NO. 24
REGULAR SESSION BEGINNING TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2025
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The House assembled at 10:00 a.m.
Deliberations were opened with prayer by Rev. Charles E. Seastrunk Jr. as follows:
Our thought for today is from 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Let us pray. The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. God who blesses us with reverent sense of Your presence as we come together for another day of duty for our State. Bless and keep our defenders of freedom and first responders. Look in favor on our World, Nation, President, State, Governor Speaker, Staff, and all who give of their time and effort for the good of the people of this State. Protect our Armed Forces and those with hidden wounds. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayers. Amen.
Pursuant to Rule 6.3, the House of Representatives was led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America by the SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE.
After corrections to the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday, the SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE ordered it confirmed.
Rep. WOOTEN moved that when the House adjourns, it adjourn in memory of Victor O'Neal Roof, which was agreed to.
Victor O'Neal Roof, 81, of Lexington, SC, passed away peacefully on February 14, 2025, after a long battle with cancer.
A true self-made man, Vic grew up in Springfield, SC, and graduated from Springfield High School, then attended USC. He was the founder of Sunbird Boat Manufacturing Company and co-founder of Sea Hunt Boat Manufacturing company with his son, Victor Roof Jr. (Bubba). The top selling saltwater boat brand in the nation located right here in Columbia, SC.
Surviving are his wife, Patricia Maxine; son, Victor O'Neal Roof Jr. (Bubba); daughter, Katherine Felicia Collins; four grandchildren, Luke Andrew Collins, Fischer O'Neal Roof, Ryan Daniel Roof-Hargis and Charlie Ann Roof; along with two nephews and one niece.
He was a longtime member of Cayce Masonic Lodge, International & Jamil Temple of Columbia, Scottish Rite of Free Masonry, S.C., Society of Sons of American Revolution, Lexington Country Club, and Mt. Horeb Church.
I ask that we adjourn in the memory of Mr. Victor O'Neal Roof and that my comments be included in today's House Journal.
Rep. Chris Wooten
The House stood in silent prayer for the recovery of Representative Hager's father.
Rep. SPANN-WILDER made a statement relative to the contributions of Lonnie Hamilton III.
Lonnie Hamilton Ill is a distinguished public servant, educator, and musician whose contributions have left a lasting impact on Charleston County, South Carolina. Born and raised in the Lowcountry in November 1927, this very active 97-year-old dedicated his life to education, civil rights, and community service, becoming one of the most respected figures in the region.
Hamilton began his career as an educator, serving as a band director in Charleston County schools for over three decades. His passion for music and commitment to student success inspired countless young musicians, many of whom went on to achieve their own success in the arts and beyond. His influence in education extended beyond the classroom, as he advocated for better resources and opportunities for students in historically underserved communities.
In addition to his work in education, Hamilton became a trailblazer in Charleston local government. He was the first African-American elected to the Charleston County Council in 1970, where he served for 24 years, including two terms as chairman - making him the first African-American Chair of the Charleston County Council. During his tenure, he championed policies that promoted racial equality, economic development, and improved public services for all residents. His leadership helped pave the way for greater representation of African Americans in local government. In 1980 he was one of the first African-Americans to participate in Leadership South Carolina and in 1982 he was elected President of the Association of Counties - another first! There is a part of our local highways named for him and our Charleston County Public Service Building bears his name. In 1991 Governor Carroll Campbell appointed him to the S.C. committee on Recycling Market Development as a result of his work in Charleston County on recycling. His leadership in this area was born from his travels to Japan and other countries to try to improve the footprint we leave on our planet. His work is the reason our SC counties now have recycling programs.
Beyond politics and education, Hamilton remained deeply engaged in community service. He was involved in numerous civic organizations and was widely recognized for his efforts to bridge racial and socioeconomic divides in the region. His contributions earned him numerous awards and honors, reflecting the profound impact of his lifelong dedication to service to include being a recipient of The Order of the Palmetto in 2002.
Lonnie Hamilton Ill's legacy lives on through the many lives he touched as a teacher, leader, and advocate for progress. His work continues to inspire new generations to strive for excellence and equality in their communities. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., I am proud to say that he has been my neighbor, a mentor and now my Constituent in S.C. House 109.
Rep. Tiffany Spann-Wilder
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3021 (Word version) -- Reps. Bradley, G. M. Smith, Herbkersman, Lawson, B. Newton, Wooten, Mitchell, Pope, Guffey, Neese, Martin, Chapman, Pedalino, McCravy, Chumley, W. Newton, Taylor, Hewitt, Schuessler, Davis, M. M. Smith, Long, Sanders, Teeple, Gagnon, Hixon, Erickson, Hager, Ballentine, Calhoon, Holman, Moss, Burns, Gilreath, Gilliam, Rankin, Vaughan, B. L. Cox, Ligon, Oremus and Hartz: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY FREEDOM ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 1-23-285 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY REVIEW COMMITTEE SHALL CONDUCT AN INITIAL REVIEW OF REGULATIONS PENDING REAUTHORIZATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR RETAINING OR REMOVING REGULATIONS, TO PROVIDE IT IS THE DUTY OF THE COMMITTEE WHEN REVIEWING REGULATIONS TO REDUCE THE OVERALL REGULATORY BURDEN ON BUSINESSES BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS BY TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT, AND TO PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE MAY REQUEST ANY NECESSARY INFORMATION FROM STATE AGENCIES AND TO REQUIRE THE COMPLIANCE OF AGENCIES WITH THESE REQUESTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-23-110, RELATING TO THE PROCESS FOR PROMULGATING REGULATIONS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT SO AS TO PROVIDE AGENCIES MAY NOT PROMULGATE REGULATIONS ABSENT EXPRESS STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND CITATION TO THE SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORITY, TO PROVIDE FOR EVERY REGULATION AN AGENCY PROPOSES, IT MUST IDENTIFY AND PROPOSE TWO OF ITS REGULATIONS TO REMOVE, TO PROVIDE PERSONS AGGRIEVED BY A REGULATION MAY CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF THE REGULATION IN A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION, AND TO PROVIDE COURTS MAY DECLARE REGULATIONS INVALID UPON FINDING AN ABSENCE OF EXPRESS STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO PROMULGATE; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-23-115, RELATING TO ASSESSMENT REPORTS FOR REGULATIONS SUBMITTED FOR PROMULGATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE ALL REGULATIONS SUBMITTED FOR PROMULGATION MUST INCLUDE ASSESSMENT REPORTS, TO ALLOW LONGER REVIEW PERIODS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO PROVIDE DISCOUNT RATES MUST BE JUSTIFIED IF APPLIED IN AN ANALYSIS REPORT, TO PROVIDE PROMULGATING AGENCIES MUST CONDUCT RETROSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT REPORTS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, TO PROVIDE ASSESSMENT CONTENTS MUST BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IN A CERTAIN MANNER, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN STANDARDIZED ANALYTIC METHODS AND METRICS MUST BE APPLIED TO ALL REGULATIONS, TO REQUIRE RETROSPECTIVE ASSESSMENT REPORTS BE CONDUCTED WHEN REGULATIONS ARE REVIEWED FOR RENEWAL, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-23-120, RELATING TO DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE FILED TO INITIATE THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR A REGULATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE AN AUTOMATIC EXPIRATION DATE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE AUTOMATIC EXPIRATION AND PERIODIC REVIEW OF REGULATIONS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 1-23-380, RELATING TO JUDICIAL REVIEW UPON EXHAUSTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF AGENCY INTERPRETATIONS OF REGULATIONS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3756 (Word version) -- Reps. Herbkersman, Gatch and Hager: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 58-27-1105, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO DEFINE "QUALIFIED INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY" AND TO ALLOW AN ELECTRIC UTILITY TO INCLUDE STORM RECOVERY COSTS FOR HURRICANE HELENE AND ITS COST OF CAPITAL FROM THE DATE OF THE STORM THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF STORM RECOVERY BONDS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 58-27-1110, RELATING TO THE PETITION FOR FINANCING ORDER AND REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO ALLOW AN ELECTRIC UTILITY TO DEFER THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF A FINANCING ORDER.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3571 (Word version) -- Reps. Hiott, Guffey, J. L. Johnson, Pedalino and Neese: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-20, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD DEFINITIONS FOR "LARGE PROJECT," "NOTICE," "PRE-MARKING," "PRIVATE FACILITY," "PROJECT INITIATOR," AND "SOFT DIGGING" AND TO AMEND THE DEFINITIONS OF "EXCAVATE," "EXCAVATOR," AND "OPERATOR"; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-50, RELATING TO THE OPERATORS ASSOCIATION NOTIFICATION CENTER, SO AS TO CLARIFY OPERATOR PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION, THE NOTIFICATION CENTER'S DUTIES, AND OTHER CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-60, RELATING TO THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO EXCAVATE OR DEMOLISH, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR NOTICE FOR CERTAIN EXCAVATIONS OR DEMOLITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-70, RELATING TO INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY OPERATORS, SO AS TO REQUIRE QUARTERLY REPORTS OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY AN EXCAVATION OR DEMOLITION AND TO CLARIFY PAYMENT OF A CIVIL PENALTY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-80, RELATING TO EMERGENCY EXCAVATIONS OR DEMOLITIONS EXEMPT FROM NOTICE REQUIREMENTS AND LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, SO AS ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL NOTIFICATION AND RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND TO MAKE A FALSE CLAIM OF AN EMERGENCY A VIOLATION OF THIS CHAPTER; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-90, RELATING TO NOTICE OF DAMAGES, SO AS TO REQUIRE AN EXCAVATOR TO IMMEDIATELY REPORT ANY KNOWN DAMAGE TO THE NOTIFICATION CENTER AND FACILITY OPERATOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-100, RELATING TO DESIGN REQUESTS AND OPERATOR RESPONSE, SO AS TO ADD A REFERENCE TO LARGE PROJECTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-110, RELATING TO EXEMPTION FROM NOTICE REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO STRIKE CURRENT PROVISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 58-36-120, RELATING TO PENALTIES AND CIVIL REMEDIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPLAINT PROCESS THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND PROVIDE FOR PENALTIES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 58-36-75, SO AS TO PROVIDE A PROCESS FOR LARGE PROJECTS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3259 (Word version) -- Reps. Pope, Gilliam, Lawson, Chapman, Pedalino, McCravy, M. M. Smith, Davis, Holman, B. L. Cox and Ligon: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 38-77-128 SO AS TO PROHIBIT INSURERS OR AGENTS FROM CONSIDERING THE WORK-RELATED DRIVING RECORD OF A FIRST RESPONDER IN DETERMINING THE PREMIUM RATE FOR THE FIRST RESPONDER'S PERSONAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE POLICY.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3447 (Word version) -- Rep. Rutherford: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 29-3-810 SO AS TO REQUIRE AN APPLICATION FOR A RULE TO SHOW CAUSE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 27-30-130, RELATING TO THE ENFORCEABILITY OF A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN GOVERNING DOCUMENTS OF HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS MUST COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN, from the Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3947 (Word version) -- Reps. Hixon, Pedalino, McCabe and Vaughan: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-57-340, RELATING TO BIENNIAL CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE RENEWAL BY THE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE NONRESIDENT BROKERS AND NONRESIDENT ASSOCIATES WHO SUCCESSFULLY SATISFY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR JURISDICTION OF RESIDENCE MAY BE EXEMPT FROM THE CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS OF THIS STATE WITH APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSION.