pledges by candidates, to change the deadline for filing a party pledge. A House Judiciary subcommittee adopted an amendment to provide that if the March 16 filing timeframe starts on a Saturday or Sunday, the time for filing begins the next regular business day. The subcommittee then gave H. 3557 a favorable report, as amended, and the bill will be on the next full committee’s agenda.
Military Advisory Council — H. 3564. This bill renames the South Carolina Military Base Task Force to the South Carolina Military Affairs Advisory Council. Additionally, the bill revises the council's mission and increases its membership by adding the CEO of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, the chairperson of Aiken County Council, and the mayor of North Augusta. The bill also requires the council to meet at least once each calendar year. The House amended the bill on the floor to add the chairperson of Edgefield County Council before giving H. 3564 second and third readings and sending the bill to the Senate.
County Veterans' Affairs Officers — H. 3510. This bill requires the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to appoint a veterans' affairs officer for each county. The bill also requires the General Assembly to provide funding for two full-time employees in each office. This is an SCAC policy position. SCAC testified in support of H. 3510 before a House Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs subcommittee, which amended the bill to ensure that it does not create an unfunded mandate. The House gave H. 3510 second and third readings and sent the bill to the Senate.
Oversight of County Veterans’ Affairs Offices — H. 3563. This bill requires the secretary of the DVA to evaluate each county office annually to assess service levels and procedural compliance. If deficiencies are found, the DVA will help develop a corrective action plan and re-evaluate within six months. The secretary must also submit a written report of the final inspection results to the legislative delegation and county administrator within 90 days. Additionally, a county officer who does not participate in the evaluation will be ineligible for reappointment by the county legislative delegation. The House gave H. 3563 second reading and third readings this week and sent the bill to the Senate.
Public Service Authority Request For Proposals for V.C. Summer — S. 51. This bill encourages Santee Cooper to issue a request for proposals soliciting options for utilizing assets associated with V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3, along with considerations related to this request. The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment clarifying that any transaction involving the transfer of interest with property is subject to the provisions of Section 58-31-240 and gave S. 51 a favorable report, as amended. The bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Santee Cooper Joint Project Authorization — S. 12. This bill adds Section 58-31-205 to allow the Public Service Authority to co-own, as tenants-in-common or through a limited liability company, electrical generation, and transmission facilities with investor-owned utilities. The Senate Judiciary subcommittee adopted an amendment to specify the authority granted to Santee Cooper to jointly own natural gas facilities and associated transmission facilities with Dominion at the Canadys coal plant site. The Committee then gave S. 12 a favorable report, as amended, and the bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
Office of Behavioral Health — S. 2. Last session, a bill to create the Executive Office of Health Policy died last minute after the House and Senate could not come to an agreement. This year, the Senate introduced S.2 to create the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The bill strikes the Departments of Aging, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services; Disabilities and Special Needs; and Mental Health from the list of departments under the executive branch and adds the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. The proposed new department’s director, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, has numerous duties and responsibilities, including establishing and appointing members to a health planning advisory committee tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for services that various offices must provide.
Additionally, the bill outlines specific measures and procedures for what is to take place when the Governor issues a proclamation and/or declares a state of emergency, which includes allowing sheriffs and constables in counties to aid and assist the director of Public Health in enforcing or carrying out any restrictive measures and quarantine regulations during a state of public health emergency, among other things. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee gave S.2 a favorable report, as amended, and the bill is pending second reading on the Senate calendar.
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Snapshots of Advocacy: Legislative Action Day in Focus | | |
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Visit our photo gallery to view the highlights from Wednesday's Counties Connect event. From our legislative panel to the lobby of the State House, county officials connected with their legislative delegations to advocate for county governments. | |
Newly Introduced Legislation | | | | |
