House Bills
H. 4576 – Would add a special purpose district to the definition of employer within the S.C. Retirement System.
H. 4577 – Would allow a full-time master-in-equity to join the SC Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) upon payment of contributions, interest, and 5% of their annual salary.
H. 4576 – Would add a special purpose district to the definition of employer within the S.C. Retirement System (SCRS).
H. 4577 – Would allow a full-time master-in-equity to join the S.C. Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) on payment of contributions, interest and 5% of their annual salary.
H. 4578 – Would exclude certain millage imposed for servicing the general obligation debt of a school district from the homestead exemption.
H. 4579 – Would prevent the state or a political subdivision from prohibiting or restricting the installation of balcony solar panels. Neither may a deed, restriction, covenant or a homeowners association document prohibit the installation of a balcony solar panel.
H. 4580 – Would provide a 100% property tax exemption on a legal residence that is owned by an individual who is 70 or older.
H. 4583 – Would enact the “South Carolina Data Center Responsibility Act.” The language would prohibit direct or indirect taxpayer-funded incentives, grants, tax abatements, subsidies, utility rate reductions or infrastructure improvements provided primarily for the benefit of the facility. All permitting, infrastructure and operational costs must be fully funded by the data center, and its operation must result in zero net water withdrawal and zero wastewater discharge.
H. 4584 – Would require certain disclosures in the purchase agreement and any other agreement governing an ownership interest in residential property, excluding timeshares.
H. 4585 – Would add a mayor, county council member, town council member or city council member to the list of officials that the governor may suspend after an indictment.
H. 4586/S. 701 – Would add members of the United States Space Force to the definition of Armed Forces for purposes of voting, including absentee voting, as well as civil employment and the “Military Parent Equal Protection Act.”
H. 4587 – Would exempt a childcare provider on a military installation from the registration requirements provided for family childcare homes.
H. 4588 – Would provide flexibility in school enrollment requirements for military families.
H. 4589 – Would authorize a county that has not collected $7 million in state accommodations taxes to impose an Education Capital Improvement Sales and Use Tax as long as the county only has a local option sales tax that was imposed less than 10 years ago. The county also must be encompassed completely by one entire school district and must have collected at least $50,000 in state accommodations taxes.
H. 4593 – Would remove the employee contribution requirements on members of the SCRS and PORS who return to covered employment after retirement.
H. 4595 – Would provide a 100% property tax exemption on a primary residence that is owned by an individual who qualifies for the homestead exemption and whose primary residence is not encumbered with a mortgage lien.
H. 4596 – Would exempt any increase in property tax owed for anyone older than 65.
H. 4597 – Would provide a tiered exemption on the fair market value of primary residences for anyone 66 or older.
H. 4598 – Would provide a 100% property tax exemption for one personal motor vehicle owned or leased by a person who is at least 65.
H. 4599 – Would increase the homestead exemption amount from the first $50,000 to the first $150,000 of the fair market value.
H. 4600 – Would provide a property tax exemption to a veteran with a service-connected disability based on the percentage of the veteran’s disability.
H. 4601 – Would establish the “I-95 Corridor Authority Act” to carry out economic development, health and educational improvement activities, which will improve the economic conditions of its member counties. The member counties include Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Hampton, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, and Williamsburg.
H. 4602 – Would require a special purpose district that consolidates or removes services to reduce its current millage rate to reflect the removal of its responsibility for services.
H. 4605 – Would enact and fund the “Veteran Suicide and Mental Health Crisis Response Act.”
H. 4606 – Would enact the “Veteran Housing Stability and Security Act” to establish veteran housing priority zones and streamline zoning and permitting for veteran-supportive housing.
H. 4607 – Would enact the “Military Skills to Civilian Licensure Act” to require all licensing boards to grant equivalent credit for military training and experience toward licensure and to mandate expedited application processing for veterans and military spouses.
H. 4608 – Would provide that legal residences include certain dwellings located on the same property and including those occupied by immediate family members of the owner of interest.