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HIXON, from the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3629 (Word version) -- Rep. T. Moore: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 48-23-120, RELATING TO FORESTRY COMMISSION ACQUISITIONS, SO AS TO SET PRICING VALUES; BY AMENDING SECTION 48-23-132, RELATING TO REVENUES FROM SPECIFIED SOURCES, SO AS TO OUTLINE WHAT THE FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 48-33-60, RELATING TO DUTIES AND POWERS OF COUNTY FORESTRY BOARDS AND EMPLOYEES, SO AS TO SPECIFY DUTIES; BY AMENDING SECTION 48-33-70, RELATING TO FOREST FIRE PROTECTION ACTIVITIES, SO AS TO UPDATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 48-33-80, RELATING TO ACCESS TO PROPERTY, SO AS TO DESIGNATE WHO MAY ACCESS LAND FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING OR CONTROLLING FIRES; BY REPEALING SECTION 48-23-270 RELATING TO USE OF REVENUE FOR SCRUB OAK ERADICATION, REFORESTATION, TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT, AND HARVEST CUTTING IN STATE PARKS; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 48-23-280 RELATING TO USE OF REVENUE FOR SCRUB OAK ERADICATION AND REFORESTATION IN MANCHESTER AND SANDHILLS STATE FORESTS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HIXON, from the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3872 (Word version) -- Reps. B. J. Cox and Bauer: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "HUNTING HERITAGE PROTECTION ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 50-1-320 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TO ADOPT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO NET LOSS OF DEPARTMENT MANAGED LAND FOR HUNTING AND FISHING.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. HIXON, from the Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3945 (Word version) -- Reps. Yow and Mitchell: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 50-9-580 SO AS TO ALLOW FOR THE COUNTING, PHOTOGRAPHING, RELOCATION, CAPTURING, HUNTING OR TAKING OF FERAL HOGS OR COYOTES BY UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3828 (Word version) -- Rep. Gagnon: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE INTERSECTION LOCATED AT THE JUNCTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 187 AND SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 29 IN ANDERSON COUNTY "PAUL ROBINSON EARLE MEMORIAL INTERSECTION" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS INTERSECTION CONTAINING THIS DESIGNATION.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3840 (Word version) -- Rep. Hartnett: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO NAME THE INTERSECTION OF HARBORVIEW ROAD AND FORT SUMTER DRIVE ON JAMES ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY "THOMAS LEE READ MEMORIAL INTERSECTION" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNS OR MARKERS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3893 (Word version) -- Reps. Hiott, Bowers and Collins: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 153 AND UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 123 IN PICKENS COUNTY "SENATOR LARRY A. MARTIN INTERSECTION" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3972 (Word version) -- Reps. Hosey, Govan and Clyburn: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 389 IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY FROM THE TOWN OF NEESES TO THE ORANGEBURG/AIKEN COUNTY LINE "BENJAMIN F. CORBETT MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNS OR MARKERS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 4086 (Word version) -- Rep. Hager: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 321 IN HAMPTON COUNTY FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 363 TO THE HAMPTON-ALLENDALE COUNTY LINE THE "HONORABLE JAMES RISHER SR. MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. MOSS, from the Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions, submitted a favorable report on:
S. 193 (Word version) -- Senators Reichenbach, Sabb and Williams: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF CASHUA DRIVE IN THE CITY OF FLORENCE IN FLORENCE COUNTY FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH SECOND LOOP ROAD TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 76 "CURTIS KERSHAW SUMMERFORD MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNS OR MARKERS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THESE WORDS.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
The following was introduced:
H. 4095 (Word version) -- Reps. Kirby, Hewitt, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE RUSSELL GLOVER FOR HIS INDUCTION INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GOLF HALL OF FAME.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced: H. 4096 (Word version) -- Reps. McDaniel, Alexander, Anderson, Bamberg, Bauer, Clyburn, Dillard, Garvin, Gilliard, Govan, Grant, Hart, Henderson-Myers, Hosey, Howard, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Luck, King, J. Moore, Reese, Rivers, Rutherford, Spann-Wilder, Weeks and Williams: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHER CECIL J. WILLIAMS OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY FOR CAPTURING THE IMAGES OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND FOR PRESERVING THAT HISTORY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4097 (Word version) -- Reps. Grant, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE BIG DAVE'S CHEESESTEAKS ON THE GRAND OPENING OF THEIR FIRST FRANCHISE LOCATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following Bills were introduced, read the first time, and referred to appropriate committees:
H. 4098 (Word version) -- Reps. Moss, Lawson and Wooten: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 9-1-1085 AND 9-11-225, BOTH RELATING TO EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATES UNDER THE SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND THE POLICE OFFICERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN EMPLOYER, UP TO CERTAIN LIMITS, MAY ELECT TO PAY ALL OR A PORTION OF REQUIRED EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS DURING A FISCAL YEAR; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 9-1-10 AND 9-11-10, BOTH RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS AND TO THE POLICE OFFICERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM DEFINITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO PROVIDE WHAT IS NOT EARNABLE COMPENSATION AND TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS PAID BY AN EMPLOYER ARE ACCUMULATED CONTRIBUTIONS OR AGGREGATE CONTRIBUTIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-11-260, RELATING TO DEPOSIT OF ASSETS IN THE SYSTEM, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN AMOUNTS PAID BY THE EMPLOYER IN LIEU OF EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS; BY AMENDING SECTIONS 9-1-1020, 9-1-1160, AND 9-11-210, ALL RELATING TO CONTRIBUTIONS OF MEMBERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE EMPLOYER MAY PICK UP CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AMOUNT DESIGNATED AS AN EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
H. 4099 (Word version) -- Reps. Moss and Calhoon: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 8-15-65, RELATING TO ANNUAL SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR CERTAIN COUNTY OFFICERS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT TO INCLUDE SALARY AND RELATED EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE SALARY SUPPLEMENT AMOUNT AND TO REQUIRE THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL TO ADMINISTER THE APPROPRIATED AMOUNTS.
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
H. 4100 (Word version) -- Rep. Hixon: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 17 TO TITLE 50 SO AS TO REGULATE CAPTIVE WILDLIFE IN THIS STATE; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-16-40, RELATING TO THE EXCEPTION TO PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR WILDLIFE IMPORTED FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES, SO AS TO REMOVE EXCEPTIONS; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 50-11-1180 RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE PERMITS TO COLLECT PROTECTED WILDLIFE FOR SCIENTIFIC OR PROPAGATING PURPOSES.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
H. 4101 (Word version) -- Reps. White, Williams and Kirby: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 38-77-410 SO AS TO REQUIRE AN INSURANCE POLICY COVERING A PERSON OPERATING A RENTED OR LEASED VEHICLE IS PRIMARY TO OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MUST BE EXHAUSTED BEFORE RECOVERING UNDER ANOTHER POLICY.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
H. 4102 (Word version) -- Reps. Caskey, Hewitt, Bauer, Guest, Wooten, Wetmore, M. M. Smith, Guffey, Teeple and Hartnett: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 48-1-91 SO AS TO REQUIRE ANY PERSON POSSESSING AN NPDES PERMIT WHICH ALLOWS THE DISCHARGE OF EFFLUENT INTO STATE WATERS TO POST A SIGN, TO PROVIDE FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT SIGN, AND TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES TO WAIVE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
S. 101 (Word version) -- Senator Gambrell: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-80-50, RELATING TO INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION OF FIREFIGHTERS BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL, SO AS TO REVISE AND CLARIFY THE REQUIREMENTS.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
The roll call of the House of Representatives was taken resulting as follows:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bailey Ballentine Bamberg Bannister Bauer Beach Bernstein Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Garvin Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilliard Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Guffey Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hart Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Howard Huff J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jones Jordan Kilmartin King Kirby Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery J. Moore T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Reese Rivers Robbins Rose Rutherford Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks Wetmore White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Willis Wooten
The SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE granted Rep. CHUMLEY a leave of absence for the day due to medical reasons.
The SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE granted Rep. YOW a leave of absence for the day due to medical reasons.
Announcement was made that Dr. C. Bryan Jordan of St. George was the Doctor of the Day for the General Assembly.
Rep. WOOTEN presented to the House the Gray Collegiate Academy "War Eagles" 4-A Cheerleading Championship Team.
Rep. WOOTEN presented to the House the Gray Collegiate Academy "War Eagles" 2-A Girls' Track and Field Championship Team.
Rep. WOOTEN presented to the House presented to the House the Gray Collegiate Academy "War Eagles" 2-A Softball Championship Team.
Rep. WOOTEN presented to the House presented to the House the Gray Collegiate Academy "War Eagles" 2-A Championship Swimming Teams.
In accordance with House Rule 5.2 below: "5.2 Every bill before presentation shall have its title endorsed; every report, its title at length; every petition, memorial, or other paper, its prayer or substance; and, in every instance, the name of the member presenting any paper shall be endorsed and the papers shall be presented by the member to the Speaker at the desk. A member may add his name to a bill or resolution or a co-sponsor of a bill or resolution may remove his name at any time prior to the bill or resolution receiving passage on second reading. The member or co-sponsor shall notify the Clerk of the House in writing of his desire to have his name added or removed from the bill or resolution. The Clerk of the House shall print the member's or co-sponsor's written notification in the House Journal. The removal or addition of a name does not apply to a bill or resolution sponsored by a committee."
Bill Number: H. 3045 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 WICKENSIMER
Bill Number: H. 3046 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GOVAN and WICKENSIMER
Bill Number: H. 3055 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CRAWFORD and GUEST
Bill Number: H. 3189 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 KILMARTIN
Bill Number: H. 3200 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CRAWFORD and GUEST
Bill Number: H. 3202 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CRAWFORD and B. J. COX
Bill Number: H. 3343 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 LIGON
Bill Number: H. 3350 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3351 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3387 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3394 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3411 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3509 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 BURNS
Bill Number: H. 3514 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3552 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3557 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 GUEST and CRAWFORD
Bill Number: H. 3571 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 PEDALINO and NEESE
Bill Number: H. 3580 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 COBB-HUNTER
Bill Number: H. 3625 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 ROSE
Bill Number: H. 3638 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 DAVIS and GUFFEY
Bill Number: H. 3752 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 BREWER
Bill Number: H. 3842 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 WILLIS, CASKEY, WOOTEN, ROSE and HUFF
Bill Number: H. 3852 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 B. L. COX
Bill Number: H. 3852 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 M. M. SMITH, CALHOON and MITCHELL
Bill Number: H. 3931 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 SCHUESSLER
Bill Number: H. 3934 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 REESE, HARTZ, STAVRINAKIS, HART, GILREATH, TAYLOR, KILMARTIN, RUTHERFORD and HADDON
Bill Number: H. 4009 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 WILLIS
Bill Number: H. 4044 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 BAUER, COBB-HUNTER, GUFFEY, BURNS and WILLIS
Bill Number: H. 4050 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 B. NEWTON and BALLENTINE
Bill Number: H. 4055 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 CALHOON
Bill Number: H. 4061 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 WILLIS and B. J. COX
Bill Number: H. 4087 (Word version)
Date: ADD:
02/26/25 MITCHELL
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 3973 (Word version) -- Rep. Bannister: A BILL TO AMEND ACT 432 OF 1947, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE GREENVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SO AS TO REVISE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' DISTRICTS CONSTITUTING THE DISTRICTS WHICH COMPRISE HOUSE DISTRICT RESIDENCY SEATS ON THE BOARD.
