House and Senate Bills - April 4, 2025

House Bills

H. 4281 (Rep. Taylor) — Prohibits issuing of certificates of title to owners of rebuilt, salvaged, flood-damaged, or fire-damaged vehicles unless the vehicles are equipped with certain safety features, in addition to other requirements. These safety features include, but are not limited to, operational airbags, three-point restraint systems, and gas tank fuel-spill prevention devices.

H. 4282 (Rep. Pace) — Establishes that any person arrested for a criminal offense in South Carolina, who is later found to be unlawfully present in the United States, is guilty of a felony. It establishes penalties, allows deportation instead of imprisonment, and requires the collection of identifying information for those arrested.

 H. 4292 (Reps. Martin, Terribile, M.M. Smith, Robbins, B.L. Cox, Brewer, Holman, Duncan, Sanders, Bailey, Lawson, Pope, Ligon, Davis, W. Newton, Guffey, Gilreath, Long and Wooten) —  Enacts the "Roadway Protection and Safety Act," which defines regulations and makes it illegal to participate in, organize, or assist in a "street takeover" For drag racing or other reckless driving maneuvers. It establishes penalties for violations and prohibits any political subdivision from reducing these penalties through local ordinances or policies. 

H. 4293 (Reps. Martin, Terribile and Sanders) — Invalidates any related permits if county or municipal zoning officials determine that a property’s use is not allowed under the applicable zoning classifications. Consequently, all development or construction on that property must stop.

H. 4294 (Reps. Schuessler, Lawson, Pedalino, Brewer, Wooten, Oremus and McGinnis) —  Provides that gross income excludes retirement benefits from the South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System, as well as benefits for police officers, firefighters, or EMTs from any retirement system or pension. 

H. 4295 (Rep. Harris) — Enacts the "Gold Standard Elections Act," requiring several measures to enhance election integrity and accessibility, including:

• Creates separate lists for active, inactive, and archived voter registrations.  
• Uses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' SAVE program to remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter list, which will be publicly accessible. 
• Establishes a 10-year voter registration period and requires a valid ID for registration, with county-issued voter ID cards.  
• Uses only paper poll books, sets maximum precinct populations, and requires new precincts when limits are exceeded, with penalties for non-compliance. 
• Assigns four election managers for every 250 voters, ensuring only eligible voters can participate. 
• Specifies paper ballot requirements, implements chain of custody protocols, and allows public observation of the counting process. 
• Requires counties to post results before notifying the State Election Commission. 
• Allows only U.S. citizens with valid registrations to vote, specifies absentee voting procedures, and ensures that absentee ballots are transported to precincts on Election Day. 
• Prohibits state electors from voting for candidates in certain federal election scenarios. 
• Designates Election Day as a legal holiday. 

H. 4297 (Reps. Gilliam, Hart, Yow, Hardee, Beach, Pace, Mitchell, Taylor, Rankin, Oremus, T. Moore, Caskey, Chapman, Atkinson, B.L. Cox, Holman, Cromer, Bailey, May, Edgerton, McCravy, Morgan, Pope, Gibson, Burns, Bernstein, Sessions, Hayes, Long and Wooten) —  Provides that immediate Gold Star Family members, as classified by the U.S. Department of Defense may enter any state park without charge.

H. 4299 (Rep. Pace) — The "Insurance Savings Program" allows individuals to save funds for paying insurance deductibles on real property. It also promotes renovations that improve insurability, helping to lower premiums and deductibles. Participants can deduct the amounts saved and any earnings from their accounts.

H. 4300 (Reps. Bannister, Jordan, and W. Newton) — Allows judges to become vested in the retirement system for judges and solicitors after eight years of service, and increases the retirement age for judges from 72 to 74.

H. 4301 (Reps. White, G.M. Smith and McCravy) —  Provides minimum automobile liability insurance coverage ($250,000 for bodily injury to any one person in one accident; $500,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in any one accident; and $250,000 for injury to or destruction of property in any one accident) for individuals convicted of specific driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs violations.

