May 10, 2024

In the final week of the General Assembly’s session, both chambers scrambled to clear their calendars to get desired bills across the finish line. The sine die resolution (S.1192) allows the House and Senate to convene after May 9 to address limited matters such as the budget, gubernatorial vetoes, and any conference committee reports. Bills that are not included in the sine die resolution may not be considered and will have to be refiled in 2025. The General Assembly has also set June 5 to return to elect a justice for the vacant seat on the S.C. Supreme Court. In addition, the House took up and passed several amendments to the budget bill, H. 5100.



The budget and other bills of interest will be discussed below in order of their status as the 2023-24 session closed.

Passed the House and Senate

Abandoned Buildings Tax Credit — S. 1021. This bill increases the tax credit for abandoned buildings from $500,000 to $700,000 in a tax year and extends the program through 2035. The House amended the bill to include the contents of H. 3737, the “Short Line Railroad Modernization Act,” to add a noncompete provision dealing with limited liability companies and to add a provision dealing with monetization of unused tax credits before giving the bill second and third readings.

The Senate further amended the bill by capping the railroad credits at $1.5 million annually and removing the noncompete and unused tax credits provisions and returned the bill to the House. The House concurred with the Senate amendments, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Conformity — H. 4594. This legislation updates the conformity of the state tax law to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) through the year 2023, including any expired provisions of the federal code that are extended, but not otherwise amended, by congressional enactment during 2024. The bill also ensures any extensions of the IRC sections apply to South Carolina for income tax purposes. The Senate gave H. 4594 second and third readings, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Cost of Care for Seized Animals – H. 3682. This bill removes provisions regarding a lien on seized animals and outlines hearing procedures for ordering the cost of care of the seized animals. The care costs would go to the entity providing care for the animal (law enforcement, county animal shelter, or nonprofit agency). Additionally, the bill provides that failure of the owner to make the payment for the cost of care ordered would result in forfeiture of the animal to the entity providing the care. If an owner is adjudicated not guilty of all charges, the owner must receive a refund of all costs incurred from the agency that filed the petition. The Senate amended the bill so that if the owner was adjudicated not guilty of all charges, they must receive a refund of all costs incurred from the agency plus interest and cost. SCAC’s policy position is to oppose H. 3682 as amended.

SCAC was able to reach a compromise amendment, which the Senate adopted, to among other things, provide that a court may award interest on the amount refunded to the owner if they are found not guilty and to allow the court to reduce the amount the owner is required to pay if the owner is indigent. The Senate gave H. 3682 second and third readings and returned the bill to the House. The House concurred with the Senate amendments, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Firefighter Cancer Health Care — S. 728. This bill revises the definition of the term “firefighter,” relating to the Firefighter Cancer Health Care Benefit Plan, to include certain non-residents of the state. A Senate amendment added South Carolina State Fire for the purpose of fire protection, added a retroactivity provision to apply as of July 1, 2021, and added that the diagnosis must occur within 10 years of employment separation. The House removed the provisions of the Ten-Year Energy Transformation Act Bill (H. 5118), which were added by the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee last week and gave the bill second and third readings. S. 728 has been enrolled for ratification.

Florence County Register of Deeds — H. 3313. This bill adds Florence County to those counties exempt from the requirement that duties prescribed by law for the register of deeds must be performed by the clerk of court. The bill also provides that the register of deeds will be appointed by the county's governing body. The Senate gave H. 3313 second and third readings, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Pending Gun Charges — S. 1166. This bill was filed in response to the passage of the Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024. It requires the state to dismiss all charges for unlawful possession of a handgun pending against a person that were nullified by the enactment of the Constitutional Carry Act. The mandate does not apply if the unlawful possession charge was used as probable cause for another offense arising from the same incident. The House adopted a Judiciary Committee amendment to state that the dismissal of the charge may not serve as a basis or support for any civil action due to the arrest of the person charged by law enforcement officers or prosecutors. The House then gave S. 1166 second and third readings and sent the bill back to the Senate. The Senate concurred with the House amendment, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Probate Code Cleanup — H. 4234. This bill updates the probate laws in compliance with the Uniform Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act that became effective in 2019 by amending the procedures for guardianship and conservatorship proceedings to align with an SCAC policy position. The Senate adopted a technical committee amendment and amendments to allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and psychologists to submit an affidavit as evidence of an individual’s incapacity. The amendment also includes provisions of S. 755, which would allow the owner of a vehicle, mobile home, watercraft, outboard motor, or other personal property to establish a Transfer on Death designation effective July 1, 2025. The Senate then gave the bill second and third readings, as amended, and returned the bill to the House. The House concurred with the Senate amendment, and H. 4234 has been enrolled for ratification.