Rep. BANNISTER explained the Bill.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Anderson Bailey Ballentine Bannister Bauer Beach Bernstein Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilliard Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Guffey Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Howard Huff J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jones Jordan Kilmartin King Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Reese Rivers Robbins Rose Rutherford Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks Wetmore White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
So, the Bill was read the second time and ordered to third reading.
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 4002 (Word version) -- Reps. Burns and Bannister: A BILL TO DEVOLVE ALL OF THE POWERS, DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, ASSETS, AND LIABILITIES OF THE GREATER GREENVILLE SANITATION DISTRICT TO THE GOVERNING BODY OF GREENVILLE COUNTY; AND TO REPEAL ACT 1543 OF 1968, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE CREATION OF THE GREATER GREENVILLE SANITATION DISTRICT.
Rep. BURNS moved to adjourn debate on the Bill until Wednesday, March 5, which was agreed to.
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 4003 (Word version) -- Reps. Vaughan, Willis, Burns, B. J. Cox and Bannister: A BILL TO AMEND ACT 1543 OF 1968, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE GREATER GREENVILLE SANITATION DISTRICT TO CONTRACT TO PROVIDE SANITATION SERVICES TO THIRD PARTIES NOT WITHIN THE DISTRICT, SO AS TO ELIMINATE THIS AUTHORITY, TO ELIMINATE THE AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION TO CHARGE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE WITHIN THE DISTRICT, TO PROVIDE THE COMMISSION ONLY MAY CHARGE A SANITATION FEE, TO PROVIDE THE COMMISSION SHALL RETIRE ALL GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, TO PROVIDE THE COMMISSION ONLY MAY ISSUE REVENUE BONDS, TO EXEMPT EXISTING CONTRACTS, AND TO PROVIDE EXISTING CONTRACTS MAY NOT BE RENEWED OR EXTENDED.
Rep. BURNS proposed the following Amendment No. 1 to H. 4003 (Word version) (LC-4003.HDB0002H), which was adopted:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, <<section_placeholder>> , by striking the <<placeholder>> undesignated paragraph and inserting:
(5) not operate a transfer station.
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
Rep. VAUGHAN explained the amendment.
The amendment was then adopted.
The question recurred to the passage of the Bill.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bailey Bannister Bauer Beach Bernstein Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilliard Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Guffey Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Huff J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jones Jordan Kilmartin King Kirby Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Reese Robbins Rose Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Taylor Terribile Vaughan Weeks Wetmore White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
So, the Bill, as amended, was read the second time and ordered to third reading.
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 4014 (Word version) -- Rep. Bustos: A BILL TO ABOLISH THE CONSTITUENT DISTRICTS OF CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS OF TRUSTEES AND TO DELEGATE THE POWERS DEVOLVED UPON THE TRUSTEES OF THE CONSTITUENT DISTRICTS BY ACT 340 OF 1967, AS AMENDED, TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Rep. BUSTOS moved to adjourn debate on the Bill until Tuesday, March 11, which was agreed to.
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 3952 (Word version) -- Reps. Mitchell, Luck, Williams and Yow: A BILL TO AMEND ACT 571 OF 1965, RELATING TO THE DARLINGTON COUNTY MILLAGE LEVY FOR THE FLORENCE-DARLINGTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE BUDGET TO BE APPROVED BY THE DARLINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL INSTEAD OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Rep. MITCHELL explained the Bill.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bailey Ballentine Bannister Bauer Beach Bernstein Bowers Brewer Brittain Burns Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Holman Hosey Howard J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jones Jordan Kilmartin King Landing Lawson Ligon Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Reese Rivers Robbins Rose Rutherford Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks Wetmore White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
So, the Bill was read the second time and ordered to third reading.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on H. 3952 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted in favor of the Bill.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
The following Bill was taken up, read the third time, and ordered sent to the Senate:
H. 3654 (Word version) -- Reps. Calhoon, Bernstein and Spann-Wilder: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-7-1990 AND 63-11-550, BOTH RELATING TO CONFIDENTIALITY OF CHILD WELFARE RECORDS AND INFORMATION, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE DISCLOSURE OF CASE RECORDS TO COUNTY AND STATE GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM STAFF AND TO THE STATE CHILD ADVOCATE; AND BY AMENDING SECTIONS 63-11-700, 63-11-1340, AND 63-11-1360, RELATING TO CERTAIN DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY, SO AS TO UPDATE REFERENCES TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THESE DIVISIONS.
The following Joint Resolution was taken up:
S. 271 (Word version) -- Senators Alexander, Rankin and Hutto: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO SUSPEND THE PROVISION IN SECTION 58-3-20(C) THAT PROHIBITS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FROM HOLDING AN ELECTION UNTIL A FINAL DETERMINATION IS MADE BY THE COURTS REGARDING ITS REVIEW OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2025.
Rep. HERBKERSMAN proposed the following Amendment No. 1 to S. 271 (Word version) (LC-271.HA0001H), which was adopted:
Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, by adding an appropriately numbered SECTION to read:
SECTION X. Section 2-20-15 of the S.C. Code shall not apply to elections for members of the Public Service Commission conducted by the General Assembly during Calendar Year 2025 and Calendar Year 2026.
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
Rep. GATCH explained the amendment.
The amendment was then adopted.
The question recurred to the passage of the Joint Resolution.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bailey Ballentine Bannister Bauer Beach Bernstein Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hart Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Howard J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin King Kirby Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Reese Rivers Robbins Rose Rutherford Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks Wetmore White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
So, the Joint Resolution, as amended, was read the second time and ordered to third reading.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on S. 271 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted in favor of the Joint Resolution.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
The following Bill was taken up, read the third time, and ordered sent to the Senate:
H. 3048 (Word version) -- Reps. W. Newton, G. M. Smith, Robbins, Pope, Chapman, Pedalino, Hartnett, Teeple, Davis, M. M. Smith, Wetmore and Long: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-130, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.
The following Concurrent Resolution was taken up:
H. 3007 (Word version) -- Reps. G. M. Smith, W. Newton, Taylor, B. Newton, Pope, Pedalino, Hixon, Robbins, Mitchell, Yow, Ligon and Willis: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO MAKE APPLICATION BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA UNDER ARTICLE V OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION FOR A CONVENTION OF THE STATES TO BE CALLED, RESTRICTED TO PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO IMPOSE FISCAL RESTRAINTS ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT.
Rep. W. NEWTON moved to adjourn debate on the Concurrent Resolution until Thursday, March 6, which was agreed to.
The following Concurrent Resolution was taken up:
H. 3008 (Word version) -- Reps. Forrest, G. M. Smith, W. Newton, Wooten, Pope, Pedalino, Taylor, Hixon, Davis, M. M. Smith, Teeple, Robbins, Mitchell, Yow, Ligon, J. L. Johnson and Willis: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO APPLY FOR A CONVENTION UNDER ARTICLE V OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION IN ORDER TO PROPOSE A CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS AMENDMENT.
Rep. W. NEWTON moved to adjourn debate on the Concurrent Resolution until Thursday, March 6, which was agreed to.
The following Bill was taken up:
H. 3558 (Word version) -- Reps. Taylor, Pope, Hewitt, B. Newton, Mitchell, Yow, Oremus, Willis, Ligon and Guffey: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING ARTICLE 23 OF CHAPTER 1, TITLE 1, RELATING TO CALLS OR APPLICATIONS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDING CONVENTIONS MADE TO CONGRESS, SO AS TO RETITLE THE ARTICLE, AND TO ADD NEW SECTIONS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE QUALIFICATIONS, APPOINTMENT, OATH, AND DUTIES OF COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO REPRESENT THE STATE AT AN ARTICLE V CONVENTION, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
Rep. TAYLOR moved to adjourn debate on the Bill until Tuesday, March 4, which was agreed to.
The following Bill was taken up:
S. 62 (Word version) -- Senators Hembree, Rice and Grooms: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-110, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-115, RELATING TO THE STANDARD APPLICATION PROCESS, SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS SEEKING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-120, RELATING TO ADMINISTRATION OF FUND, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE K-12 EDUCATION LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-125, RELATING TO FUNDS TO CREATE, OVERSEE, AND THE ADMINISTER PROGRAM, SUSPENSION OF ACCOUNTS, UNUSED FUNDS, AND TERMINATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY ACCOUNT; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-130, RELATING TO TERMINATION OF SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT'S PROGRAM; NOTIFICATION, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-135, RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO PROVIDE LIMITATIONS ON THE NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS THAT MAY BE AWARDED; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-140, RELATING TO THE APPLICATION APPROVAL PROCESS FOR EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDER MUST CERTIFY ANNUALLY TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT IT MEETS ALL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-145, RELATING TO PROCEDURES TO INFORM STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS OF ELIGIBILITY AND APPROVED EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-150, RELATING TO REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS, DEPARTMENT, AND EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE SURETY BOND IS REQUIRED OF EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO EXCEED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN QUALIFYING EXPENSES AND TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-160, RELATING TO THE K-12 EDUCATION LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP REVIEW PANEL, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR ITS COMPOSITION AND PURPOSES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-165, RELATING TO STUDENT TRANSFER POLICY, SO AS TO CLARIFY STUDENT TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-170, RELATING TO IMMEDIATE PARTICIPATION IN A SPORT BY A TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES ; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-150-350, RELATING TO THE EDUCATION LOTTERY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT, SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.
The Committee on Education and Public Works proposed the following Amendment No. 1 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0015H), which was adopted:
Amend the bill, before the enacting words, by adding:
Whereas, providing parents with more options for educating their children is in the best interest of students, parents, and the State of South Carolina; and
Whereas, South Carolina has long embraced school choice in other areas, including higher education and early childhood education; and
Whereas, this act is modeled on existing school choice programs, including Higher Education Tuition Grants, Section 59-113-10, et seq., the South Carolina Education Lottery Act, Section 59-150-10 et seq., and the Child Early Reading Development and Education Program in the South Carolina Read to Succeed Act, Section 59-156-110 et seq., all of the S.C. Code; and
Whereas, the General Assembly has carefully and respectfully crafted this act to comply with the South Carolina Supreme Court's interpretation of Article XI, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution in Eidson v. S.C. Dep't of Education, 906 S.E.2d 345 (S.C. 2024), and specifically finds that Chief Justice Kittredge's description of the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program represents how the program created by this act is structured; and
Whereas, based on this the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision in Hartness v. Patterson, 255 S.C. 503, 179 S.E.2d 907 (1971), and the subsequent constitutional amendment that adopted Article XI, Section 4, the General Assembly finds that the funds deposited in the South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund cease to be public funds upon that deposit and any benefit conferred on any religious or other private educational institution is indirect only. The scholarships provide educational services that directly benefit school-aged children and where the funds go stems immediately from the parent's decision. Now, therefore,
Amend the bill further, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
SECTION 1. Section 59-8-110 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-110. For purposes of this chapter:
(1) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Education.
(2) "Education Scholarship Trust Fund", "ESTF", or "fund" means the individual account that is administered by the department to which funds are allocated to the parent of an eligible student to pay for qualifying expenses.
(3) "Eligible school" means a South Carolina public school or a nonprofit independent school that chooses to participate in the program. "Eligible school" does not include a school in which a member of the General Assembly or an immediate family member of a member of the General Assembly has any ownership. For purposes of this section, "immediate family member" means as defined in Section 8-13-100(18).