H. 4303 (Reps. Gatch, Cobb-Hunter, Sessions, M.M. Smith, Brewer, Rutherford, Gagnon, Guest, Guffey and Weeks) — Taxes cigarettes at one-and-one-quarter mills per cigarette.

H. 4304 (Rep. Sanders) — Allows the Department of Education to hold vehicle owners and operators liable for unlawfully passing school buses. School bus operators must report vehicles that fail to stop when amber signals are flashing. The Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend registrations for those with outstanding judgments related to this violation. Civil penalties will be distributed like other fines collected by magistrates or municipal judges.

H. 4305 (Rep. Herbkersman) — Enacts the "Wellness Reimbursement Programs,” which among other things, prohibits certain actions by the programs, and requires programs to register with the Secretary of State, including an application and fees. Brokers are exempt from registration, and fines are imposed for noncompliance.

Senate Bills

S. 518 (Sen. Grooms) —  The "South Carolina Pray Safe Act" establishes a grant program within the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to fund security enhancements for organizations at risk of religiously motivated crimes.

S. 519 (Sens. Davis, Turner, Kimbrell, Climer, Hutto, Graham, Sabb, Rice, Adams, Williams, Leber, and Walker) — Taxes cigarettes at one-and-one-quarter mills per cigarette.

S. 520 (Sen. Davis) — The "South Carolina Pray Safe Act" establishes a grant program within SLED to fund security enhancements for organizations at risk of religiously motivated crimes.

S. 521 (Sen. Garrett) — Empowers a council of a municipality to allow a municipal court judge to participate in the Police Officers' Retirement System.

S. 522 (Sen. Grooms) — Amends Sections 2 and 3 of Act 1235 of 1970 to change the name of the Charleston County Airport District to the Charleston Regional Airport District and to change the name of the Charleston County Aviation Authority to the Charleston Regional Aviation Authority.

S. 526 (Sen. Goldfinch) — Pauses enforcement actions on baseline and setback lines for beach preservation during the appeal process. If the administrative law judge reverses the agency's decision, the agency will cover the appellant's attorney fees and costs.

S. 530 (Sen. Johnson) — Invalidates related permits if county or municipal zoning officials determine a property's use is not allowed under applicable zoning classifications. Consequently, all development or construction on that property must stop.

S. 531 (Sens. Johnson, Walker, Stubbs, Peeler, and Devine) — Enacts the "Patients' Right to Transparency and Timely Access to Healthcare Services Act”.

S. 532 (Sen. Hembree) — Requires the Department of Natural Resources to receive nuisance alligator complaints using a specified form. They must investigate and verify each complaint, approve the removal of nuisance alligators by licensed nuisance alligator hunters with a depredation permit, and report on the nuisance alligators that have been trapped, relocated, or killed.

S. 533 (Sens. Goldfinch, Zell, Adams, Fernandez, Rice, Cromer, Climer, Hembree, Turner, Leber, Grooms, Peeler, Garrett, Kimbrell, Williams, Verdin, Johnson, Davis, Young, Tedder, Ott, Hutto, Reichenbach, Rankin, Elliott, Nutt, Corbin and Kennedy) —  Grants subpoena powers to the legislative audit council, expands prerequisites for the director position, enhances access to records and facilities, establishes penalties for noncompliance, and revises definitions of "confidential" and "records."

S. 538 (Sen. Ott) – Defines eligible farm buildings and structures for a tax exemption, specifically those on property that meets the requirements for agricultural use. It also allows taxpayers to seek refunds for overpaid property taxes due to this eligibility.

S. 540 (Sens. Cash, Kimbrell, Kennedy, Leber, Reichenbach, Zell, Chaplin, Fernandez, Goldfinch, Blackmon, Adams, Corbin, Verdin, Gambrell, Garrett, Grooms, Rice, Campsen, Stubbs and Climer) – Clarifies that raising a child in alignment with their gender does not equate to child abuse, neglect, or harm.