Special Purpose Districts — H. 4563. This bill clarifies that a special purpose district has the authority to own, acquire, purchase, hold, use, lease, convey, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of property for the purpose of their duties. The Senate amended the bill to add a sunset provision and gave H.4563 second and third readings. The House concurred with the Senate amendment, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.



Telecommunicator CPR Training Law — H. 4867. This bill requires all 911 telecommunicators who provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions to be trained in high-quality telecommunicator CPR. The bill also protects local governments from potential liability under 23-23-45(D). The Senate adopted the committee amendment to include recklessness and intentional misconduct in the list of exclusions from liability protection for the state, political subdivisions, and telecommunicators that provide dispatch for emergency medical conditions and have completed the training. The Senate then gave the bill second and third readings, as amended. The House concurred with the Senate amendment, and H. 4867 has been enrolled for ratification.

Xylazine – H. 4617. As passed by the House, H. 4617 adds xylazine to the list of Schedule III controlled substances, with exceptions, and prohibits the production, manufacture, distribution, or possession of xylazine, with exceptions. The Senate amended H. 4617 to mirror the language in S. 849 and gave the bill second and third readings. This language adds xylazine to the list of Schedule III controlled substances and includes exceptions for the distribution or possession of xylazine by a licensed veterinarian, the possession of xylazine with a prescription from a licensed veterinarian; or the possession of xylazine in an injectable form for use in a nonhuman species. The bill also makes it unlawful for any person to produce, manufacture, distribute, or possess with intent to produce, manufacture, or distribute xylazine for nonhuman use and provides penalties for violation. The House concurred with the Senate amendments, and the bill has been enrolled for ratification.

Budget — H. 5100. The House debated several amendments to the FY 24-25 Appropriations bill this week and the Senate nonconcurred with these amendments. The House funded several new items including voting system upgrades and election operations with $1 as a placeholder for negotiation in conference committee. The General Assembly is expected to have a significant amount of new revenue to allocate once the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) meets on May 20. The budget bill heads to conference committee, which will likely meet after the BEA meeting so members of both chambers know exactly how much new money they can allocate.

In their initial debate of the budget, the House directed that all $600 million in the Homestead Exemption Fund be allocated for property tax relief. The Senate allocated $100 million for income tax relief. On Wednesday, the House adopted a budget amendment redirecting the $600 million as follows:

• $150 million to counties to be used to provide a property tax credit for owner-occupied property in the current fiscal year;
• $1 to the County Transportation Committee Acceleration Fund;
• $1 to the Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for the Bridge Acceleration Fund;
• $1 to SCDOT for the Rural Road Safety Program;
• $1 to RIA for the Rural Infrastructure Fund;
• $1 to the RIA for the Statewide Water/Sewer Fund; and
• $1 to the University of South Carolina Health Sciences Campus for bond avoidance.

The budget conferees will ultimately decide how these funds will be allocated, but with both chambers allocating at least $1 for each of the above, all of these programs remain eligible to receive funding. The conferees will also have to choose to give either $100 million or $0 for income tax relief.

The House also added the following provisos of interest:

PEBA: Employer Contribution Requirement. A retired member who has been restored to active employment by appointment of the Governor and whose compensation in that employment is subject to approval by the state Agency Head Salary Commission pursuant to Section 8-11-160 of the Code of Laws shall be considered eligible to elect to cease their retirement benefit and become a contributing employee pursuant to the provisions of Section 9-1-1590 if the member continues in such service for a period of at least 36 consecutive months at an annual compensation equal to or greater than 75% of their average final compensation at retirement.

PEBA: JSRS Benefits. For the current fiscal year, the monthly benefit of a member of the Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors of the State of South Carolina (JSRS) who was retired and continuing to serve as a judge as of May 1, 2024, pursuant to Section 9-8-60(7)(b), and who vacated their office no later than June 1, 2024, must be calculated based upon the position the judge held at the time they vacated office.