(4) "Eligible student" means a student who:
(a) is a resident of this State; and
(b)(i) attended a public school in this State during the previous school year;
(ii) had not yet attained the age of five on or before September first of the previous school year but who has attained the age of five on or before September of the current school year; or
(iii) received a scholarship pursuant to this chapter for the previous school year; and
(c)(i) in school year 2024-2025, has a household income that does not exceed two hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines;
(ii) in School Year 2025-2026, has a household income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines; and
(iii) in School Year 2026-2027 and all subsequent years, has a household income that does not exceed four hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
(b) (i) has attained the age of five on or before September first of the year in which scholarship funds are awarded; or
(ii) has received a scholarship pursuant to this chapter for the previous school year;
(iii) in School Year 2025-2026, has a household income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines; and
(iv) in School Year 2026-2027, has a household income that does not exceed four hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines; and
(v) in School Year 2027-2028, and all subsequent years, no income threshold may exist but early application windows must be extended to identified groups pursuant to Section 59-8-115(B); and
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a student attending his resident school may be an eligible student if he meets all other eligibility criteria and the Department of Education has certified the district in which the resident school is located cannot adequately provide for an essential service to the student.
"Eligible student" does not include students participating in the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children's Fund program, as provided in Section 12-6-3790 or a student who is not subject to the compulsory attendance requirements of Section 59-65-10.
(5)(3) "IDEA" means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act found in 20 U.S.C. Section 1400, et seq.
(6)(4) "Parent" means a resident of this State who is the natural or adoptive parent, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of an eligible student.
(7)(5) "Education service provider" means a person or organization approved by the department that receives payments from ESTF an account to provide educational goods and services to scholarship students.
(6) "K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship," "lottery scholarship," "scholarship," "program," or "fund" means the individual fund that is administered by the department to which funds are allocated to the parent of an eligible student to pay for qualifying expenses.
(8)(7) "Program" means the ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship program created by this chapter.
(9)(8) "Resident school district" means the public school district in which the student is domiciledzoned for attendance.
(10)(9) "Scholarship" means education funding allocated from an account established pursuant to this chapter.
(11)(10) "Scholarship student" means an eligible student who is participating in the Education Scholarship Trust FundK-12 Education Lottery Scholarship program.
(12)(11) "Substantial misuse" means wilfully and knowingly receiving or spending any portion of a scholarship for any purpose other than a qualifying expense.
(13) "Trustee" means the individual or entity appointed by the Superintendent pursuant to section 59-8-120(A)(2).
(13)(12)(14) "Qualifying expense" means:
(a) tuition and fees for attendance at a non-profit of an education service provider or eligible school, including out-of-district tuition charged by a public school district;
(b) textbooks, curriculum, or other instructional materials including, but not limited to, any supplemental materials or associated online instruction required by either a curriculum or an education service provider;
(c) tutoring services approved by the department;
(d) computer hardware or other technological devices that are used primarily for a scholarship student's educational needs and approved by the department or a licensed physician;
(e) fees paid for Internet connection;
(e)(f) tuition and fees for an approved nonpublic online education service provider or course;
(f)(g) fees for approved:
(1) national norm-referenced examinations, advanced placement examinations, or similar assessments;
(2) industry certification exams; or
(3) examinations related to college or university admission;
(g)(h) educational services for pupils with disabilities from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider including, but not limited to, occupational, behavioral, physical, and speech-language therapies;
(h)(i) approved contracted services from a public school district, or a public charter school including individual classes, after school tutoring services, transportation, or fees or costs associated with participation in extracurricular activities;
(i)(j) contracted teaching services and education classes approved by the department;
(j)(k) fees for transportation paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider for the scholarship student to travel to and from an eligible provider as defined in this section, but not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars for each school year;
(k) fees for ESTF account management by private financial management firms approved by the department; or
(l) any other educational expense approved by the department.fees for interdistrict public school transfers; or
(m) cost of school uniforms which are required for attendance;
(n) any consumables and items necessary to complete a curriculum or that are otherwise applicable to a course of study that has been approved by the department;
(o) payment to an educational consultant or compliance organization approved by the department; or
(p) any other educational expense approved by the department.
A qualifying expense does not mean a duplicate service already offered as part of a student's enrollment in school.
SECTION 2. Section 59-8-115 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-115. (A) The department shall create a standard application process and establish the timeline for parents to establish the eligibility of their student for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund programK-12 Education Lottery Scholarship program. The application window established shall last at least forty-five days, opening no earlier than January fifteenth and closing no later than March fifteenth each calendar year. The department shall continue to accept applications for the lottery scholarship program on a rolling basis until capacity is met and then shall maintain a waitlist to maximize program participation.The department shall begin accepting applications for new program participants no earlier than January fifteenth each year. The department shall extend the opportunity to re-enroll in the program to any existing participant who continues to reside in the State. Re-enrollment may be completed either in conjunction with the regular application cycle or in advance of its opening. The department shall continue to accept applications for the ESTF program on a rolling basis until capacity is met and then shall maintain a waitlist to maximize program participation.
(B) Pursuant to the timeline established pursuant to subsection (A), the department shall ensure the following:
(1) process applications must be processed in the order in which they are received, after a preference has been extended to all prior-year participants and their respective siblings within each of the priority and general application windows; and
(2) enroll and issue award letters within thirty days of the deadline for receipt of completed applications and all required documentation
(2) after allowing current participants the opportunity to continue in the program for the upcoming school year, an early application window of not less than seven calendar days must be extended to their siblings;
(3) after the conclusion of the early application window for siblings, a secondary early application window for new program participants must be open for not less than thirty calendar days for students who meet the following criteria:
(a) has a parent or guardian who is an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States and will be living in South Carolina as a result of their duty station;
(b) has a household income that does not exceed three hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines;
(c) is in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Social Services. A foster parent, pre-adoptive parent, or person responsible for the welfare of the child who resides in a childcare facility or residential group care home may apply on the student's behalf; and
(d) meets the definition of "exceptional needs child" in Section 12-6-3790(A)(2);
(4) once the secondary early application window has closed, the general application window must open for any student who did not meet the early application window criteria; and
(5) within thirty days of submission of all required documentation, award letters must be enrolled and issued, and the student's online account must be created.
(C) Before awarding a scholarship, the department shall have obtained evidence of the student's eligibility through the card issued in the student's name from the Department of Health and Human Services for Medicaid eligibility included as applicable with application documentation.
(D)(C) Before awarding a scholarship, the department must obtain evidence of all other student eligibility criteria set forth in Section 59-8-110.
(E)(D) The department shall approve an initial application for scholarship if:
(1) the parent submits an annual application for a scholarship in accordance with the application and procedures established by the department;
(2) the student on whose behalf the parent is applying is an eligible student;
(3) funds are available for the ESTFscholarship; and
(4) the parent signs an annual agreement with the departmentannually attests to the following:
(a) to provide, at a minimum, a program of academic instruction for the eligible student in at least the subjects of English/language arts to include writing, mathematics, social studies, and science;
(b) to acknowledge and agree to comply with the education service provider's prescribed curriculum, dress code, and other requirements of enrolled students;
(c)(b) to ensure the scholarship student takes assessments as referenced in Section 59-8-150 or provides assessments in a similar manner through other means if the scholarship student does not receive full-time instruction from an education service provider;
(d)(c) to use program fundsthe scholarship for qualifying expenses only for an approved provider to educate the scholarship student, subject to penalty;
(e)(d) not to enroll their scholarship student in a public school as a full-time student in the resident school district, as defined in this chapter;
(f)(e) not to participate in a home instruction program under Sections 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47; and
(g) that includes documentation of the consultation process between the parent, the resident school district, the education service provider, and any school district that the education service provider contracts with under an IEP or services plan, for each scholarship student with a disability regarding the special education and related services, and the manner by which these services as listed in the student's IEP or services plan, will be provided to a scholarship student with a disability; and
(h)(f) to confirm that, if the parent's child is a student with disabilities, the parent has received notice from the department that participation in the ESTF scholarship program is a parental placement of the scholarship student under IDEA, along with an explanation of the rights that parentally placed students possess under IDEA and any applicable state laws and regulations, including the consultation process provided for in 20 U.S.C. Section 1412(a)(10) and the Individual Education Program requirements described in Section 1414(d) of IDEA.
(F)(E) The department shall make available on its website in a conspicuous location information in conformity with 34 C.F.R. Sections 300.130 through 300.144, Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities, explaining to parents the rights of children with disabilities under IDEA both in public schools and as parentally placed students in private schools.
(G)(F) A parent will be allowed to make payments for the cost of educational goods and services not covered by the funds in their student's ESTF; however, personal Personal deposits into an ESTFan individual student account are prohibited.
(H)(G) Funds received pursuant to this section do not constitute taxable income to the parent of the scholarship student or to the student.
(I)(H) A parent's signed agreement under subsection (E)(D)(4) satisfies the state's compulsory attendance law pursuant to Section 59-65-10.
(J)(I) The State Board of Education shall may promulgate regulations for the administration of the program as may be applicable.
(K)(J) The department may contract with qualified organizations to administer the program application process or specific functions, maintenance, and monitoring of the program application process as required above.
(K) Students must be considered enrolled in the program until the parent notifies the department of a decision to terminate participation or the department determines that the student is no longer eligible.
(L) The department shall deliver an annual report to the General Assembly of the number of applications denied or not accepted. The report must include the demographic and socio-economic data and the geographical distribution of the applicants. In reporting the information required by this subitem, the department shall protect and may not display any personally identifiable information of applicants, their families, or legal guardians.
SECTION 3. Section 59-8-120 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-120. (A)(1) There is established at the department, the "South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust FundK-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund" that is separate and distinct from the general fund, consisting of monies appropriated to the department to provide scholarships to eligible students for qualifying expenses from the K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund. The fund must receive and hold all monies allocated for it as well as all earnings until disbursed as provided in this section. Monies deposited in the K-12 Education LotterySouth Carolina Education Scholarship Fund may not revert to the general fund or be appropriated by the General Assembly for any other purpose. If the K-12 Education Lottery ScholarshipSouth Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund program ceases for any reason, then the money in the fund shall revert back to the South Carolina Education Lottery Account.be directed to an educational purpose designated by the General Assembly.
(2)(i) The State Superintendent of Education shall appoint the Trustee of the South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund to serve at will. The Trustee may not be a public entity or an employee of any public entity. The Trustee may be either an individual or entity and shall have, in the Superintendent's sole discretion, the necessary expertise and good reputation to serve as the Trustee. The Trustee must have, at a minimum, at least five years' experience as a trustee, a master's degree in accounting or be currently licensed as a South Carolina certified public accountant. The Trustee must not have filed for bankruptcy pursuant to Title eleven, chapters seven or thirteen of the United States Bankruptcy Code or been convicted of criminal fraud, tax fraud, embezzlement, conversion, money laundering, or theft crimes. The trustee shall be bound by all duties of trustees under South Carolina law, unless such duties conflict with the requirements of this chapter, in which case the requirements of this chapter control. The State Superintendent shall have the authority to remove the Trustee.
(B) The departmentTrustee shall administer the fund and is responsible for keeping records, managing accounts, and disbursing scholarships awarded pursuant to this section and as directed by the parent. Information contained in or produced from a tax return, document, or magnetically or electronically stored data used by the department in the exercise of its duties as provided in this chapter must remain confidential and is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Personally identifiable information, as described in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, of children applying for or receiving scholarships must remain confidential and is not subject to disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
(C) Upon request of the parent and approval of an eligible student's application by the department, the State Treasurer shall transfer six thousand dollars per scholarship student for the 2025-2026 School Year. from the South Carolina Education Lottery Account to the K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund an amount equal to ninety percent of the average per pupil funding from state sources for the prior academic year as provided by the Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs to the Education Scholarship Trust Fund as directed by the General Assembly,For all subsequent school years, the allocation must be equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classroom funding for the current Fiscal Year, if any, unless an increased or decreased limit is authorized in the annual general appropriations act.
