South Carolina House of Representatives
James H. "Jay" Lucas, Speaker of the House
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND CONSTITUENT SERVICES
Room 212, Blatt Building, P.O. Box 11867, Columbia,
S.C. 29211, (803) 734-3230
The House of Representatives approved and sent the Senate H.4380, the "SAMANTHA L. JOSEPHSON RIDESHARING SAFETY ACT". The legislation revises South Carolina's Transportation Network Company Act, which governs the operations of digital ride hailing companies, to provide new requirements that allow Transportation Network Company vehicles to be more readily distinguished from other vehicles. Under the new requirements, a Transportation Network Company vehicle must make use of an illuminated sign displaying the company's proprietary trademark or logo that allows the vehicle to be recognized in darkness. The legislation establishes requirements for this sign and other identifying emblems to be returned to the Transportation Network Company when a driver ceases to be employed by the company.
The House amended Senate amendments to H.3420, legislation PREVENTING YOUTH ACCESS TO VAPING, CIGARETTES, AND OTHER TOBACCO AND NICOTINE PRODUCTS. The Senate subsequently concurred in those amendments and enrolled the bill for ratification. The legislation updates the "Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act of 2006" to prohibit minors under the age of eighteen from entering retail establishments that primarily sell tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or both, unless the minor is actively supervised and accompanied by an adult. The legislation provides for a more expansive definition of "alternative nicotine product" that specifically includes vaping. The legislation revises the restrictions governing Internet commerce and other remote sales to provide for the use of a method of mailing, shipping, or delivery that requires the signature of a person at least eighteen years of age before a tobacco product or alternative nicotine product will be released to the purchaser, unless the remote seller employs certain alternative protections to ensure age verification. The legislation requires every local school district in the state to adopt, implement, and enforce a written policy prohibiting at all times the use of any tobacco product or alternative nicotine product by any person in school buildings, in school facilities, on school campuses, and in or on any other school property owned or operated by the local school administrative unit. The policy also must prohibit the use of any tobacco product or alternative nicotine product by anyone attending an off-site schoolsponsored event when in the presence of students or school personnel.
The House approved S.205 and enrolled the bill for ratification. The legislation provides an additional duty for the Department of Aging's ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS RESOURCE COORDINATION CENTER by charging the center with facilitating the coordination and integration of educational initiatives for health care providers on the importance and value of early detection and timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment, validated cognitive assessment tools, and increasing understanding and awareness of early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia and how to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
The House concurred in Senate amendments to H.3929, a joint resolution making provisions for TEMPORARY ENHANCED AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE MISSED SCHOOLS DAYS in light of the flooding experienced by areas of the state in recent months, and enrolled the legislation for ratification. The legislation provides that, during the 20182019 School Year, a local school district may waive the requirements of making up days beyond the three days forgiven by the local school district for any days missed during the 20182019 School Year because of snow, extreme weather conditions, or other disruptions requiring schools to close.
The House approved S.514 and enrolled the bill for ratification. The legislation provides for the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue ‘CLEMSON UNIVERSITY 2018 FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS' SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES. License number ‘1' is reserved for the Clemson University Head Football Coach.