H. 4611 – Would extend paid parental leave to parents who experience stillbirth.
H. 4612 – Would exclude school resource officers from the earnings limitation under PORS.
H. 4615 – Would prohibit an entity that hires or employs an individual who is in the United States with an H-1B or Optional Practical Training visa from receiving any state economic development incentives, including property tax exemptions and fee in lieu of property tax agreements.
H. 4617 – Would require merchants to round up or down if they are unable to make exact change.
H. 4620 – Would increase the retirement allowance received by retirees and their surviving designated recipients from the lesser of 1% or $500 to the greater of 2% or $1,000.
H. 4629 – Would require the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (DES) to issue regulations to require public water systems to maintain a minimum disinfectant level of free or total chlorine.
H. 4630 – Would require coroners and medical examiners to report sudden, unexpected deaths of infants and young individuals to a national registry coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.
H. 4642 – Would create additional judicial procedures for certain defendants whose fitness to stand trial is in issue.
H. 4645 – Would prohibit the construction or installation of septic tanks within 200 yards of any navigable waterway or coastal wetland within the state.
H. 4655 – Would require DES to conduct testing for urinary metabolites in certain wastewater treatment facilities.
H. 4657 – Would enact the “Right to Compute Act” to, among other things, ensure that a governmental action restricting the private ownership or use of computers and computing power for lawful purposes—which infringes on a citizen's fundamental right to property and free expression—must be demonstrably necessary and narrowly tailored to fulfill a compelling interest.
H. 4658/H. 4730 – Would provide an exemption to the requirement of a contractor’s license for the installation, repair or maintenance of billboard structures.
H. 4663 – Would require magistrates to be licensed attorneys except in counties with a population less than 75,000.
H. 4667 – Would allow appellate courts to step in and proceed on a matter when a magistrate fails to comply with certain statutes. This language would also increase the civil jurisdiction of magistrates to $74,500. Finally, the bill would increase the assessment in magistrates court to $50.
H. 4668 – Would empower the Judicial Merit Selection Committee (JMSC) to review candidates for magistrate positions. The bill also would increase the civil jurisdiction of magistrates to $15,000 and would require magistrates in each county to employ at least one licensed attorney. Counties with a population more than 90,000 must employ two or more licensed attorneys.
H. 4669 – Would establish the general election timeframe for municipalities and require any municipality which opts to hold partisan elections for municipal offices to pay all costs and expenses associated with conducting the primary election. The bill also would outline when a municipality may determine the terms of its newly elected officers and when a candidate may contest the result of an election. Finally, county boards of voter registration and elections conducting municipal elections pursuant to this section may assess municipalities fees that do not exceed actual expenses for conducting an election and must provide an itemized list of those expenses.
H. 4670 – Would establish requirements for demands for personal injury, bodily injury, property damage or wrongful death.
H. 4672 – Would provide an exemption from impact fees for a purchaser of a residential structure assessed at 4% if the purchaser had another similar residence within the same school district for the previous 15 years.
H. 4674 – Would provide a method of disposal and potential sale of abandoned or derelict aircraft by airport managers.
H. 4675 – Would enact the “South Carolina Community Data Protection and Responsibility Surveillance Act” to prohibit a state or local entity from participating in any surveillance system that stores data on third-party servers or uses artificial intelligence or automated systems to track vehicles.
H. 4678/H. 4682 – Would require law enforcement candidates to hold a driver’s license issued by any jurisdiction of the United States.
H. 4679 – Would enact the “South Carolina Drone Regulation and Public Safety Act” to establish guidelines for drone operations and penalties for unlawful drone use.
H. 4680 – Would reduce the fine for endangering emergency services personnel or operators.
H. 4681 – Would require a candidate for sheriff to be a resident of the county in which they are seeking office at the time of filing.
H. 4683 – Would add community playground to the definition of “[c]hildren’s recreational facility” for purposes of determining where a registered sex offender is permitted to reside.
H. 4687 – Would require sheriffs to submit reports to SCDOT identifying road segments that are hazardous and require SCDOT to provide appropriate responses to the sheriffs regarding road closures or repairs and maintain a database of the reports.
H. 4689 – Would allow the S.C. Department of Mental Health to place a pretrial detainee who has been found unfit to stand trial but remains a danger to the community in a secure facility under certain circumstances.