(D) The department shall create an individual online ESTF account for each scholarship student.
(1) The parent must be able to access the individual online account for the scholarship student using a secure portal.
(2) The individual scholarship student's account must be created within thirty days of the application approval.
(E) The departmentTrustee shall make payments to an individual scholarship student's account from the ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund on a quarterly basis with the first payment being distributed by July thirty-first of each year and the second payment by December thirty-first of each year.
(F) By September first of each school year and again on January fifteenth and March fifteenth of the school year, the department shall compare the list of scholarship students with the public school enrollment lists to avoid duplicate payments.Prior to depositing each semi-annual payment into the student's online account, the department shall verity that the student is not enrolled in the public school as a full-time student in the zone in which the student is zoned for attendance and provide that information to the Trustee.
(G) Education service providers may not refund, rebate, or share a student's scholarship funds directly with a parent or the scholarship student. The funds in an account may only be used for qualifying expenses as defined in this chapter and provided by the department.
(H) The department may contract with qualified organizations to administer the program.
(I)(H) Neither the South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund not an individual student's account constitutes a debt of the State or any political subdivision thereof, including school districts. The South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund and individual student's accounts must be held and apply The trust Fund does not constitute a debt of the State or any political subdivision thereof, including school districts. The trust fund must be held and applies solely toward carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
SECTION 4. Section 59-8-125 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-125. (A) The department shall develop an online electronic system for payment for services authorized by participating parents pursuant to this chapter and the guidelines provided by the department. Parents may not be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.
(B) The General Assembly shall appropriate funds to the department for initial costs to create the program. Thereafter, theThe departmentTrustee shall transfer to the departmentdeduct an amount from the ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund to cover the costs of overseeing the accounts and administering the program up to a limit of twoseven percent. Annually, on or before December thirty-first, the department shall notify the respective Chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee and House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee regarding the amount deducted for administrative costs and an itemization of the costs incurred to administer the program for the previous school fiscal year.
(C) The department may contract with qualified vendors to manage accounts and shall establish reasonable fees for private financial management firms participating in the program based upon market rates.The department shall establish reasonable fees for the Trustee.
(D) The department may contract with qualified organizations to administer the program or specific functions of the program.
(E)(D) Payments made by the department must remain in force until a parent or scholarship student is proven to have participated in a prohibited activity specified in this chapter, a scholarship student returns to a public school in his resident public school district, a scholarship student no longer resides in this State, or a scholarship student graduates from high school or attains twenty-two years of age, whichever occurs first. A scholarship student who enrolls in his resident public school district is considered to have returned to a public school for the purpose of determining the end of the term. Any money remaining in the student's account reverts to the South Carolina Education Lottery Account.
(F) The departmentTrustee may suspend or deactivate an account for substantial misuse or the scholarship student leaves the program for any reason, at which time any remaining funds must revert to the ESTF South Carolina Education Lottery Account.
(G) Unused funds must be rolled over to the following school year for a scholarship student who applies and continues to meet eligibility requirements to participate in the program revert to the South Carolina Education Lottery Account.
(H) A scholarship terminates automatically if the student is no longer domiciled in this State, and any money remaining in the account reverts to the ESTF.
(I)(H) Only one account may be established for a scholarship student.
SECTION 5. Section 59-8-130 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-130. If a scholarship student's program of academic instruction is terminated for any reason before the end of the semester or school year and the student does not resume instruction within thirty days, then the parent shall notify the department and remaining funds in the account revert to the ESTF South Carolina Education Lottery Account.
SECTION 6. Section 59-8-135 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-135. (A) Beginning with the 2024-2025 School Year, the annual number of ESTF eligible students is limited by the following capacity:
(1) in School Year 2024-2025, the program is limited to five thousand scholarship students;
(2)(1) in School Year 2025-2026, the program is limited to ten thousand scholarship students; and
(3)(2) in School Year 2026-2027, and for all subsequent school years, the program is limited to fifteen thousand scholarship students; and
(3) in School Year 2027-2028, and for all subsequent school years, the department shall submit an annual budget request based on the number of current scholarship recipients and previously unmet demand for scholarships as evidenced by the prior year's applications. The number of program participants shall be determined based upon funding as determined on a yearly basis by the General Assembly.
(B) In 2027, and every five years thereafter, the department shall conduct an eligibility and use review of the program and shall make recommendations to the General Assembly to improve the program.
SECTION 7. Section 59-8-140 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-140. (A)(1) The department must develop an application approval process for participation in the ESTF scholarship program for education service providers, including eligible schools.
(2) The department must require an independent school that applies to be an education service provider to be located in the State, to have an educational curriculum that includes courses set forth in the state's diploma requirements and to meet the compulsory attendance and State Board of Education approval requirements in Section 59-65-10.
(3) An education service provider that participated in the program in the previous school year and desires to participate in the program in the current school year shall reapply to the department. The education service provider reapplyingannually shall certify to the department that it continues to meet all program requirements. An education service provider required to administer academic testing shall provide to the department test score data from the previous school year. If individual student test score data is not submitted, then the department shall remove the education service provider from the program.
(4) By February first of each year, the department will certify the list of approved education service providers for participation in the program that meet all program requirements. The department may waive the deadline requirement upon good cause shown by an education service provider.
(5)(4) An education service provider that is denied approval pursuant to this section may seek review by filing a request for a contested case hearing with the Administrative Law Court in accordance with the court's rules of procedure.
(6)(5) By February fifteenth of each year, theThe department shall publish on its website a comprehensive list of approved education service providers. The list must include the name, address, telephone number, and website address for each education service provider.
(B) If approved by the department, newNew education service providers may be added to the list of approved providers on a rolling basis. The providers will be added to the comprehensive list available on the department's website.
(C) The department may bar an education service provider from the program if the department establishes that the education service provider has:
(1) failed to comply with the accountability standards established in this section; or
(2) failed to provide the scholarship student with the educational services funded by the account.
(D) The department shall create procedures to ensure that a fair process exists to determine whether an education service provider should be barred from receiving payments from accounts.
(1) If the department decides to bar an education service provider from the program, it shall notify affected students and their parents of this decision as quickly as possible.
(2) Education service providers may appeal the department's decision to bar the education service provider from receiving payments from accounts pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act.
(E) The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations to allow scholarship students to return to their resident school districts during the course of their participation in the program.
(F)(1) For scholarship students utilizing a scholarship to attend an online education service provider, the department must track data on scholarship student wellness through mandatory in-person days of attendance at least once per semester at their resident public school. For first semester the in-person date shall be no later than November fifteenth. For the second semester the in-person date shall be no later than March fifteenth. During the in-person attendance, a school teacher, counselor, principal, assistant principal, school attendance officer, social or public assistance worker, school nurse, on-site mental health, or allied health professional, or other appropriately designated mandated reporter at the local public school as defined in Section 63-7-310 must complete a comprehensive wellness check to screen for abuse and neglect as defined in Section 63-7-20.
(2)(E) All employees at an online education service provider who are employed in same or similar roles as defined in Section 63-7-310 shall be considered persons required to report and must complete the training programs required pursuant to Section 63-7-310(A) and hold all the same rights, responsibilities, and potential penalties as defined in Sections 63-7-315, 63-7-320, 63-7-350, 63-7-360, 63-7-370, 63-7-380, 63-7-390, 63-7-400, 63-7-430, 63-7-440, and receive information pursuant to Section 63-7-450.
SECTION 8. Section 59-8-145 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-145. (A) The department shall adopt procedures to inform students and their parents annually of their eligibility for the program.
(B) The department shall adopt procedures to annually inform scholarship students and their parents of the approved education service providers.
(C) The department shall provide to parents of a scholarship student written instructions for the allowable uses of an account and the responsibilities of parents and the duties of the department.
(D) The department may declare that a parent student is ineligible for continuation in the program due to substantial misuse of their account funds.
(E) The department may conduct or contract for the auditing of accounts, and shall, at a minimum, conduct random audits of education service providers and scholarship accounts on an annual basis.
(F)(E) The department may refer cases of substantial misuse of funds to law enforcement agencies for investigation.
(G) The department may contract with one or more qualified organizations to administer some or all portions of this program.
(H)(G)(F) The department shall maintain a record of the number of applications received annually for the program, the number of students accepted into the program each fiscal year, and the number of students not accepted into the program each fiscal year with a corresponding explanation as to why the student was not accepted into the program. The department shall compile this information and provide a report on the previous fiscal year to the General Assembly by December thirty-first of each year.
SECTION 9. Chapter 8, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-8-147. (A) The department shall prominently post, on the main page of the South Carolina Department of Education website, advertisement of and access to the application for the program. The department shall be responsible for facilitating access to the application and supporting applicants throughout the application process.
(B) In the event that an application is submitted and is substantially complete but found to contain errors including, but not limited to, errors of minor omission and misspelling, the submitting party must be notified and given two weeks to correct the errors before a final decision is made regarding the acceptance or denial of the application. If space in the program is limited, preference will be given to applicants whose applications are on hold due to error until the two weeks allotted for correction have passed.
SECTION 10. Section 59-8-150 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-150. (A) To ensure equitable treatment and personal safety of all scholarship students, all education service providers shall:
(1) comply with all applicable health and safety laws or codes;
(2) hold a valid occupancy permit if required by the municipality in which the education service provider is located;
(3) not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. This item shall not be interpreted to preclude any independent or religious educational provider from exercising an exemption allowed under federal law; and
(4) conduct and maintain records of completed criminal background checks on employees. An education service provider that is not an accredited or licensed school must submit documentation of completed background checks to the department as part of their initial application. All education service providers must and exclude from employment anyone who:
(a) is not permitted by state law to work in a school;
(b) reasonably might pose a threat to the safety of students; or
(c) is listed on federal, state, or other central child abuse registries; and
(5) maintain a working publicly accessible website that provides information on the educational services available to families.
(B) To ensure that funds are spent appropriately, all education service providers shall:
(1) provide parents with a receiptan invoice, for services purchased, or a receipt for goods purchased for all qualifying expenses; and
(2) demonstrate their financial viability by filing a surety bond with the department prior to the start of the school year if they are to receive fifty thousand dollars or more during the school year. After their first school year of participation the surety bond is required of education service providers who exceed fifty thousand dollars in qualifying expenses received in the previous school year.
(C) In order to allow parents and the public to measure the achievements of the program, academic progress must be documented annually for each scholarship student. Students with an Individualized Education Plan that cannot be accommodated with standardized testing are excluded from the requirements of item (1). Education service providers that provide academic instruction must monitor the progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities through alternative assessments including portfolios.
(1) Education service providers that provide full-time academic instruction shall:
(a) ensure that each scholarship student in grades three through eight takes the SC Ready or SC Readyannual state summative assessment or alternative summative assessment in English language arts, math, science or social studies as required of students in public schools in this State;
(b) ensure that each scholarship student in grades four and six takes the SC Pass or SC Pass alternative summative assessment required of students in public schools in this State;
(c)(b) in lieu of the assessments required by subitems (a) and (b), ensure that each scholarship recipient in grades three through eight takes a nationally norm-referenced formative assessment at the beginning of the school year, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the school year. The assessment must be approved by the department, aligned with state standards, and include a linking study;
(d)(c) ensure that each scholarship student in grades nine through twelve takes a department approved, nationally norm-referenced assessment, or formative assessment, or assessment that demonstrates the student's college or career readiness. approved by the department. Students with disabilities for whom standardized testing is not appropriate are exempt from this requirement;
(e)(d) collect high school graduation information of scholarship students for reporting to the department as required in this section; and
(f)(e) ensure that the parent or guardian of a scholarship student taking the assessments above receives a written report of the student's performance on each assessment. The report must include the student's score on the assessment and an indication of how the student's assessment performance compares to other South Carolina students.