GP: Fire Academy Instructors. Any certified instructor of the South Carolina Fire Academy who has retired from the Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) or the South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS) on or before Dec. 31, 2023, may return to employment at the South Carolina Fire Academy within the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation as a critical-needs Fire Academy Instructor without affecting the monthly retirement allowance that they are receiving from PORS or SCRS. The South Carolina Fire Academy must develop guidelines and curriculum for these instructors to be recertified as fire academy instructors if they have been inactive for a year or more.

The House also amended the following provisos of interest:

108.16 – PEBA: PORS and SCRS Return to Work. The House amended this proviso to add that [f]or compensation earnings during the current fiscal year, the earnings limitation does not apply if compensation received by the retired member from the covered employer is for employment in a critical-needs fire service position. As determined by the South Carolina Fire Mobilization Oversight Committee (SCFMOC). For this provision to apply, the SCFMOC must review and approve, from the documentation provided by the covered employer, that no qualified, non-retired member is available for employment in the position, and that the member selected for employment meets the requirements of this provision. No later than Jan. 1 of the current year, the SCFMOC must submit a report to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee of the positions requested for inclusion in the earnings limitation exception under this provision. The earnings limitation exception in this provision only applies to those positions approved by the General Assembly for the fiscal year in response to the report submitted by the SCFMOC. The committee shall develop guidelines and curriculum for these officers to be recertified.

The Senate refused to accept the House amendments, and the budget bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Sens. Peeler, Setzler, and Bennett and Reps. Bannister, Lowe, and Stavrinakis.

Low Income Housing Property Tax Exemption — S. 1017. This bill would address a potential loophole created by Act 145 in 2020 that provides a property tax exemption for “all property of nonprofit housing corporations or instrumentalities of these corporations when the property is devoted to providing housing to low or very low-income residents” as long as the corporation or its instrumentality satisfies the safe harbor provisions of Revenue Procedure 96-32.  

There is nothing in the statute that requires property owners to annually report that they continue to meet the qualifications in subsequent years after they acquire the property, and several counties are concerned that developers and owners of highly valuable property are taking advantage of this by getting a property tax exemption for property that should be taxed.  

S. 1017 provides that the nonprofit housing corporation only gets a complete property tax exemption if it has more than a 50% ownership interest in the property. If their interest is less than 50%, the exemption will be proportionate to the percentage of their interest. Upon initial application for the exemption, the corporation must certify to the Department of Revenue (DOR) the percentage of its owner interest in the property and thereafter must provide an annual certification to DOR of the percentage of its economic interest in the property to show that they continue to meet the qualifications for the exemption. This is an SCAC policy position. DOR must notify the county within 60 calendar days of any property that qualifies for the exemption. This bill would become effective for property tax years beginning after 2024. Projects that had applied for or were approved for an exemption prior to this legislation being enacted are exempted. However, these projects are required to submit to the required annual report certifications.

The House adopted a committee amendment to require properties in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area to meet a very low average income threshold to receive 100% exemption. The House also amended the bill to include the language from H. 3948 to exempt renewable energy resource property for a customer-generator from property taxes. This would include solar energy equipment, facilities, or devices that support, collect, generate, transfer, monitor, or store thermal or electric energy. The House also amended the bill to require the consent of adjacent property owners of farm buildings or agricultural structures for purposes of municipal annexation. The House then gave S. 1017 second and third readings, as amended.

The Senate nonconcurred with the House amendments; the House insisted on its amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Reps. Hewitt, Collins, and Ott and Sens. Setzler, M. Johnson, and Verdin.

Income Tax Deductions for Firefighters/Law Enforcement — S. 969. This bill increases the individual income tax subsistence allowance deduction for law enforcement officers and full-time firefighters and EMS personnel from $8 to $16 per day beginning in tax year 2024. The bill also increases the maximum deduction for volunteer firefighters, rescue squad members, hazardous materials response team members, reserve police officers, Department of Natural Resources deputy enforcement officers, members of the State Guard, and volunteer state constables who meet the volunteer activity requirements as specified in the statute from $3,000 to $6,000. The allowable deduction per taxpayer must be certified by Revenue and Fiscal Affairs annually such that the total revenue loss does not exceed an aggregate limit of $3.1 million per year in total, which remains unchanged. The House adopted the committee amendment to allow counties with a local transportation sales tax to exempt unprepared food items eligible for purchase with U.S. Department of Agriculture food coupons from the tax through the authorizing ordinance. The House also adopted an amendment to include the language from H. 5225, a bill to revise the current clinical preceptor tax credit. The House then gave S. 969 second and third readings, as amended, and sent the bill back to the Senate.

