Friday Report - February 4, 2022
Most of the activity in the General Assembly this week centered around the election of judges. The House Ways and Means subcommittees continued to hear budget requests from state agencies. The Senate spent most of the week debating the medical marijuana bill (S. 150) but failed to take any action before adjourning for the week. Several bills of interest, as well as an American Rescue Plan Act update, will be discussed below in this week’s Friday Report.
Revenue, Finance and Economic Development
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – State Authorizations. Members of the House and Senate met again this week regarding the expenditure of the state’s $2.499 billion share of ARPA funds. The Senate Finance Committee met on Tuesday to take up S. 952 and approved a subcommittee recommendation that would allocate approximately $1.75 billion in funding. Phase one of the Senate’s plan would provide over $453 million in funding to SCDOT, $400 million to the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) for the State Broadband Office to expand access to high-speed broadband internet, and $900 million to the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA). The RIA would be directed to use approximately $800 million of the designated funds to establish three separate grant programs for water, wastewater, and stormwater projects to provide local governments with opportunities to build and update aging infrastructure across the state. The RIA would also designate $100 million of its allotment for projects that are deemed significant to economic development. Additionally, the RIA would be required to transfer $500,000 to each of the 10 Council of Governments (COGs) for planning assistance, development of grant proposals, and compliance assistance related to improvements in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure for smaller systems. S. 952 received a favorable report as amended and is now pending a second reading on the Senate calendar. Review the details of the Senate plan.
County Government and Intergovernmental
Veterans Service Organization Burial Honor Guard Support Fund – H. 3598. This bill establishes the “Veterans Service Organization Burial Honor Guard Support Fund” as a new fund created under the State Treasury. Revenues of the fund may include gifts, grants, federal funds, donations, and appropriations from the General Assembly. These funds are to be used to offset costs paid by organizations that provide honor guard burial details at the funerals of qualifying South Carolina veterans. In order to be a qualifying veteran, the individual must have been a resident of South Carolina for at least five years and served on active duty. The Secretary of the SC Department of Veterans’ Affairs may disburse from the fund up to $100 per funeral following a request from the organization that provided the honor guard burial detail. According to the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs anticipates it will be able to absorb any administrative expenses associated with appropriating these funds within current appropriations and using existing staff. However, the department’s expenditures and revenues will increase beginning in FY 2021-22 by an undetermined amount, dependent on the sum of funds received and the number of organizations requesting funds. Due to the varied nature of these funds, this may increase the department’s General Fund, Federal Funds, and Other Funds expenditures and revenues. A House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs subcommittee gave the bill a favorable report. It will be on the next full committee’s agenda.
SCAC's Mid-Year Conference and Institute of Government Classes
SCAC's 2022 Mid-Year Conference will be held Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia. You can access a copy of the registration brochure and conference agenda on the Association’s website. A legislative reception will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Palmetto Club. You are encouraged to invite your legislators to dinner while you are in Columbia.
The Institute of Government will be held in conjunction with the Mid-Year Conference on Thursday, February 24, and Friday, February 25. The specific schedule of course offerings is available on the association’s website. The Council Chairperson’s Workshop will be held on Thursday, February 24, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and is open only to council chairs and vice chairs. It is offered free-of-charge, but registration is required. Should you or your council members need assistance determining which classes to take, please contact Ryan Tooley at (800) 922-6081 or at rtooley@scac.sc.
The conference and Institute registration deadline is February 17.
Newly-Introduced Legislation
View/Download Full Text for Newly-Introduced Legislation
Note: If you would like to offer comments to the SCAC staff, please call us toll-free at 1-800-922-6081, fax to (803) 252-0379, or send an email. You can also go to www.scstatehouse.gov and click on "Legislation," then "Introduced Legislation."
Senate Bills
S. 1031 — Provides qualifications to be eligible to hold the office of register of deeds.
S. 1032 — Creates the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Unit within the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
S. 1033 — Relates to the relations of Secretary and County Veterans' Affairs officers, to make provisions for monthly reporting and requires a copy of the report provided to the legislative delegation be given to the secretary.
S. 1037 — Prohibits hospitals and insurance companies from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status.
S. 1039 — Requires a portion of a deed recording fee to be credited to the South Carolina Conservation Bank Trust Fund.
S. 1042 — Prohibits a child from being taken into custody in a juvenile detention facility if the crime the child committed would not be considered a crime if committed by an adult and to limit the time permitted for the solitary confinement of children.
S. 1043 — Provides that 15 percent of a county's apportionment of "C" funds must be expended on certain rural roads.
S. 1045 — Provides regulations for the operation of transportation vehicles.
House Bills
H. 4889 — Prohibits an alarm business or contractor from being fined for a false alarm not attributed to improper installation, defective equipment, or operational error by the alarm business or contractor.
H. 4890 — Provides the Department of Corrections and the Department of Motor Vehicles shall ensure all eligible inmates released from a state prison possess a valid special identification card.
H. 4891 — Provides that SLED shall create a database that allows employers to obtain criminal background checks on applicants for employment that limits background checks to offenses related to the type of employment sought by the applicant.
H. 4894 — Provides that any good sold in this state that was produced in the People's Republic of China must have a label to indicate whether or not the good was produced through forced labor and to provide for enforcement and penalties.
H. 4909 — Prohibits hospitals and insurance companies from discriminating against potential organ transplant recipients based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status.
H. 4917 — Provides that the Retirement System Investment Commission may not invest Public Employee Retirement Funds in a scrutinized company.
H. 4918 — Increases the amount that may be earned without affecting the monthly retirement allowance from $10,000 to $50,000 for certain retired members in the South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System.
H. 4919 — Establishes early voting in the state.
H. 4920 — Provides that a towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop may apply to certain vendors to obtain real-time access to title and lienholder information before towed vehicles are sold.
H. 4921 — Provides that if a participating employer in the Police Officers Retirement System, engages a certain member of the system to perform services, then the participant employer shall pay to the system the employer contribution that would be required if the member received the compensation as an active contributing member of the system.
H. 4922 — Provides that if a participating employer in the South Carolina Retirement System, engages a certain member of the system to perform services, then the participant employer shall pay to the system the employer contribution that would be required if the member received the compensation as an active contributing member of the system.
Ratifications
The following bills have been passed by both chambers and have been sent to the Governor for approval or veto:
(R123) H. 4815 — Suspends Section 1-11-705(i)(2), Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, for fiscal year 2021-2022 relating to a transfer of funds to the South Carolina Retiree Health Insurance Trust Fund.