The department may promulgate regulations to carry out the requirements of this subsection.
(2) The department shall ensure that the education service provider has access to and is trained in administering the state assessments required in subitems (1)(a) and (b). The department shall assume any costs associated with training, administering, or taking assessments with no charges to the provider or ESTF students.
(3) For the purpose of evaluating program effectiveness, education service providers that provide full-time academic instruction shall ensure that results in item (1) are:
(a) provided to the parent of a scholarship student and must be provided to the department on an annual basis, beginning with the first year of program implementation; and
(b) disaggregated by grade level, gender, family income level, race, and English learner status.
(4) The department, or the appropriate organization chosen by the department, if any, must be informed of the scholarship student's graduation from high school.
(D) The department shall:
(1) comply with all student privacy laws;
(2) collect all test results; and
(3) annually provide individual student assessment results and information to the Education Oversight Committee. The transmission of the information must be made in a manner that safeguards the data to ensure student privacy.
(E) The Education Oversight Committee shall:
(1) comply with all student privacy laws;
(2) report on and publish associated learning gains and graduation rates to the public by means of a state website with data aggregated by grade level, gender, family income level, number of years participating in the program, and race and a report for any participating school if at least fifty-one percent of the total enrolled students in the private school participated in the ESTF program in the prior school year or if there are at least thirty participating students who have scores for tests administered. If the Education Oversight Committee determines that the thirty participating-student cell size may be reduced without disclosing the personally identifiable information of a participating student, the Education Oversight Committee may reduce the participating-student cell size, but the cell size may not be reduced to fewer than ten participating students;
(3) evaluate and report the academic performance of scholarship students compared to similar public school populations; and
(4) collaborate with the department to develop and administer an annual parental satisfaction survey for all parents of scholarship students on issues relevant to the ESTF program, to include effectiveness and length of the program participation. Results of this survey must be provided to the General Assembly by December thirty-first of each year.
(F) An education service provider, not a public school, is autonomous and not an agent of the state or federal government, therefore:
(1) the department or any other state agency may not regulate the educational program beyond what is set forth in this chapter of an approved education provider that accepts funds from an account;
(2) the creation of the program does not expand the regulatory authority of the State, its officers, or a school district to impose regulation of education service providers beyond those necessary to enforce the requirements of the program;
(3) the freedom of education service providers to provide for the educational needs of scholarship students without governmental control must not be abridged;
(4) an education service provider that accepts payment by a parent from an ESTF from a K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship account pursuant to this chapter is not an agent of the state or federal government; and
(5) education service providers shall not be required to alter their creeds, practices, admissions policy, or curriculum in order to accept payments by a parent from an ESTF a K-12 Education Lottery Scholarshipaccount.
(G) A person paid by, contracted with, employed by, or having a financial interest in an education service provider shall not be allowed to serve on the board of an organization contracting for services with the department as defined in Section 59-8-115(J), serve on the board of a vendor or private management firm contracted to manage accounts as defined in Section 59-8-125(C), on the board of any other provider of contracted-for services under Section 59-8-110(12) or under Section 59-8-120(H), or on the ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Review Panel. Any education service provider violating this subsection shall be barred from participating in the program for two years and shall return any funds received under the program to the ESTFK-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Fund.
(H) A person serving as a board member or director of an education service provider shall have a fiduciary duty to the provider and shall avoid any conflicts of interest with the provider.
(I) No member of the General Assembly or their immediate family, as defined by Section 8-13-100(18), may have a financial interest in an education service provider. This does not prevent a member or their immediate family from qualifying under the provisions of this chapter to participate in the ESTF program.
(J) A person shall not serve in a position of leadership with an education service provider who has been convicted of a financial crime.
SECTION 11. Section 59-8-160 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-160. (A) There is created the "ESTF K-12 Education Lottery Scholarship Review Panel" that shall serve as an advisory panel to the department.
(B) The review panel shall consist of ten members, pursuant to the following:
(1) the Governor, or his designee, who shall serve as the chair of the panel;
(2) three members to be appointed by the Governor;
(3) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(4) one member appointed by the President of the Senate;
(5) one member appointed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Education and Public Works Committee;
(6) one member appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee; and
(7) two parents of scholarship students to be appointed by the Governor.
(C) The review panel may advise the department on whether certain expenses meet the requirements to be considered a qualified expense under this chapter when requested by the department. The review panel periodically may make recommendations to the General Assembly about improving the program.
(D) Members shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority. In making appointments to the panel, the appointing authorities, as appropriate, shall consider legal, financial, accounting, and marketing experience and race, gender, and other demographic factors to ensure nondiscrimination, inclusion, and representation of all segments of the State to the greatest extent possible.
(E) Members may not receive mileage or per diem.
SECTION 12. Section 59-8-165 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-165. The provisions of the chapter do not restrict a school district's ability to enact or enforce a district's student transfer policy. The department shall develop a model policy for interdistrict transfers to assist local boards of trustees in establishing an interdistrict enrollment policy. The model policy shall serve as the minimum standard, ensuring a baseline of expectations for all districts. Each local policy shall be based on an evaluation of available data reflecting student, school, district, and community needs to ensure access and efficient resource allocation. The policy must include and describe the application requirements, timelines, communication plans, capacity standards, approval and denial criteria, priorities of acceptance, and transportation. Capacity standards are required to be based on objective measures such as facility constraints, staffing levels, and class size limits. A school district may, but is not required to, expand capacity at a school or program to accommodate increased demand for interdistrict transfers. Each district shall review and publicly post available capacity for interdistrict student transfers on its website and update this information at least annually. School districts are not required to provide transportation but must disclose their transportation policy. Districts may establish cost-sharing agreements for interdistrict students who require transportation. All school districts must have an interdistrict policy in place within one hundred twenty days of the publication of the model policy by the department. Any school district with an existing interdistrict policy must review and ensure compliance with this section within 90 days of its enactment. The department shall review all local interdistrict transfer policies to ensure alignment with the model policy. If a district fails to meet minimum standards, the department may withhold administrative funding until the district demonstrates full compliance. The provisions of this chapter do not restrict a school district's ability to enact or enforce an intradistrict student transfer policy.
SECTION 13. Section 59-8-170 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 59-8-170. A scholarship student transferring from one public high school to another public high school in grades nine through eleven or from one public middle school to another public middle school in grades six through eight pursuant to this program is not subject to any prohibition by the South Carolina High School League on a transfer student from participating in a sportan interscholastic sport immediately upon transfer. After the initial transfer, any subsequent transfer by a scholarship student to another public school shall be subject to the South Carolina High School League eligibility rules.
SECTION 14. Section 59-150-350(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(D) At the beginning of the first fiscal year after the state lottery becomes operational, the Comptroller General shall certify the amount of net proceeds including investment earnings on the net proceeds credited to and accrued in the Education Lottery Account during the preceding fiscal year. The sum of certified net proceeds and investment earnings must be designated as annual lottery proceeds. Appropriations from the Education Lottery Account must be allocated only for educational purposes and educational programs by the General Assembly in its annual general appropriations bill or any bill appropriating monies for previous or current fiscal years. Funds made available from the Education Lottery Account must be used to provide Palmetto Fellows Scholarships to all eligible applicants, to provide LIFE Scholarships for eligible resident students attending four-year public institutions in those amounts provided by law; to the South Carolina State Library for public library state aid, to be distributed to county public libraries on a per capita basis and to be used for educational technology delivery, upgrade, and maintenance; to the Commission on Higher Education for tuition assistance at state technical colleges and two-year public institutions; for the SC HOPE Scholarship Program; to the Department of Education for school-based grants for pilot programs, to include programs providing deregulation as requested by school districts with an overall absolute or improved designation of average or better, with first priority given to schools reported as average, below average, or unsatisfactory in accordance with the Education Accountability Act; to the Department of Education to fund homework centers, and these funds must be allocated to the local school districts based on a per pupil basis and may be used for salaries for certified teachers and for transportation costs, provided that priority in the distribution of funds must be given to schools designated as below average or unsatisfactory in accordance with the Education Accountability Act; to the Commission on Higher Education for higher education assistance, including need-based grants, grants to teachers for advanced education with priority to annual grants earmarked for teachers working toward their masters' degrees or advanced education in their areas of certification, or both; for the National Guard Tuition Repayment Program; and funding for elementary and secondary public education as determined pursuant to the Education Accountability Act of 1998 and education improvement legislation enacted into law after the effective date of this chapter; new programs enacted by the General Assembly for public institutions of higher learning, including public four-year colleges and universities and their branches and two-year colleges, as defined in Section 59-103-5, and state technical colleges, which programs may include the creation of endowed chairs at the state's universities, with an emphasis in the areas of, but not limited to, engineering, computer science, and the sciences; to the State Department of Education for the purchase or repair of school buses; to the South Carolina Educational Television Commission for digitalization; to the Commission on Higher Education to administer a construction and renovation fund for the historically black colleges and universities, and to the Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission to administer tuition grants. The proportion of total recurring general fund and special fund revenues of the State expended for the total of public elementary, secondary, and higher education allocations in any fiscal year must not be less than the proportions in the fiscal year immediately before the fiscal year in which education revenues are first received from a state lottery, and must not be reduced or supplanted later by revenues received from a state lottery.
SECTION 15. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
SECTION 16. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. Current eligible participants may continue receiving benefits under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, until the end of the 2024-2025 School Year.
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Rep. ERICKSON explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. COBB-HUNTER demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Guffey Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Dillard Gilliard Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel Moss Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was adopted.
Rep. MARTIN proposed the following Amendment No. 5 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0033H), which was ruled out of order:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
SECTION 1. It is proposed that Section 4, Article XI of the Constitution of this State be repealed, which section presently reads:
No money shall be paid from public funds nor shall the credit of the State or any of its political subdivisions be used for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.
SECTION 2. The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballot:
Must Section 4, Article XI of the Constitution of this State be repealed so as to eliminate the prohibition against the State or its political subdivisions providing direct aid to religious or other private educational institutions?
Yes ?
No ?
Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word "Yes", and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word "No".
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Rep. MARTIN explained the amendment.
Rep. GATCH raised the Point of Order that Amendment No. 5 was out of order as a proposed constitutional amendment was not germane to S. 62 (Word version).
ACTING SPEAKER HIOTT cited that House precedents did not allow an amendment proposing a constitutional amendment to be offered as an amendment to a bill that amends statutory law. He sustained the Point of Order and ruled Amendment No. 5 out of order.
Rep. JONES proposed the following Amendment No. 6 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0023H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 9, Section 59-8-150, by adding a subsection to read:
(I) In addition to the other requirements of this section, an education service provider that is a private school shall comply with all federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements, including the provision of special education services, individualized education plans (IEPs), and due process protections identical to those required of public schools.
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Rep. JONES explained the amendment.