The House amended, approved and sent the Senate H.3403, a bill authorizing public school districts to create COMPETENCYBASED SCHOOLS that are designed to improve progress towards attaining state education goals through a curriculum that allows students to pursue their own inquiries, take ownership of learning, and master competencies along a personalized and flexible pathway. The legislation establishes a protocol that allows a school district to establish a competency-based school by obtaining a waiver from the State Department of Education that allows the program to be exempt from certain requirements for the purposes of accountability and accreditation. The Department of Education is charged with developing separate evaluation criteria and guidelines for schools implementing competency-based education, conducting a biennial review of such schools, and reporting findings. If the biennial review shows that the goals or objectives of the competency-based school are not being met, the exemptions granted for that school may be revoked. The department is also directed to develop a process to ensure that schools and districts are not penalized for the purposes of accreditation and to ensure that students are not penalized when transferring between schools with and without competency-based systems. The Commission on Higher Education and State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education must establish policies to provide fair and equitable access to institutions of higher education and technical colleges for students with competencybased credits or diplomas, scholarships, and financial aid for graduates of schools implementing innovative school models and using nontraditional diplomas and transcripts.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3577, a bill providing authority for ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATOR PREPARATION AND CERTIFICATION as a means of addressing current teacher shortages. The legislation establishes a protocol allowing for the approval of alternative route providers and programs for educator preparation and certification. The legislation establishes criteria that apply to alternative programs housed within an institution of higher education. The State Department of Education is required to provide an annual report on the total number of individuals employed in this state, by district, with certificates issued by institution of higher education alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly. The State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education, is charged with developing and implementing a seven-year cyclical evaluation process for all alternative route educator preparation providers and programs.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4413, a STATE GOVERNMENT BUDGET CONTINUING RESOLUTION. This joint resolution makes provisions for the continuing authority to pay the expenses of state government if the 20192020 Fiscal Year begins without a general appropriations act for that year in effect.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3596, a bill addressing ROLLBACK PROPERTY TAXES ON RECLASSIFIED AGRICULTURAL LAND. The legislation revises provisions relating to classification of property and assessment ratios for purposes of ad valorem taxation, so as to limit rollback taxes to three years, rather than the current five years, when land classified as agricultural real property is applied to another use.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.3210, a bill providing for the HIGH GROWTH SMALL BUSINESS JOB CREATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION. The legislation reauthorizes the High Growth Small Business Job Creation Act for an additional six years, so that the act is set to be repealed at the end of 2025.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3998. This bill enacts the "WORKFORCE AND SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT" to allow a taxpayer eligible for a federal lowincome housing tax credit to claim a state tax credit for developing housing for those with lower incomes. Once an affordable housing project becomes eligible for this state tax credit, for that year and for the next ten calendar years, all property that makes up the qualified project is exempt from all fees and taxes imposed by the municipality in which it is located. This exemption includes such taxes and fees as property taxes, impact fees, development fees, sewer fees, wastewater fees, sanitation fees, infrastructure fees, administrative fees, permit fees, and planning fees.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3730, a bill establishing the felony criminal offense of TRAFFICKING IN FENTANYL to address situations involving amounts at least four grams of fentanyl, fentanylrelated substances, or mixtures. Violators are subject to a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years and a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars for a first offense, and a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty years and a fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars, for a second or subsequent offense.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3728, legislation that expands the PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM, requiring the Department of Health and Environmental Control to include and maintain information in the prescription monitoring program on the administering of opioid antidotes in a hospital emergency department or by a first responder.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3036, "DYLAN'S LAW". This bill requires the Department of Environmental Control to add tests for certain neonatal genetic disorders and diseases to the existing newborn screening program. The legislation establishes the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee to review the feasibility and advisability of including additional metabolic, genetic, and congenital disorders in the neonatal testing.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.4004, the "PHYSICIAN ORDERS FOR SCOPE OF TREATMENT (POST) ACT". The legislation establishes a protocol that allows a patient with an advanced illness to execute a POST form that consists of a set of medical orders, signed by a patient's physician, addressing key medical decisions consistent with patient goals of care concerning treatment at the end of life that is portable and valid across health care settings. This set of medical orders concerning what life sustaining care is to be administered applies only to situations where the patient has been diagnosed with a serious illness or, based upon medical diagnosis, may be expected to lose capacity within twelve months. A Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) Advisory Council is established to advise the Department of Health and Environmental Control in the areas of POST program design, standards, data collection and evaluation, quality improvement, funding, and program evaluation.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3231, a bill addressing GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. The legislation revises the ground for divorce of physical cruelty to provide that this ground shall be construed to include willful or other abhorrent conduct or treatment which destroys or tends to destroy the mental and physical wellbeing, happiness, and welfare of the other and renders continued cohabitation unsafe or intolerable.