The Senate nonconcurred with the House amendments; the House insisted on their amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Reps. Dillard, B. Newton, and Herbkersman and Sens. Davis, Turner, and McElveen.

Income Tax Credits - H. 4087. As introduced, this bill would amend the current corporate headquarters tax credit, tax credits for recycling facilities, job development and retraining credits, and sales tax exemptions for data centers. The Senate amended the bill to prohibit political subdivisions from offering new economic incentives intended to induce a datacenter to locate or to expand operations in South Carolina that require an expenditure of public funds, the transfer of anything of value, that reduce the rate or alter the method of taxation of the datacenter, or that otherwise impact the political subdivision fiscally. The prohibition does not apply to any incentives agreed to prior to July 1, 2025, and only prohibits incentives offered between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. The Senate gave H. 4087 second and third readings, as amended, and returned the bill to the House.

The House amended the bill back to its original version, removing the prohibition on incentives for data centers, and returned the bill to the Senate where the Senate nonconcurred with the House amendment.

The House insisted on their amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Reps. West, B. Newton, and Kirby and Sens. Setzler, Davis, and Massey.

Coroner Qualifications — H. 3865. This bill would extend the qualifications for a coroner to include a licensed paramedic who has at least three years of experience. The Senate Judiciary Committee removed the option where a candidate enrolled in a certification program to be completed within one year of being elected to the office of coroner could meet the qualification requirements, an SCAC policy position. As a result, candidates must have completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program to qualify. The Senate amended H. 3865 by adding the provisions of S. 841, to change the effective date of Act 56 of 2023, the “Law Enforcement and Personal Privacy Protection Act,” and the “Judicial Personal Privacy Protection Act” from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, an SCAC policy position. The Senate gave the bill second and third readings and sent H. 3865 back to the House. 

The House nonconcurred with the Senate amendments; the Senate insisted on their amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Sens. M. Johnson, Saab, and Adams and Reps. Rutherford, Hiott and W. Newton. 

Judicial Merit Selection Commission Reform — S. 1046. The House struck the language in S. 1046 and inserted the language from H. 5170. This language would amend the Judicial Merit Selection Commission (JMSC) to be composed of 13 members and require the JMSC to employ an executive director to perform the day-to-day operations of the Commission. Four members would be appointed by the Speaker of the House, two by the President of the Senate, two by the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and five by the Governor. The bill would also specify that a magistrate may serve in a holdover capacity for no more than 14 days from the expiration of their term, and the Governor may make a temporary appointment if the Senate has not given advice and consent for a new appointment within 14 days. Finally, the bill would expand concurrent jurisdiction for magistrates’ court to certain actions with claims not exceeding $25,000. The current limit is $7,500. The House further amended S. 1046 to change the effective date to July 1, 2025, and gave the bill second and third readings, as amended.  

The Senate amended the bill back to the original Senate-passed version and also adopted an amendment to change the code relating to sine die adjournment. The amendment would allow the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to call their respective bodies back into session to take up the budget until the first Thursday in June if a budget is not passed by the sine die adjournment date. The amendment would also start the 120 day legislative review period for promulgated regulations beginning at 5 p.m. on the second Thursday in May each year lasting until noon on the second Tuesday in January the following year. 

The House non-concurred with the Senate amendments; the Senate insisted on the amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Sens. Rankin, Malloy, and Massey and Reps. W. Newton, Caskey, and Stavrinakis. 