Rep. JONES spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. BAMBERG spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. J. L. JOHNSON spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. RIVERS spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. COBB-HUNTER demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilreath Guest Guffey Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell T. Moore Morgan Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Calhoon Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Moss Reese Rivers Rutherford Sessions Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
Rep. JONES proposed the following Amendment No. 7 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0026H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 3, Section 59-8-120, by adding a subsection to read:
(I) A minimum of fifty percent of the ESTF scholarship funds awarded pursuant to this chapter must be to students in rural counties, and no funds may be distributed to an ESTF account unless a minimum of fifty percent of all ESTF scholarship funds are awarded to students in rural counties. Additionally, ESTF recipients in rural counties who attend an education service provider that is a private school must be provided with free transportation, funded by the State, to the private school if the nearest private school is more than ten miles from their residence.
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Rep. JONES explained the amendment.
Rep. JONES spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. JONES demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Guffey Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Kilmartin Landing Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
Rep. JONES proposed the following Amendment No. 8 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0030H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 9, by striking Section 59-8-150(F)(5) and inserting:
(5) education service providers shall not be required to alter their creeds, practices, admissions policy, or curriculum in order to accept payments by a parent from an ESTF account; provided, however, an education service provider that is a private school and receives ESTF funds shall adopt an open admissions policy, identical to that of public schools, and may not engage in academic, behavioral, or religious-based selection processes to determine admissions or enrollment.
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Rep. JONES explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. COBB-HUNTER demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Guffey Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Kilmartin Landing Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
Rep. FRANK proposed the following Amendment No. 10 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0014H), which was ruled out of order:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by adding an appropriately numbered SECTION to read:
SECTION X. Article 25, Chapter 6, Title 12 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
Section 12-6-3830. (A) A taxpayer whose child attends a qualifying private school, parochial school, or home school for grades K-12 is entitled to a refundable tax credit against income taxes imposed pursuant to this chapter equal to seven thousand dollars or the cost of tuition, for a private school or parochial school, whichever is lower, for each child.
(B) In order to be a qualifying school, the school must:
(1) provide an affidavit attesting that it is a K-12 school;
(2) provide the school's address;
(3) provide that it is able to enroll students;
(4) provide that it will educate students according to the expectations of the student's family;
(5) make its financial records available to students' families; and
(6) have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), or, for purposes of a home school, the school must be registered as required by the State.
(C) A taxpayer who claims an income tax credit pursuant to this section may not claim the exceptional needs tax credit pursuant to Section 12-6-3790 in the same income tax year.
(D) A taxpayer is not eligible for the credit described in this section if:
(1) his child attended a public school for more than forty-four days in the current income tax year; or
(2) the taxpayer has a child who receives any ESTF funds.
(E) A taxpayer who fraudulently claims the credit described in this section is guilty of tax fraud and must be prosecuted as provided by law.
(F) A parent may assert a violation of this section as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and obtain compensatory damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, attorney's fees, court costs, and any other appropriate relief.
(1) A parent is required to bring a claim for a violation of this section no later than three years after the day the cause of action accrues.
(2) An award of noneconomic damages may not exceed one hundred thousand dollars for each claimant unless the jury or court determines that the defendant was grossly negligent, wilful, wanton, or reckless, and such conduct was the proximate cause of the claimant's noneconomic damages, or if the defendant has engaged in fraud or misrepresentation related to the claim, or if the defendant altered or destroyed medical records with the purpose of avoiding a claim or liability to the claimant.
(3) The provisions of this section do not limit the amount of compensation for economic damages suffered by a claimant.
(G) The Attorney General may bring an action to enforce compliance with this section. Nothing in this section may be construed to deny, impair, or otherwise affect any right or authority of the Attorney General, the State, or any agency, officer, or employee of the State to institute or intervene in any proceeding.
(H) The Treasurer shall prescribe the form and manner to be an approved private school or parochial school and issue eligibility certificates. The parent shall provide the eligibility certificate to the department. By October first of each year, the Treasurer shall publish on its website a list of all qualifying private schools and parochial schools to include their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and, if available, website addresses and applicable audits.
(I) The department may promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
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Rep. PACE explained the amendment.
Rep. MCDANIEL raised the Rule 9.3 Point of Order that Amendment No. 10 was not germane to S.62.
Rep. PACE argued contra.
ACTING SPEAKER HIOTT stated that Rule 9.3 governs the germaneness of amendments and states that an amendment must refer to the same substantial effect as the bill being debated. He stated that the bill established an Education Savings Trust Fund and transferred state money to this fund to be managed pursuant to specific criteria in the bill. He stated further that Amendment No. 10 granted a tax credit to parents who send their children to private schools. He stated that the amendment's effect went beyond the scope of the bill, and he sustained the Point of Order.
Rep. KING proposed the following Amendment No. 11 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0034H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 9, by striking Section 59-8-150(C)(2) and inserting:
(2) The department shall ensure that the education service provider has access to and is trained in administering administer the state assessments required in subitems (1)(a) and (b), and such assessments administered by someone other than the department are invalid. The department shall assume any costs associated with training, administering, or taking assessments with no charges to the provider or ESTF students.
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Rep. KING explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. GRANT demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Teeple Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on Amendment No. 11 to S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted to table the amendment.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
Rep. KING proposed the following Amendment No. 12 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0035H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 7, by striking Section 59-8-140(A)(2) and inserting:
(2) The department must require an independent school that applies to be an education service provider to be located in the State, to have an educational curriculum that includes courses set forth in the state's diploma requirements, to meet the compulsory attendance and State Board of Education approval requirements in Section 59-65-10and to only employ teachers licensed in good standing by the department to teach in the field of study for which they are hired to teach.
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Rep. KING explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. KING demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on Amendment No. 12 to S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted to table the amendment.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
Rep. CALHOON proposed the following Amendment No. 13 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.PH0001H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, after the title but before the enacting words, by striking the fourth undesignated paragraph and inserting:
Whereas, the General Assembly has carefully and respectfully crafted this act to comply with the South Carolina Supreme Court's interpretation of Article XI, Section 4 of the South Carolina Constitution in Eidson v. S.C. Dep't of Education, 906 S.E.2d 345 (S.C. 2024), and specifically finds that Chief Justice Kittredge'sthe dissenting opinion's description of the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program represents how the program created by this act is structured; and
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Rep. CALHOON explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. GARVIN demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brittain Burns Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Frank Gagnon Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Hager Harris Hartnett Hewitt Hiott Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Lawson Long Lowe Magnuson May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Neese B. Newton Pace Rankin Sanders Schuessler G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Teeple Terribile Vaughan Whitmire Wickensimer Willis
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Ballentine Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Brewer Calhoon Collins Dillard Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Hardee Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Moss Murphy Pope Reese Rivers Robbins Rose Rutherford Sessions Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams Wooten
So, the amendment was tabled.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on Amendment No. 13 to S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted to table the amendment.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
Rep. J. L. JOHNSON proposed the following Amendment No. 14 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.PH0002H), which was tabled:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-8-110(7) and inserting:
(7) "Education service provider" means a person or organization approved by the department and domiciled in this State that receives payments from ESTF to provide educational goods and services to scholarship students.
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Rep. J. L. JOHNSON explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON spoke against the amendment.
Rep. KING spoke in favor of the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON moved to table the amendment.
Rep. J. L. JOHNSON demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe May McCabe McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Hart Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Magnuson Martin J. Moore Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Sessions Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the amendment was tabled.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on Amendment No. 14 to S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted to table the amendment.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
Rep. J. L. JOHNSON proposed the following Amendment No. 15 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0036H), which was adopted:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-8-110(3)(j)(k) and inserting:
(j)(k) fees for transportation paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider for the scholarship student to travel to and from an eligible provider as defined in this section, but not to exceed seven hundred fiftythree thousand dollars for each school year;
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Rep. J. L. JOHNSON explained the amendment.
Rep. GILLIARD demanded the yeas and nays which were taken, resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Anderson Atkinson Bailey Ballentine Bamberg Bannister Bauer Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Dillard Duncan Edgerton Erickson Frank Gagnon Garvin Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilliard Gilreath Govan Grant Guest Haddon Hager Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Hayes Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Howard Huff J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jones Jordan Kilmartin Kirby Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Luck Magnuson Martin May McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery J. Moore T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Rivers Robbins Rose Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Spann-Wilder Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks White Whitmire Wickensimer Williams Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
So, the amendment was adopted.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on Amendment No. 15 to S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted to adopt the amendment.
Rep. Brandon Guffey
Rep. ERICKSON proposed the following Amendment No. 4 to S. 62 (Word version) (LC-62.WAB0032H), which was adopted:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 3, by striking Section 59-8-120(E) and inserting:
(E) The departmentTrustee shall make payments to an individual scholarship student's account from the ESTF on a quarterly semi-annual basis with the first payment being distributed by July thirty-first of each year and the second payment by December thirty-first of each year.
Amend the bill further, SECTION 4, by striking Section 59-8-125(F) and inserting:
(G)(F) Unused funds must be rolled over to the following school year for a scholarship student who applies and continues to meet eligibility requirements to participate in the program revert to the South Carolina Education Lottery Account.
Amend the bill further, SECTION 9, by striking Section 59-8-150(C)(1)(b) and inserting:
(c)(b) in lieu of the assessments required by subitems (a) and (b), ensure that each scholarship recipient in grades three through eight takes a nationally norm-referenced summative assessment annually or a formative assessment at the beginning of the school year, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the school year. The assessment must be approved by the department, aligned with state standards, and include a linking study;
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
Rep. ERICKSON explained the amendment.
Rep. ERICKSON spoke in favor of the amendment.
The amendment was then adopted.
Rep. COLLINS spoke against the Bill.
Rep. MARTIN spoke against the Bill.
The SPEAKER granted Rep. HAGER a leave of absence for the remainder of the day due to family reasons.
Rep. BRADLEY spoke in favor of the Bill.
Rep. GOVAN spoke against the Bill.
Rep. WILLIAMS moved that Rule 3.9 be invoked and requested a quorum call.
Rep. HIOTT moved to table the motion and requested a roll call.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Anderson Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman Cobb-Hunter Collins B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gagnon Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Govan Guest Guffey Haddon Hardee Harris Hartnett Hartz Henderson-Myers Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Hosey Huff J. E. Johnson J. L. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson Martin May McCabe McCravy McDaniel McGinnis Mitchell T. Moore Morgan Moss Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Pace Pedalino Pope Robbins Sanders Schuessler G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Stavrinakis Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan Weeks White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Grant Kirby Luck J. Moore Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Williams
So, the House refused to invoke Rule 3.9.
Rep. GOVAN continued speaking.
Rep. BAMBERG spoke against the Bill.
The question recurred to the passage of the Bill.
The yeas and nays were taken resulting as follows:
Those who voted in the affirmative are:
Bailey Ballentine Bannister Beach Bowers Bradley Brewer Brittain Burns Bustos Calhoon Caskey Chapman B. J. Cox B. L. Cox Crawford Cromer Davis Duncan Edgerton Erickson Forrest Frank Gatch Gibson Gilliam Gilreath Guest Guffey Haddon Hardee Hartnett Hartz Herbkersman Hewitt Hiott Hixon Holman Huff J. E. Johnson Jordan Kilmartin Landing Lawson Ligon Long Lowe Magnuson May McCravy McGinnis Mitchell Montgomery T. Moore Morgan Murphy Neese B. Newton W. Newton Oremus Pace Pedalino Pope Rankin Robbins Sanders Schuessler Sessions G. M. Smith M. M. Smith Taylor Teeple Terribile Vaughan White Whitmire Wickensimer Willis Wooten
Those who voted in the negative are:
Alexander Anderson Atkinson Bamberg Bauer Bernstein Clyburn Cobb-Hunter Collins Dillard Gagnon Garvin Gilliard Govan Grant Harris Hayes Henderson-Myers Hosey Howard J. L. Johnson Jones King Kirby Luck Martin McDaniel J. Moore Moss Reese Rivers Rose Rutherford Spann-Wilder Stavrinakis Weeks Wetmore Williams
So, the Bill, as amended, was read the second time and ordered to third reading.