H. 4690 – Would increase the homestead exemption amount from the first $50,000 to the first $100,000 of the fair market value.
H. 4692 – Would enact the “South Carolina Resource Independence and Resilience Act” to establish the State Resource Commission to achieve and maintain a minimum of 25% in the in-state production of certain essential resources by 2036.
H. 4693 – Would allow an alternative low-income housing tax credit for preserving existing buildings and housing resources to provide low-income housing.
H. 4694 – A joint resolution to create a study committee to review the effects of Act 388 of 2006 on certain 6% property and all other classes of property.
H. 4695 – Would enact the “Save Our Property Act” to authorize an assessor to defer property taxes on certain residential or agricultural property if an applicant’s income is less than or equal to 60% of the county’s median income. The assessor also could defer a portion of the property tax if an applicant’s income is greater than 60% but less than 100% of the county’s median income.
H. 4696 – Would increase the age when an infant may be left at a safe haven from 60 days to 1 year old.
H. 4697 – Would prohibit all state agencies and institutions and all political subdivisions from contracting, or expending any public funds with Chinese companies, and prohibit certain incentives (including tax credits, deductions, exemptions and fees in lieu of taxes) from being awarded to Chinese companies.
H. 4698 – Would provide for veterans’ preference in state agency hiring practices and require the creation of a veterans’ recruitment plan.
H. 4699 – Would require a candidate for public office to file proof of current compliance with all income tax filing requirements when filing their statement of economic interest.
H. 4700 – Would allow disabled veterans who are not totally and permanently disabled to claim a percentage of the exemption allowed on their home and vehicle equal to the percentage of the veteran’s service-connected disability.
H. 4701 – Would increase the gross weight limits of pickup trucks for purposes of determining the appropriate assessment ratio from 11,000 pounds or less to 15,000 pounds or less. The weight limits also would be increased for purposes of a vehicle being classified as a private passenger motor vehicle and for purposes of inspection by state police.
H. 4702 – Would authorize a county to require by ordinance that the owner of any lot or property in the county must keep the lot or property clean and free of rubbish, debris and other unhealthy and unsightly material or conditions that constitute a public nuisance. The language also would allow the county to place a lien on the property for the cost of the cleanup.
H. 4704/S. 697 – Would create the South Carolina 211 Network within the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs to serve as the single point of coordination for information and referral for health and human services.
H. 4705 – Would exempt firefighting equipment purchased by a volunteer fire department from sales tax.
H. 4706 – Would exempt racing facilities from being subject to nuisance and taking causes of action by surrounding landowners if the racing facility was located before the surrounding property owner either purchased the real property or constructed any building in the area of the racing facility.
H. 4709/S. 687 – Would require a public entity entering into a contract for a public works project to include in the contract a requirement that any iron or steel incorporated in the project be produced in the United States.
H. 4710 – Would exempt law enforcement duties (including dog, animal or rabies control officer duties) from penalties associated with the ill treatment of animals.
H. 4712 – Would require that people who are subject to searches by warrant be provided a copy of the warrant and a copy of the inventory taken and that if no articles are seized, the property must be returned in its original condition.
H. 4716 – Would require that magistrates be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the General Assembly rather than by the advice and consent of the Senate and would provide for a term of office of four years and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
H. 4718 – Would require a person seeking the office of coroner to be a resident of the county at the time of filing.
H. 4720 – Would allow a person to participate in a pretrial intervention program more than once if 20 years has passed since the date of a successful completion of the program.
H. 4721 – Would provide increased, graduated penalties for various levels of ill-treatment of animals offenses.
H. 4724 – Would require each county register of deeds to implement and maintain a property recording notification system to be offered at no cost to property owners. This bill would allow counties to contract for system services and would provide immunity for system failures, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
H. 4726 – Would authorize a municipality to annex an area by ordinance if the area is completely surrounded by the municipality for a period of no less than five years. The municipality must give notice of a public hearing and written notification to the taxpayer of record for all properties proposed to be annexed.
H. 4728 – Would require public bodies to offer copies of records or documents at no charge when requested by members of the General Assembly for matters related to their legislative duties.