Ten-Year Energy Transformation Act — H. 5118. This bill addresses the state’s energy needs over the next decade. The House amended the bill to prohibit an electric utility from offering a tariff, rider, or rate proposal for a reduced electric rate, or any other form of incentive that would result in a reduced electric rate to a data center until July 1, 2034. Another provision redefines a major facility to include an electric plant and associated facility that operates at a capacity of more than 75 megawatts, or that requires a footprint of more than 125 acres of land. This means that solar arrays larger than 125 acres coming into a county will now also have to get approval from the Public Service Commission. The Senate adopted an amendment on the floor to strike all the bill and insert only a preamble declaring the need for more energy and laying out the policy of the state. The Senate gave H. 5118 second and third readings, as amended, and returned the bill to the House. 

The House non-concurred with the Senate amendments; the Senate insisted on the amendments, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Sens. Rankin, Massey, and Hutto and Reps. West, Sandifer, and Ott. 

Critical Area Structures — H. 4843. This bill would allow a business with a commercial deck or marina in a critical area to use the structure for purposes related to the operation of the business as long as the business receives Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) approval. DHEC must determine that the dock is being used for a commercial purpose to grant approval. The Senate amended the bill to limit the use of the structure to allowing patrons to consume food and beverages and to prohibit the use of a kitchen, food preparation area, or bar on the deck or marina. The Senate then gave the bill second and third readings, as amended, and sent H. 4843 back to the House. 

The House nonconcurred with the Senate amendment; the Senate insisted on the amendment, and the bill will go to conference committee. The conferees are Sens. Goldfinch, Campsen, and McElveen and Reps. Bailey, Hardee, and Anderson. 

Failed to Pass

Executive Office of Health and Policy — S. 915. The House Judiciary Committee struck all of the language in S. 915 and inserted the language from H. 4927, which has already passed the House. This language would create the Executive Office of Health and Policy and require a Secretary to lead the office in developing a comprehensive State Health Plan, among other things, for public health services provided by the component departments housed within the office which include: the Department of Health Financing; the Department of Public Health; the Department of Aging; the Department of Intellectual and Related Disabilities; and the Department of Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services. The component departments would be headed by a department director appointed by the Secretary with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary must also develop a budget in coordination with each component department constituting a separate program area. 

The bill would also strike the Departments of Aging, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, Disabilities and Special Needs, Health and Human Services, Mental Health, and Public Health from the list of departments in the executive branch of state government and add the “State Office of the Secretary of Public Health and Policy.” Additionally, H. 4927 outlines what is to occur to specific agencies upon the effective date of the act, including who is to serve as interim department directors of their respective departments within the Executive Office of Health and Policy, among other items of business. The South Carolina National Guard may be activated or deployed by an order of the Governor to help enforce any restrictive measures or quarantines ordered under the provisions of the bill. The requirement that sheriffs and constables assist the department during a state of emergency may only be authorized by the Governor.  

After the Senate amended the bill, the House insisted on their amendments, and both chambers adjourned sine die before assigning conferees, ending the bill’s chance of passing this year. 

Fentanyl Homicide — S. 1. This bill creates the felony offense of fentanyl-induced homicide. A 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 has committed the felony offense of fentanyl-induced homicide. This felony carries a penalty of not more than 30 years. A House Judiciary subcommittee amendment would differentiate between a dealer in fentanyl versus a person sharing fentanyl with another person that results in death. The House adjourned sine die without taking up S. 1 and ended its chances of passing this year. 

Law Enforcement Access to Electronic Records — S. 954. This bill would allow law enforcement officers, a Circuit Solicitor, or the Attorney General (AG) to require the disclosure of stored communications, as well as related transaction records and subscriber information, to the extent provided by federal law. The AG, a Circuit Solicitor, or the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is authorized to issue subpoenas to compel disclosure of these communications upon showing that the requested material is relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation. The bill would also allow the AG to issue a subpoena to an electronic communication or remote computing service to compel disclosure or production of the information if it is material and relevant to an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The House adjourned sine die without taking up S. 954 and ended its chances of passing this year. 

Municipal Elections – H. 3734. As originally drafted, this bill would require all municipal primary, general, and special elections to be conducted using the voting system approved and adopted by the State Election Commission. It would also require all municipal elections to be held on odd-numbered years on one of the following three dates: (1) on the third Tuesday in March; (2) on the first Tuesday in July; or (3) on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. A county board of registration and elections shall conduct a municipal election if a municipality elects to transfer its election authority to the county.

