The House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee met on Thursday, February 1, and reported out several bills.

An electrical utility, electric cooperative, governmental entity, corporation, or individual producing electricity for sale or distribution by operating a solar farm must build and maintain a vegetative buffer around the perimeter of the solar farm. Solar farm means an energy facility or area of land used to convert solar energy into electricity.

The bill extends the period in which wild turkey seasons and bag limits for certain counties are suspended.

H. 4828 YOUTH HUNTING DAY Rep. Hixon

The bill outlines that a youth 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a licensed adult, who is at least 21 years old, on Youth Hunting Days. The bill also provides that the license and tag requirement is waived for a youth on Youth Hunting Day.

This bill eliminates the requirement that homeschool students must be homeschooled for one academic year before participating in public school interscholastic activities.

This bill provides that beginning with the 20182019 school year, school nurses must hold current licensure to practice as professional registered nurses in this state.

Rep. S. Rivers

This bill creates the "South Carolina Adult High School Diploma and Industry Certification Charter School Pilot Program" and relates to the age of attendance in public schools, so as to allow adults to attend public schools in the pilot program and to eliminate waivers of the starting ages for kindergarten and first grade.

This bills creates the "School Metal Detector Study Committee" to study whether it is in the public interest to require the installation and use of metal detectors at public schools in this state.

This bill provides that the state Department of Education shall adopt rules providing standards and procedures for reporting, inspecting, and abating mold and mildew hazards in public school facilities.

This legislation would prohibit the South Carolina Department of Revenue from issuing more than three liquor retailer licenses to one licensee. No partial business or personal interest in any other licenses could be obtained either. Licensed liquor wholesalers could deliver new alcoholic liquor to a person licensed to sell alcoholic liquors for on-premises consumption on a limited basis.

Allows buying lowest-cost energy from independent power producers. Also amends the definitions of "alternating current" and "avoided costs."

Both licensed real estate agents, and prospective property purchasers, who are valid concealed weapon permit holders, could carry concealable weapons while viewing certain properties under this proposal.

Sets a revised salary schedule for Supreme Court justices, and judges serving on the Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, and Family Court benches that is tied to federal judicial salaries. Also would require that circuit solicitors receive salaries not less than the salary paid to the United States attorney for South Carolina. In addition, masters-in-equity would be paid based on a formula as compared to circuit court judge salaries. Public defenders would have to receive salaries not less than those of the South Carolina federal court public defender. Workers Compensation Commissioner salaries would equal eighty-five percent of the salaries paid to circuit court judges. Statewide constitutional officers, beginning in 2018, and every four years thereafter, as part of the annual general appropriations act, would have a salary for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, comptroller general, superintendent of education, adjutant general, and commissioner of agriculture se by the General Assembly to begin with the new terms of those officers and continue for the four years of those terms.

This proposed joint resolution would set a statewide referendum on whether to amend Section 3, Article XI of the South Carolina constitution to require the General Assembly to fund a high-quality free education for all children in our state.

Allows the SC Department of Archives and History to spend certain proceeds generated by its African-American Heritage Commission. Also would allow duplicate materials owned by Commission to be sold by methods other than a public auction.

If enacted, the SC Department of Revenue could issue only one retail alcohol sales dealer license to one licensee. In addition, a licensee could not have any interest in a retail liquor store other than the one store covered by his retail dealer license. Licensed wholesalers could deliver alcoholic liquor to a person so licensed to sell alcoholic liquors for on-premises consumption under specified circumstances.

Under this legislation, all magistrates in counties that have populations of over 75,000 people would have to be licensed attorneys.

Proposes a "South Carolina Equal Pay for Equal Work Act" to prohibit paying employees of one sex at a lesser rate than the rate paid to employees of the opposite sex. This prohibition would apply to comparable work in jobs which require the same, or essentially the same, knowledge, skill, effort, and responsibility. Sets administrative and judicial remedies for processing violations of this Act's terms.

Arbitration awards would have to be thoroughly reasoned under this legislation. As part of this requirement, arbitrators would have to make specific findings of fact and set out their conclusions supporting their awards.

Allows courts to choose from an extensive list of conditions to place on defendants released from custody under a bond. These conditions could include that defendants comply with the terms for an electronic pretrial release and monitoring program. In addition, a nonexclusive list of conditions that a defendant must abide by when released from custody can be applied. Defendants who violate any conditions of pretrial release, electronic monitoring programs, give false or misleading information about being eligible for the program would be subject to bond revocation or other punishment. Also includes standards and procedures for private providers who are selected to provide electronic monitoring services.

If enacted, this legislation would require all affidavits of indigency, and application for counsel forms, to contain certifications regarding any wilful provision of false information on them. All forms would have to be notarized. In the event a court, the SC Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services [SCDPPPS], or an appointed attorney discovers that a defendant is financially able to employ counsel or contribute to the costs of employing counsel, a procedure for informing the court and terminating the appointed counsel is set out. Creates the criminal offense of wilfully providing false, misleading, or incomplete information on an affidavit for indigency and application for counsel form. Also directs the South Carolina Court Administration to revise the affidavits of indigency and application for counsel forms. SCDPPPS would report annually to the General Assembly, by January 15th, on the number of affidavits both accepted and rejected. As part of this annual report, an explanation of those affidavits rejected, including the grounds for rejecting them would be made. In addition, respective legislative oversight committees would review of these reports as part of their regularly scheduled review of SCDPPPS.

Raises the amount of burial expenses that crime victims can be reimbursed from $4,000 to $6,500.

Mandates that at least one local foster care review board in the 5th Judicial Circuit contain a member appointed by the Kershaw County Legislative Delegation.

Abortion would become a criminal act during any trimester if the sole reason for it is that the unborn child has a fetal anomaly. Also would amend the South Carolina Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to eliminate any fetal anomaly exceptions to the prohibition against abortions when an unborn child is twenty weeks, or more, in gestation.

This bill extends the provisions of the South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act until December 31, 2025.

This legislation provides for the entry of South Carolina into a multi-state compact. The purpose of the compact is to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services. The legislation also provides for the structure, functions, powers and duties of the governing body of the compact; as well as provide the obligations, benefit and rights of the members.

The local governing body of a county or municipality, by ordinance, may impose a community charge on nonprofit hospitals and institutions of higher learning within the jurisdiction, except that a county only may impose the charge in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The bill enables certain persons to execute a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) form signed by a physician that sets for the patient's wishes as to life sustaining care. The bill also establishes a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) Advisory Council.

Among many things, the bill outlines that a speechlanguage pathology, as well as a speech-language pathology assistant shall adhere to the responsibilities within the scope for speechlanguage pathology assistants set forth by the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association.

This bill provides an exemption from provisions governing motor vehicle dealers for persons conducting the auction of investment grade or collector motor vehicles in conjunction with the annual Hilton Head Island Concours D'Elegance.