H. 4747 – Would authorize counties that currently operate a countywide water and sewer system to acquire municipal water systems within the county after a petition, public notice, hearing and an ordinance.
H. 4750 – Would enact the “Injured Workers Transparency Act” to provide what must be included on the form that an injured worker uses to file a claim for workers’ compensation coverage.
H. 4751 – Would require overtime payment for eligible employees who work more than eight hours in a workday and prohibit an employer from requiring an employee to work without wages during any trial period, break-in period, training period or any similar introductory period.
H. 4758 – Would encourage the lawful cultivation, harvesting and manufacturing of hemp and regulate the distribution and sale of consumable hemp. The bill also would prohibit the lawful possession, manufacture, sale or distribution of certain CBD products.
H. 4759 – Would regulate the sale and distribution of consumable hemp products.
H. 4763 – Would enact the “Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction (HALO) Act” to make it unlawful for a person to approach, impede, cause harm to or harass a first responder or emergency medical care provider after receiving a verbal warning. For purposes of the bill, “first responder” includes a law enforcement officer and firefighter.
H. 4764 - Would require law enforcement agencies operating correctional facilities to enter into written agreements or memorandums of agreement with federal immigration enforcement agencies to participate in the immigration programs that authorize law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws. The bill also would require the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to provide training programs for these law enforcement agencies.
H. 4765 – Would require that land purchased in whole or in part with S.C. Conservation Bank trust funds must provide public access consistent with the uses approved by the board. No public access shall be required for grants that fund the purchase of conservation easements on private lands.
H. 4770 – Would allow a local authority to issue a uniform traffic ticket based on photographic evidence.
H. 4778 – Would provide for the electronic recording of a juvenile defendant during law enforcement interviews and interrogations.
H. 4779 – Would create the crime of “doxing” in South Carolina. Under this offense, it would be illegal to intentionally electronically publish, post or provide personal identifying information that would result in the harassment, harming or impeding of the duties of a law enforcement officer, firefighter or public servant.
H. 4780 – Would allow discretion to a sentencing judge as to whether a prisoner who is serving a sentence for a first offense and is awaiting trial and sentence for a second offense may receive credit for time served.
H. 4785 – Would enact the “School Safety and Hazard Buffers Act” to establish minimum school safety setbacks from industrial, manufacturing and hazardous material facilities.
H. 4787 – Would prohibit a clerk of court or register of deeds from recording any deed conveying title or any ownership interest in real property to the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Republic of China.
H. 4799 – Would provide that hospitals owned or operated by the S.C. Department of Veterans’ Affairs do not require a certificate of need.
H. 4806/S. 716 – Would amend the current bond eligibility factors and require a full United States cash currency bond for those charged with a violent offense or any felony offense involving a firearm or drugs.
H. 4808 – Would require that upon the creation of a joint county industrial or business park, each affected school district must receive the same portion of the revenue as it would have received in property taxes. The same would apply to other taxing entities that do not consent to the creation of the joint park.
H. 4809 – Would prohibit a public entity from requiring any person to obtain or maintain any digital form of identification.
H. 4810 – Would prohibit state agencies and departments from spending funds appropriated or authorized by the General Assembly to purchase food or drink products unless the products are eligible for purchase using SNAP benefits.
H. 4811 – Would provide that disabled veterans may use campsites, overnight lodging and recreation buildings free of charge.
H. 4813 – Would increase the assessment on several filings in magistrate court.
H. 4814 – Would add further education requirements for initial appointment to hold the office of magistrate on or after July 1, 2026. The bill also would amend the composition of the screening committee.
H. 4817 – Would enact the “Insurance Rate Reduction and Policyholder Protection Act” to overhaul the insurance business in South Carolina. Section 12 of the bill would charge the director of the S.C. Department of Insurance or his designee with approving the appropriation of funds for local government loss mitigation projects.
H. 4818 – Would require the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to provide a detailed outline within their current emergency preparedness plan that includes steps to be taken to harden critical infrastructure from an electromagnetic pulse and alternative energy sources to provide independence for an extended period of time should the electric grid be incapacitated indefinitely.