The House approved and sent the Senate was H.3967, relating to RESTRAINING INMATES WHO ARE PREGNANT OR IN POSTPARTUM RECUPERATION. The legislation details the safety methods and restrictions that are to be followed in correctional facilities and other settings for using wrist restraints or other types of restraints on inmates who are pregnant or have been determined to be in postpartum recuperation.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.4318, a bill establishing revised WILD TURKEY HUNTING provisions. Recently, the General Assembly has provided for temporary wild turkey hunting season and bag limit revisions that extend until July 1, 2019, while the Department of Natural Resources was conducting its study of the state's wild turkey population. Drawing upon DNR's study as well as testimony from hunters and other stakeholders, this legislation replaces temporary wild turkey hunting measures with long term provisions. The legislation provides for a 42-day-long hunting season the would run from March 20 until April 30 in Game Zones 3 and 4 and from April 1 until May 12 in Game Zones 1 and 2. The legislation establishes bag limits of one per day with three per season for residents and two per season for non-residents. For resident hunters, there is established a five dollar fee with three tags and for nonresidents a one hundred dollar fee with two tags. There continues to be no cost for a set of wild turkey tags for those under the age of sixteen, lifetime licensees, and gratis licensees. It is unlawful to take a female wild turkey unless authorized by DNR. Provisions are made for a ‘Youth Turkey Weekend' for turkey hunters under eighteen years of age. During this weekend preceding the start of a game zone turkey season, license or tag requirements are waived for a youth turkey hunter and the bag limit is one male wild turkey, which shall count towards the season bag limit. The legislation also provides for the implementation of an electronic harvest reporting system that involves scanning in information using smartphone cameras or calling in reports.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3174. This bill establishes technical specifications for ELECTRICASSIST BICYCLES and bicycles with helper motors and provides that those who operate these low-speed electrically assisted bicycles are subject to all statutory provisions that apply to bicyclists. The legislation includes labelling requirements for these bicycles. The legislation specifies that electric-assist bicycles and bicycles with helper motors are not mopeds.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4439, a bill designating the sixteenth day of July of each year as ‘ATOMIC VETERANS DAY' in South Carolina to recognize those who participated in aboveground nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962, served with the United States military occupation forces in or around Hiroshima and Nagasaki before 1946, or were held as prisoners of war in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.4211. In accordance with recent changes in federal law, this bill revises provisions relating to the ISSUANCE OF BONDS FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, so as to provide for certain public notice requirements.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3703, a bill dealing with the LICENSURE EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY. The bill applies to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Currently, an applicant may attempt the licensure examination a total of three times. This bill will increase the attempts to six. However, if an applicant fails the examination a fifth time, the applicant must take courses and furnish evidence of completing these courses before taking the examination a sixth time.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4412, a bill to authorizing the imposition of the EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX in certain situations.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.3205, a bill that makes revisions to the Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act to eliminate an obsolete CATAWBA INDIAN TRIBE FEE EXEMPTION.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.3080, a bill addressing ALCOHOL SALES AT FESTIVALS. The legislation revises provisions for the issuance of beer and wine permits and alcoholic liquor licenses that allow sales at multiple locations on multiple days at a festival on one application.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4075, a bill providing for the DISCONTINUATION OF COUNTY OFFICER OFFICE INSPECTIONS. The legislation repeals the legal requirement for the Attorney General, and circuit solicitors, to inspect county officer offices. The legislation makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Prosecution Coordination Commission.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4008. This bill revises Heritage Trust Program provisions by REPEALING PROVISIONS FOR HERITAGE TRUST REVENUE BONDS since this bond debt has been retired. The legislation makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Natural Resources.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4010. This bill revises provisions for land acquired under the HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM, so as to remove the maximum acreage limitation. The legislation makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Natural Resources.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.3351. This bill makes provisions for the DISPOSITION OF CERTAIN DUPLICATIVE MATERIAL IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY to another public or nonprofit institution by gift or sale, and provides for the use of resulting proceeds. The legislation makes provisions for annual reporting requirements and the retention and use by the department of certain proceeds generated by its operations. The legislation implements recommendations arising from the House Legislative Oversight Committee's review of the Department of Archives and History.
