This bill states that a person who may otherwise be considered a commercial applicator is not required to be certified under the South Carolina Pesticide Control Act if the only form or type of pest control used is glyphosphate.

This bill, as a part of the public school Comprehensive Health Education Program, requires certain instruction in prescription opioid abuse prevention in grades nine through twelve beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.

This bill requires certain institutions of higher education to offer mandatory courses on the prescribing and monitoring of schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances.

This bill requires the Department of Health and Environmental Control to develop a counterfeit-resistant prescription blank, which must be used by practitioners for the purpose of prescribing controlled substances.

This bill designates Winthrop University as the headquarters and primary host university of the South Carolina Small Business Development Centers Program and provides that the policies adopted by Winthrop University shall serve as the policies for all employees of the program.

This bill, relating to the participation in interscholastic activities of public school districts by home school, charter school, and governor's school students, includes private school students if the private school they attend does not offer the same activity and provides that an otherwise eligible public school student may not be denied by a private school the opportunity to participate in an interscholastic activity of a private school if the public school in which the student is enrolled does not offer that interscholastic activity.

Pick-up trucks, with features commonly referred to as ‘fifth wheels,' would be limited to towing one trailing vehicle. Sets their maximum combined overall length at 75 feet.

Allows pharmacies, distributors, manufacturers, reverse distributors, and narcotic treatment programs to register as collectors. They will be allowed to receive unused prescription medications, and other controlled substances, as part of any law enforcement controlled substance programs known as ‘take-back' or ‘mail-back' events. Requires the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control to facilitate registration and participation in these events and programs.

Creates limited immunity from prosecution for certain drug and alcohol-related offenses. This limited immunity would extend, under specified circumstances, to anyone who seeks medical assistance for another person who is experiencing a drug or alcohol-related overdose. It can also apply to anyone experiencing an overdose who seeks medical attention. Provides civil and criminal immunity for law enforcement officers who arrest anyone who is later found to be qualified for the limited immunity provisions of this legislation.

Would require health professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect when infants or fetuses are being exposed to alcohol or drugs. Also covers any child diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The "South Carolina Crime Victim Services Act" creates new offices and divisions within the SC Attorney General's Office. Its mission will be to restructure and consolidate state crime victim services. To make these changes; to redirect fee distributions, prisoner wage deductions, and pro rata apportioned filing fees; and to consolidate crime victim funds, all of these monies will be directly sent to this new Crime Victim Assistance Department. Renames existing articles to reflect these changes. Establishes processes for soliciting and administering victim services grants.

Would allow up to six months for restoring defendants' competency to stand trial, after an initial finding that they should be able to stand trial in the foreseeable future.

Requires former public employees to wait one year before being able to accept compensation to appear before, or lobby, their former state agency. This lobbying ban applies to matters that former public employees were directly and substantially involved with during their public employment with that state agency.

This legislation would include reserve police officers performing public off-duty services as eligible for workers compensation benefits when injured while so serving.

Increases criminal penalties for anyone soliciting a prostitute, operating a prostitution business, knowingly renting space to, or otherwise enabling, prostitution house operations, and inducing anyone, including those with mental disabilities, to become a prostitute. Also allows victims of human trafficking to raise their victim status as a defense to any criminal prostitution charge.

Requires SCDJJ to report all on-campus child deaths to the county coroner and law enforcement within 24 hours of any occurrence.

Requires candidates for local elective offices in a specific district to be legal residents of that district before running for, or serving in, that office.

Would allow nonprofit organizations to obtain beer and wine permits for particular nonprofit special events. Also allows brewpubs to donate beer to be served at these events, so long as a willing wholesaler participates. All excise taxes must be paid.

Breweries could sell alcohol not produced on their premises, as well as liquor by the drink, after an appropriate permit is issued under this proposed legislation. Brewpubs could apply to change to brewery licensing status after meeting all prerequisites for doing so.

This bill revises provisions governing the mortgage lending industry.

This bill revises exceptions from homebuilders licensure requirements for certain residential property improvements made by property owners for personal use, so as to remove a provision which disqualifies property owners who sell or rent such an improved property within two years after the improvements are made from this exception.

The bill adds that all individual or group health insurance policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2018, providing coverage for contraceptive drugs must provide reimbursement for a twelvemonth refill of contraceptive drugs obtained. The bill adds the same provision for all Medicaid programs offered through managed care plans or fee-for-service programs.

The bill establishes requirements for prescribing opioid painkillers to minors.

Currently, when the General Assembly is not in session, the Department of Health and Environmental Control has the authority to add, delete or reschedule a substance as a controlled substance after providing notice and a hearing to all interested parties. This bill adds the Code Commissioner to that notification list if any changes are made.

Among many things, the bill adds to the prescription drug monitoring program that a practitioner shall review a patient's controlled substance prescription history, as maintained in the prescription monitoring program, before the practitioner issues a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance. As a result it adds term "practitioner" to the definitions.

The bill requires the Department of Health and Environmental Control to provide prescription report cards to practitioners utilizing the prescription monitoring program that include data relevant to a practitioner's prescribing practices.

Among many things, the bill requires a consultant physician to be available at all times when birth center is conducting business in order to provide consultation and/or accept transfers of mothers and babies. The bill also adds new definitions.

This bill provides the Legislative Audit Council, as part of an approved audit, authority to issue subpoenas to a state agency, its employees, and its contractors and examine the records, reports, audits, reviews, papers, books, recommendations, contracts, correspondence, or any other documents maintained by an agency.

ADMINISTRATION Rep. S. Rivers

This bill affords the state's Department of Social Services the exclusive duty to administer the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Individuals applying for SNAP benefits are required to cooperate with the department's Division of Child Support Services to be eligible for benefits. The legislation prohibits the department from changing federal resource limit standards and from waiving work requirements. The South Carolina Department of Health And Human Services is required to establish a computerized income, asset, and identity eligibility verification service to verify a person's identity and eligibility for public assistance, and DHHS and DSS are required to use the service as part of determining whether to award an applicant or recipient public assistance. The legislation authorizes other departments providing public assistance to use the service. The makes provisions for cases of suspected fraud to be reported to the South Carolina Attorney General and the Office of Inspector General. The legislation includes requirements for DHHS and DSS to submit reports to the Governor and other public officials.

This bill provides for the establishment of the "South Carolinians with Disabilities Economic Development Trust Fund" to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities to pursue entrepreneurship and selfemployment opportunities through business development grants for the startup, expansion, or acquisition of a business operated within the state. The legislation makes provisions for a tax credit for taxpayer contributions to the trust fund. The trust fund is added to the check-off list of funds to which a taxpayer may contribute on a state individual income tax return.

This bill provides for a state sales tax exemption for disposable diapers sold to qualifying nonprofit corporations for the sole purpose of giving the diapers to an individual or family in need, whose income no more than eighty percent of the median income of the county.

This bill revises provisions relating to community development tax credits, so as to eliminate an aggregate credit provision and set an annual limit of tax credits at five million dollars. The legislation establishes tax credit reserve accounts for the first three quarters of each tax year so as to avoid the depletion of credits by an individual taxpayer. The legislation eliminates the prorata distribution of tax credits. The legislation allows financial institutions with tax liabilities in this state to invest in certified community development corporations for the purpose of receiving a tax credit. The legislation provides that returns on investments in certified community development corporations and certified community development financial institutions may not exceed the total amount of the initial investment. The legislation qualifies the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development as a community development corporation and qualifies the South Carolina Community Capital Alliance as a community development financial institution. The legislation extends the provisions of the South Carolina Community Economic Development Act until June 30, 2027.