I was temporarily out of the Chamber on constituent business during the vote on S. 62 (Word version). If I had been present, I would have voted against the Bill.
Rep. Chris Hart
Rep. FORREST moved that the House recur to the morning hour, which was agreed to.
Rep. W. NEWTON, from the Committee on Judiciary, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3650 (Word version) -- Reps. G. M. Smith, Wooten, Pope, Chapman, W. Newton, Bailey, Robbins, Crawford and Guest: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-1-60, RELATING TO OFFENSES DEFINED AS VIOLENT CRIMES, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE OFFENSE OF DISCHARGING FIREARMS AT OR INTO A DWELLING HOUSE, OTHER BUILDING, STRUCTURE, ENCLOSURE, VEHICLE, AIRCRAFT, WATERCRAFT, OR OTHER CONVEYANCE, DEVICE, OR EQUIPMENT; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-23-440, RELATING TO DISCHARGING FIREARMS INTO A DWELLING HOUSE, OTHER BUILDING, STRUCTURE, ENCLOSURE, VEHICLE, AIRCRAFT, WATERCRAFT, OR OTHER CONVEYANCE, DEVICE, OR EQUIPMENT, SO AS TO CREATE A TIERED PENALTY STRUCTURE.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. W. NEWTON, from the Committee on Judiciary, submitted a favorable report on:
H. 3046 (Word version) -- Reps. T. Moore, Lawson, Wooten, Pope, Chapman, Spann-Wilder, McCravy, W. Newton, Vaughan, Mitchell, Rankin, Long, Oremus, Gibson, Burns, Edgerton, Guffey, Govan and Wickensimer: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-375, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN OFFENSES AGAINST MINORS, SO AS TO REVISE DEFINITIONS AND ADD THE TERMS "IDENTIFIABLE MINOR" AND "MORPHED IMAGE"; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-395, RELATING TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCLUDE MORPHED IMAGES OF IDENTIFIABLE MINORS AS AN OFFENSE; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-405, RELATING TO SECOND DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR, SO AS TO INCLUDE MORPHED IMAGES OF IDENTIFIABLE MINORS AS AN OFFENSE; BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-410, RELATING TO THIRD DEGREE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR; SO AS TO INCLUDE MORPHED IMAGES OF IDENTIFIABLE MINORS AS AN OFFENSE; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-3-430, RELATING TO THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY, SO AS TO INCLUDE THOSE GUILTY OF CRIMINAL EXPLOITATION OF A MINOR IN THE FIRST, SECOND, OR THIRD DEGREE AS A TIER II OFFENDER; BY AMENDING SECTION 23-3-462, RELATING TO TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO CLARIFY POSSIBLE TERMINATION REQUIREMENTS AND INCLUDE TIER I AND TIER II DESIGNATIONS FOR OUT-OF-STATE OR FEDERAL CONVICTIONS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-342, RELATING TO CRIMINAL SOLICITATION OF A MINOR, BY AMENDING SECTION 16-15-387, RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OF A PERSON UNDER EIGHTEEN TO APPEAR IN PUBLIC IN A STATE OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT NUDITY, AND BY AMENDING SECTION 44-48-30, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR PURPOSES OF THE SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR ACT, ALL SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
Rep. W. NEWTON, from the Committee on Judiciary, submitted a favorable report with amendments on:
H. 3127 (Word version) -- Reps. Robbins, Wooten, Lawson, Pope, Chapman, Pedalino, W. Newton, Sanders and Duncan: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 56-5-750, RELATING TO FAILURE TO STOP MOTOR VEHICLES WHEN SIGNALED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT WHERE CERTAIN AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES OCCUR THE OFFENDER IS GUILTY OF A FELONY, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.
Ordered for consideration tomorrow.
The following was introduced:
H. 4104 (Word version) -- Reps. Bowers, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO DECLARE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025, AS "CLEMSON DAY" IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4105 (Word version) -- Reps. Yow, Mitchell, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis and Wooten: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING OF JESSE ELLISON OUTEN JR. OF CHERAW AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4106 (Word version) -- Reps. Crawford, Cobb-Hunter, Edgerton, Wetmore, Terribile, Spann-Wilder, Oremus, Bernstein, Bauer, McDaniel, Landing, Pedalino, Erickson, Davis, Schuessler, Dillard, Cromer, Holman, Calhoon, Henderson-Myers, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Beach, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Duncan, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Pace, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Vaughan, Weeks, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO CONGRATULATE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AT THE CELEBRATION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY, TO SALUTE THE MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND GIRL SCOUTS IN THE PALMETTO STATE, AND TO DECLARE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025, GIRL SCOUT DAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4107 (Word version) -- Reps. Henderson-Myers, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO DECLARE TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025, "LINKS DAY AT THE CAPITOL" AND TO RECOGNIZE SOUTHERN AREA DIRECTOR VANESSA FALLS AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHAPTERS OF THE LINKS INC.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4108 (Word version) -- Reps. Landing, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE OCEANSIDE COLLEGIATE ACADEMY FOOTBALL TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS FOR A TRULY REMARKABLE SEASON AND TO CONGRATULATE THEM FOR WINNING THE 2024 SOUTH CAROLINA CLASS AAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4109 (Word version) -- Reps. Landing, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE OCEANSIDE COLLEGIATE ACADEMY BOYS VOLLEYBALL TEAM AND COACHES ON THEIR IMPRESSIVE WIN OF THE 2024-2025 SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS AAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AND TO SALUTE THEM ON A FABULOUS SEASON.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4110 (Word version) -- Reps. Hager, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR FRANCIS A. "QUINN" LAWTON V, SERGEANT MAJOR IN THE UPSTATE YOUNG MARINE UNIT, OF HAMPTON COUNTY AND CONGRATULATE HIM UPON BEING NAMED THE DIVISION 2 YOUNG MARINE OF THE YEAR.
The Resolution was adopted.
The following was introduced:
H. 4111 (Word version) -- Reps. Williams, Mitchell, Luck, Yow, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, M. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Willis and Wooten: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE BELIEF OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT NASCAR RACING IS AN INTEGRAL AND VITAL PART OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND ITS ECONOMY AND TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE DARLINGTON RACEWAY ON ITS HISTORIC SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SEASON AND CONTINUING TO HOST TWO NASCAR RACE WEEKENDS THAT GENERATE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AS ONE OF OUR STATE'S MOST TREASURED ATTRACTIONS, AND TO NAME THE WEEKS AROUND BOTH RACES, THE OFFICIAL THROWBACK WEEKEND OF NASCAR, MARCH 30 THROUGH APRIL 6, 2025, AND THE TRADITIONAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND, AUGUST 24 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2025, AS "DARLINGTON RACEWAY WEEK," TWO WEEKS TOO TOUGH TO TAME.
The Concurrent Resolution was agreed to and ordered sent to the Senate.
The following Bills were introduced, read the first time, and referred to appropriate committees:
H. 4103 (Word version) -- Reps. B. J. Cox, B. Newton, Atkinson, Ballentine, Bauer, Burns, Collins, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Govan, Guest, Guffey, Hager, Hardee, Herbkersman, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, Kilmartin, Kirby, Lawson, Magnuson, McCabe, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Oremus, Rivers, Rose, Sanders, Schuessler, M. M. Smith, Taylor, White, Wooten, Bailey, Gilliam, Spann-Wilder, Calhoon and Wetmore: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 40-37-35 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN OPTOMETRY MAY ISSUE RESTRICTED VOLUNTEER MEMBER LICENSES TO OPTOMETRISTS FROM OTHER STATES WHO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA, AND TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUPERVISION, DURATION, AND REGULATION OF SUCH LICENSES, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-10, RELATING TO MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN OPTOMETRY, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-20, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF OPTOMETRISTS, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-30, RELATING TO LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-40, RELATING TO POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE BOARD SHALL REQUIRE LICENSED OPTOMETRISTS TO MEET EDUCATIONAL AND COMPETENCE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-245, RELATING TO EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT, SO AS TO ALLOW EXAMINATION EQUIVALENTS AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-290, RELATING TO THE PURCHASING, PRESCRIBING, AND ADMINISTERING PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS BY OPTOMETRISTS, SO AS TO REVISE THE REQUIREMENTS AND LIMIT THE PERMISSIBLE USE OF SUCH MEDICATIONS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-310, RELATING TO REFERRALS FOR TREATMENT OF EYE DISEASES, SO AS TO REMOVE PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE TREATMENT OF GLAUCOMA AND PROVISION OF SURGERY; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-330, RELATING TO USE OF OPTOMETRISTS' SERVICES AUTHORIZED FOR AGENCY AND SCHOOL-REQUIRED EXAMINATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE OPTOMETRISTS MAY PROVIDE VISION OR EYE CARE SERVICES AT A SCHOOL IF APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-37-420, RELATING TO PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING CERTAIN LICENSEES, SO AS TO DELETE THE EXISTING PROVISIONS, TO PROVIDE PERSONS LICENSED AS OPHTHALMOLOGISTS IN THIS STATE MAY CONTINUE PRACTICING UNDER CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT THAT SUCH PERSONS LICENSED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2013, MUST FULFILL CREDENTIALING REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM CERTAIN TREATMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 38-79-30, RELATING TO PROVISIONS LIMITING LIABILITY FOR VOLUNTEER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS UNDER MEDICAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE LAWS, SO AS TO REMOVE A PROVISION CONCERNING NOTICE REQUIREMENTS TO PATIENTS, AND TO INCLUDE OPTOMETRISTS AMONG THE VOLUNTEERS INCLUDED IN THESE PROVISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-30-310, RELATING TO IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY FOR FREE HEALTHCARE SERVICES, SO AS TO INCLUDE VOLUNTEER OPTOMETRISTS; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 40-37-300 RELATING TO ESTABLISHING PHARMACIES OR SELLING PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS, AND DISPENSING CONTACT LENSES.
Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
H. 4112 (Word version) -- Reps. Pace, Burns, Magnuson, Reese, Forrest, Haddon, Hixon and Lawson: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 47-9-70 SO AS TO ALLOW FOR THE RAISING AND POSSESSION OF CHICKEN HENS AND QUAIL HENS; AND TO PROVIDE A SUNSET PROVISION.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Rep. B. NEWTON moved that the House do now adjourn, which was agreed to.
Rep. B. NEWTON moved to reconsider the vote whereby debate was adjourned on H. 3007 (Word version) until Thursday, March 6, and the motion was noted.
Rep. B. NEWTON moved to reconsider the vote whereby debate was adjourned on H. 3008 (Word version) until Thursday, March 6, and the motion was noted.
Rep. B. NEWTON moved to reconsider the vote whereby debate was adjourned on H. 3558 (Word version) until Tuesday, March 4, and the motion was noted.
The Senate returned to the House with concurrence the following:
H. 3941 (Word version) -- Rep. Cobb-Hunter: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO DECLARE APRIL 28, 2025, AS "WORKERS' MEMORIAL DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN TRIBUTE TO THE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES.
At 3:06 p.m. the House, in accordance with the motion of Rep. WOOTEN, adjourned in memory of Victor O'Neal Roof, to meet at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
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