The House approved and sent the Senate on H.3485, legislation addressing DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FUNDING. This bill implements recommendations arising from the House Legislative Oversight Committee's review of the Department of Archives and History. The legislation revises provisions for the income tax credit for making qualified rehabilitation expenditures for a certified historic structure, so as to remove a provision allowing the Department of Archives and History to establish fees. The legislation provides that a taxpayer claiming the credit must pay a fee to the Department of Archives and History for the State Historic Preservation Grant Fund. The legislation charges the department with developing an application process. The legislation adds the Department of Archives and History to the list of check off options on the income tax return which taxpayers use to make voluntary contributions. Such voluntary contributions must be used by the department to purchase or preserve collections with significant historical value to the state.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4017. This bill revises Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism provisions to establish updated objectives for the SOUTH CAROLINA FILM COMMISSION. This bill makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4019. This bill makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The legislation revises Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism provisions to remove references to residential areas on HUNTING ISLAND.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4020, legislation addressing PRT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DUTIES. This bill makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The legislation adds duties relating to community development to the general powers and duties of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and repeals provisions relating to the agency's division of community development.
The House approved and sent the Senate H.4021, relating to the USE OF CABINS AT STATE PARKS. This bill makes revisions recommended by the House Legislative Oversight Committee's study of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The legislation removes the prohibition on swimming and rental or use of cabins at state parks.
The House amended, approved, and sent the Senate H.3737, a bill revising the membership of the RICHLANDLEXINGTON AIRPORT COMMISSION.
The House approved and sent the Senate to H.3307, a bill making provisions for a searchable online DATABASE ON PROPERTY SEIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FORFEITED.
The Ways and Means Committee met on Tuesday April 9 and reported out legislation.
The committee gave a favorable report on H.4332, a bill providing for STATE GENERAL OBLIGATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND ACT REVISIONS. The legislation adds freight transportation to the types of infrastructure that may be financed with economic development bonds and makes provisions for financing strategic infrastructure projects, which are not subject to job creation and capital investment requirements, to assist the Department of Commerce in promoting economic development in the state by providing infrastructure that is needed by industry located in or considering locating in South Carolina.
The committee gave a favorable report on H.4413, a STATE GOVERNMENT BUDGET CONTINUING RESOLUTION. This joint resolution makes provisions for the continuing authority to pay the expenses of state government if the 20192020 Fiscal Year begins without a general appropriations act for that year in effect.
S.666 GOLF CARTS Sen. Climer
This bill relates to the DMV's issuance of golf cart permits and the operation of golf carts along the state's highways and provides that a municipality may adopt an ordinance that allows for the operation of golf carts that are equipped with working headlights and rear lights during nondaylight hours.
S.203 SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION Sen. Young
This bill provides criteria for school district consolidation, and to provide for an exception.
H.4454 EMERGENCY SCENE MANAGEMENT Rep. Long
This bill relates to emergency scene management, deletes provisions that regulate the conduct of a driver of a vehicle approaching an emergency scene or emergency vehicle, the penalties for violating this section. It also relates to the offense of endangerment of a highway worker and penalties for a violation of this offense, so as to revise the definition of the terms "highway work zone" and "highway worker" and provides that the DOT must provide traffic incident management training to a driver of a wrecker or towing service vehicle free of charge.
H.4455 TEACHERS FIRST ACT Rep. Moore
This bill enacts the "Teachers First Act" and provides that in the event the United States Congress enacts legislation in which the federal government offers three dollars for every one state dollar to increase teacher salaries, then the General Assembly shall appropriate funds so that each eligible certified South Carolina teacher receives a permanent raise that would bring the teacher's salary up to that of an individual with a comparable profession.