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee amended the bill to provide that the terms of incumbent council members elected in an odd year may be extended to the new election date and that the terms of newly elected officers do not commence until the next regular meeting of the municipal council in the month following certification of the election results by the election commission. 

The Senate adopted a committee amendment to provide, among other things, the following: 

• Requires all municipal elections to be held on odd-numbered years on one of the following dates:
• on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April [Section 5-5-15)(B)(1)]; or 
• on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November [Section 5-5-15)(B)(2)]. 
• If the first Tuesday after Monday in November of odd-numbered years is the time for general election in a municipality on or after the effective date, then the municipal governing body must not establish a different time for its general election [Section 5-5-15)(C)].  
• If within 90 days of the effective date of Section 5-5-15, a municipal governing body fails to establish by ordinance a time for its general elections, then the time for the general elections within that municipality is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years. 
• If a municipality was conducting elections on a specific date in April or November in even years prior to the enactment of this bill, they would be allowed to continue to conduct elections on that date in even years. 
• Allows municipal elections to be totally or partially transferred to county boards of voter registrations and elections. When a municipal election is transferred in total to a county board of voter registration and elections, the municipal election commission is abolished. 
• Beginning no earlier than 7 a.m. on election day, absentee ballots may be tabulated and the tabulated data collected from these ballots and from the ballots cast during the early voting period may be loaded into the election management system. Results must not be publicly reported until after the polls are closed.  

The House failed to act on H. 3734 prior to adjourning sine die, ending its chances of passing this year.  

Redevelopment Authorities (RDAs): Tax Increment Financing for Affordable Housing — H. 4552. This bill would add certain affordable housing projects to what qualifies as a redevelopment project for federal military installations. It includes an affordable housing project (defined by referencing median income percentages according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) where all or a part of new property tax revenues generated in the tax increment financing district (TIF) are used to provide or support publicly and privately owned affordable housing in the district or are used to provide infrastructure projects to support affordable housing. The bill also extends the bonding period for redevelopment projects from 15 years to 30 years and allows municipalities to spend TIF dollars outside of the RDA for items such as infrastructure support. A member of an affordable housing limited liability company is prohibited from competing with the company in the conduct of the company’s business before the dissolution of the company if there is a noncompete clause in the operating agreement. The Senate adjourned sine die without taking up House amendments to H. 4552, ending its chances of passing this year. 

Septic Tank Pilot Program — H. 4486. As passed by the House, this bill would allow the DHEC to create a pilot program in designated areas of the state that would allow septic tank installers to conduct septic tank field evaluation tests for the department. Septic tank installers interested in participating in the pilot program would be required to register with DHEC, to hold a valid license that is deemed to be in good standing, and to receive written approval by the department. A Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee amended the bill to remove certain references to septic tank installers and to require those conducting evaluation tests to be DHEC-certified professional engineers. The Senate adjourned sine die without taking up H. 4486 and ended its chances of passing this year. 

Sunday Alcohol Sales — H. 4231. This bill allows licensed retail dealers to sell alcoholic liquors on Sundays between 1 and 5 p.m. as long as the county or municipal governing body has authorized the sale of liquor through an ordinance followed by a successful referendum. The bill allows a referendum to be held by petition of at least 10% but not more than 7,500 qualified electors of the county or municipality. The referendum must be conducted at the next general election of the county or municipality. The bill also exempts single-owner stores from the $100 application permit fees charged by the Department of Revenue for Sunday alcohol sales. Municipalities may also conduct a referendum for Sunday alcohol sales. However, a municipality that is within a county that fails to pass a referendum has 48 months to conduct their own referendum. The Senate adjourned sine die without taking up H. 4231 and ended its chances of passing this year. 

RATIFICATIONS 

The following bills have been sent to the Governor for approval or veto: 

R130, S.845 – Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Litigation 

R136, S. 1126 – Voter Qualifications 

R139, H. 3121 – Recreational Trail Easement Income Tax Credit 

R152, H. 4002 – Cell Phones in Prisons  

R153, H. 4042 – Antisemitism 

R154, H. 4113 – Ambulance Assessment Fees 

R157, H. 4376 – Veterans’ Unclaimed Remains 

R162, H. 4720 – Continuing Resolution 

R167, H. 4928 – Veterans’ Trust Fund 

R169, H. 4953 – State Veterans’ Cemeteries