H. 4820 – Would increase the minimum weekly amount of compensation for total disability under workers' compensation from $75 to $150 and establish a mechanism for period inflation-based increases.
Senate Bills
S. 632 – Would add “covered local governing body actions” to the definition of lobbying, subjecting counties to the statutes that regulate lobbying activities in South Carolina.
S. 686 – Would prohibit public entities from awarding contracts and grants that discriminate based on race.
S. 689 – Would prohibit private, for-profit pipeline companies—including publicly traded for-profit companies not listed within the bill—from employing the rights, powers and privileges of eminent domain vested with telegraph and telephone companies.
S. 693 – Would provide that veteran nursing homes owned or operated by the S.C. Department of Veterans’ Affairs do not require a certificate of need.
S. 695 – Would enact the “South Carolina Safeguarding American Veterans’ Benefits Act.”
S. 703 – Would allow a municipality—through passage of an ordinance—to require the county governing body’s approval prior to annexing property located in the county.
S. 706 – Would enact the “Engineering Advancement and Public Safety Act” to allow qualified non-degreed individuals to become licensed engineers through verified experience and rigorous national examinations while maintaining the highest standards of public protection.
S. 707 – Would revise the qualifications and credential requirements for chief librarians and other library staff.
S. 709 – Would remove the S.C. Department of Insurance as an enforcement agency over bail bondsmen and runners. Clerks of court and SLED would continue to enforce the law.
S. 719 – Would require a law enforcement officer to activate audio and video recording equipment when detaining a person and to inform the detained person of certain aspects of the detainment.
S. 720 – Would enact the “South Carolina Humane Dog Breeding Act” to require dog breeders to meet applicable standards and would establish a procedure for the inspection of the premises of a professional dog breeder. The bill would give the chief law enforcement officer of a county or municipality or their designee the power to seize dogs kept in violation of the act. The bill would require the costs of seizure, transportation, housing, feeding and veterinary care to be paid for by the licensee or owner of the dogs. If the court orders forfeiture, then custody and ownership of the dogs must be placed with the releasing agency or other entity approved by the court.
S. 721 – Would enact the “Legislative Personal Privacy Protection Act” to provide a method for current and former legislators to request their personal contact information and disclosed records on publicly available websites of state or local government entities be restricted. The bill also exempts a state or local government employee from liability.
S. 722 – Would allow a political subdivision to install and maintain commercial advertisement benches.
S. 724 – Would require commercial data centers that consume 3 million gallons of water monthly to annually report their water usage to DES.
S. 733 – Would prohibit state agencies and political subdivisions from using public funds to host or provide drag story hours or other drag shows for minors.
S. 735 – Would enact the “Prohibition of Sanctuary Jurisdictions Act” to prohibit state funds from being obligated or expended for a political subdivision to be a sanctuary jurisdiction. The bill also authorizes SLED to publish the Immigration Compliance Report and the State Treasurer to withhold disbursements from the Local Government Fund to any county or municipality not certified as compliant in the report.
S. 738 – Would provide that a motor vehicle operator who unintentionally causes injury or death while fleeing a mob or riot is not criminally or civilly liable for the injury or death if the driver used due care under the circumstances.
S. 743 – Would prohibit the addition of fluoride to a public water system or to water that will be introduced into a public water system.
S. 744 – Would allow a person to be granted an expungement of their civil eviction if they have no additional evictions for a period of at least five years. The magistrate court must conduct a search through the public index or other method to certify that no other evictions have occurred.
S. 745 – Would enact the “Help Finding Missing Americans Act” to establish when wireless service providers must provide certain information to account holders in cases involving missing persons. The bill also would require SLED to provide recommendations to the General Assembly regarding ways to aid law enforcement with missing persons cases.
S. 750 – Would enact the “South Carolina Beverage Container Recycling Act” to establish a recycling program by which beverage distributors operating within the state are required to register with the S.C. Department of Revenue and pay deposits on beverage containers collected from dealers or consumers.
S. 753 – Would revise coroner qualifications to require a fingerprint and background check before the general election.
S. 754 – Would allow a veteran to enter any state park free of charge.