Senator Hutto
Allows candidates for sheriff or coroner to be certified by a political party when the candidate submits a sworn affidavit. Elected coroners must obtain a forensic science degree, or complete a certification program, within one year of being elected. This forensic science degree or certification program must be approved by the SC Criminal Justice Academy and posted on the SC Coroners Association website.
S.162 FAILURE TO REGISTER A MOTOR VEHICLE Senator Bennett
Any owner failing to register a motor vehicle will be committing a misdemeanor crime. Upon conviction, these owners can be fined up to $500, put in jail for up to 30 days, or both.
S.180 NO DRONES AT FEDERAL MILITARY FACILITIES Senator McElveen
Prohibits operating an unmanned aerial vehicle within a certain distance of a federal military installation. Offending drones can be confiscated. Sets out penalties for violations.
S.189 TORTURE AS HOMICIDE BY CHILD ABUSE Senator Shealy
Allows SCDSS to forego reasonable efforts to reunify a family when the children are their torture victims. Adds torture, or conspiring to commit torture, as a ground for terminating parental rights. Adds death of a child by torture, or by conspiring to torture, to the criminal offense of homicide by child abuse.
S.276 DEADLY WEAPONS USED TO DAMAGE PUBLIC PROPERTY Senators Senn
This legislation makes it a crime to solicit another to threaten, or conspire to threaten to cause damage, serious bodily injury, or death, as well as to damage, or to destroy a building or other real or personal property using a dangerous weapon. This crime occurs when the damage, or threat to damage, is to any private or public school, college, university, technical college, or other post-secondary institution, church, publicly owned building or recreational park areas, or in any public gathering places. Anyone charged with this crime must undergo a mental health evaluation and, if deemed necessary, mental health treatment or counseling.
S.281 SERVICE ANIMAL FRAUDULENT PRACTICES Senator Talley
Declares the intentional misrepresentation of a service animal in order to obtain a right, or privilege of any kind, to be a misdemeanor crime. Establishes penalties.
S.342 RESPONSIBLE ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING ACT Senator Rankin
Enacts the "Responsible Alcohol Server Training Act." Under it, mandatory alcohol server training and education is required for all on-premises alcoholic beverage servers. Sets up the training program curricula to be approved by SCDOR. Requires coordination among SCDOR, SLED, and other state and local agencies for implementation and enforcement of these requirements.
S.413 NCIS ENFORCING SOUTH CAROLINA CRIMINAL LAWS Senator Shealy
Authorizes the Naval Criminal Investigative Service [NCIS] agents to enforce our state criminal laws.
S.480 NEXT GENERATION FINGERPRINTING Senator Alexander
Fingerprint collecting agencies, as well as agencies authorized to conduct fingerprint searches, could have access to the FBI Next Generation Identification Program under this proposal to file, or search, them.
S.595 NO SEX OFFENDERS AT CHILDCARE FACILITIES Senator Shealy
Childcare facilities could not hire anyone registered, or required to be registered, on the national sex offender registry, state sex offender registry, or central registry of child abuse and neglect. Other convictions preventing this employment are also listed. Other employees at these facilities must have had criminal records checks conducted on them. SLED and the FBI can retain, store, and share records. Establishes a fee for these criminal records checks.
S.601 FOSTER PARENT CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECKS Senator Shealy
Requires residential facility locations, where children in foster care may be placed, to conduct criminal records checks on all of their employees.
H.4441 JASPER COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES Rep. Herbkersman
Jasper County Board of Education candidates would have to submit a statement of candidacy rather than signed petitions to be declared a candidate under this proposed legislation.
H.4442 SCDSS CASE CONTINUANCES AS PART OF HEARING RECORDS Rep. W. Cox
Requires Family Court Judges, in hearings involving a child that were initiated by SCDSS, to state in the hearing record the number of continuances previously granted, the dates of all continuances, and the reasons for all continuances.
H.4443 FARGO'S AND HYCO'S LAW Rep. Collins
Enacts "Fargo's and Hyco's Law" to increase criminal penalties for willfully, or maliciously, torturing, mutilating, injuring, disabling, poisoning, or killing a police dog or horse.
H.4445 ILLEGAL DRIVING THROUGH EMERGENCY SCENES Rep. B. Newton
Doubles penalties for illegally driving through emergency scenes.
S.649 CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
Sen. Alexander
This bill revises the schedule for criminal background checks in the licensure requirements for real estate professionals to change the effective date to July 1, 2020.
H.4429 HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FINANCES Rep. King
This bill establishes certain requirements for a homeowners association regarding the annual operating budget, the association's operating expenses, the allocation of funds collected as fines by the association's board, and the submission of the annual operating budget to the Department of Consumer Affairs.
H.4431 "SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS LICENSE TAX REFORM ACT" Rep. Jordan
This bill establishes business license tax reform provisions that: provide for the way in which a business license tax is computed; provide for the way in which to purchase a business license; require a taxing jurisdiction to adopt the latest standardized business license class schedule; establish the way in which a business license official shall serve notice of assessment of business license tax due; require a business license tax to be graduated according to the business taxable income; provide that a wholesaler delivering goods in certain instances is not subject to the business license tax; revises confidentiality provisions for county and municipal taxpayer information, so as to allow the sharing of certain data and certain business license taxes; and, authorize the Department of Revenue to make certain records available to certain authorities levying a tax based on business taxable income.
H.4430 ELECTION AND TERMS OF COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS IN MUNICIPALITIES Rep. Magnuson
The bill requires a municipality to provide for two to four additional public works commissioners. The bill also outlines that the terms must be staggered.
S.303 STATE TRANSPORTATION OF A MENTALLY ILL PERSON Sen. Kimpson
A state or local law enforcement officer responsible for transporting a patient should be a part of a therapeutic transport unit and must have undergone crisis intervention training. "Crisis intervention training" means training that teaches an officer to identify mental health resources for those in crisis and take appropriate action to ensure officer and community safety.
S.7 SOUTH CAROLINA TORT CLAIMS ACT LIABILITY LIMITS Sen. Malloy
This bill revises provisions of the South Carolina Tort Claims Act relating to the limitation of the state's liability for losses suffered, so as to increase these liability limits.
S.439 PORT CARGO VOLUME INCREASE TAX CREDITS AND PORT TRANSPORTATION
CREDITS Sen. Leatherman
This bill increases the maximum annual amount of tax credits for port cargo volume increases available to all qualifying taxpayers from eight million to fifteen million dollars. The legislation establishes a schedule for phasing in port transportation credits and port volume cargo credits for the costs of transporting freight, goods, and materials to and from port facilities in South Carolina as a means of establishing a customer base for a new Jasper Port facility. The legislation provides for port transportation credits to expire after a port in Jasper County is opened and is accepting shipments. The legislation provides that a port facility is a distribution facility for purposes of certain sales tax exemptions.
H.4438 OPTIONAL SALES AND USE TAXES IMPOSED BY COUNTIES Rep. Murphy
This bill a county which has imposed by ordinance an optional sales and use tax in an amount not to exceed one percent within its jurisdiction to finance transportation projects may utilize the provisions of the Capital Project Sales Tax Act to impose an additional sales and use tax in an amount not to exceed one percent within its jurisdiction.
H.4453 "STATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION EFFICIENCY ACT" Rep. Elliott
This bill enacts the "State Institution of Higher Education Efficiency Act", to allow the board of trustees of an institution of higher education to establish by resolution an auxiliary division as part of the college or university into which are transferred certain assets, programs, and operations of the college or university. Such an auxiliary division is exempt from various state laws governing procurement, human resources, personnel, and the disposition of real and personal property. The legislation provides that bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness may be issued for the auxiliary division. Audit and reporting requirements are established. The legislation revises exemptions from the provisions of state personnel regulations and requirements, so as to exempt employees of institutions to which the Higher Education Efficiency Act applies. The legislation includes provisions relating to certification for direct procurements, and further provides for the authority of research institutions and other institutions to undertake certain actions, including purchasing and the approval of contracts.