House Bills - February 2, 2024

H. 4971 (Reps. Williams, Robbins, B. J. Cox, Rivers, M. M. Smith, Bailey, Clyburn, J. E. Johnson, Taylor, Thigpen, Whitmire, Jefferson, Pope, Ligon, O'Neal, Guffey, Sessions, McGinnis, B. L. Cox, Pace, Hosey, Gilliam, Carter, Oremus, West, Cromer, Neese, Guest, Lawson, T. Moore, Nutt, Schuessler, Forrest, Gatch, Gibson, Harris, Hayes, Henegan, Magnuson, J. Moore and Moss) — Amends Sections 9-1-1790 and 9-11-90, relating to retirement benefits after returning to covered employment under the South Carolina Retirement System and the Police Officers Retirement System, respectively, to remove the $10,000 earnings limitation on employees returning to employment who retired before Jan. 2, 2025.

H. 4974 (Reps. Murphy, Wooten, Brewer, Robbins, Gatch, Ballentine and Caskey) — Amends Section 16-17-722, relating to the filing of false police reports and associated penalties, to revise the statute, provide for the offense of swatting, and provide graduated penalties for violations; and amends Section 23-47-80, relating to penalties regarding violations of 911 services, to reference penalties contained in Section 16-17-722.

H. 4981 (Rep. Pendarvis) — Amends Section 6-1-930, relating to developmental impact fees, to provide that system improvement costs do not include repair, operation, or maintenance of existing or new capital improvements or administrative and operating costs of the related governmental entity.

H. 4983 (Reps. J. Moore, McDaniel, Williams, Henegan and Hosey) — Adds Article 9 to Chapter 11, Title 25 by enacting the "Veterans' Bill of Rights Act" to provide certain veterans' rights and duties of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

H. 4987 (Reps. J. Moore and Pendarvis) — Adds Article 11 to Chapter 40, Title 27 to provide definitions, provide for certain protected tenant's rights, to provide for situations in which a protected tenant may terminate a lease, to provide for certain reports of domestic violence, to create the domestic violence shelter fund, and to provide that certain law enforcement is directed to take appropriate action to assist domestic violence victims.

H. 4989 (Reps. A. M. Morgan, May, J. L. Johnson, Sessions, T. A. Morgan, B. J. Cox, S. Jones, Oremus, Long, Trantham, O'Neal, White, McCabe, Burns, Landing, Herbkersman, Pace, Willis, Haddon, Harris, Leber and Pedalino) — Adds Section 2-1-105 to provide after July 1, 2024, a person may not be elected or appointed to a judicial office that is filled by election or appointment of the General Assembly if that person is an immediate family member of a sitting member of the General Assembly, or a former member of the General Assembly whose most recent term of legislative service ended less than one year prior to the General Assembly's election or appointment of the office in question.

H. 4990 (Reps. J. Moore and McDaniel) — Enacts the "Paid Family Leave Insurance Act" by adding chapter 103 to Title 38 so as to define terms, establish family leave benefits, outline requirements of family leave insurance policies, and provide exclusions, among other things.

H. 4992 (Reps. J. Moore, McDaniel, Williams, Henegan and Hosey) — Adds Section 42-9-50 to provide the requirements for a first responder to file a workers' compensation claim for a stress or mental injury unaccompanied by a physical injury.

H. 4995 (Rep. Rose) — Amends Section 56-7-10, relating to the issuance of uniform traffic tickets, to provide uniform traffic tickets may be issued for certain misdemeanor traffic offenses.

H. 4996 (Reps. M. M. Smith, Guest, Chapman, Hartnett, Stavrinakis, B. L. Cox, Kirby and Davis) — Adds Section 6-29-725 to permit the transfer of development rights.

H. 4997 (Rep. B. Newton) — Amends Section 59-71-40, relating to a school bond election, to require such election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of any year.

H. 4998 (Rep. B. Newton) — Amends Section 8-15-65, relating to annual salary supplements for certain county officers, to include directors of county boards of voter registration and elections among those receiving the supplement.

H. 5006 (Rep. J. L. Johnson) — Enacts the "Election Official Protection Act" by adding Article 3 to Chapter 25, Title 7 to establish offenses for certain acts or conduct against an election official, to provide certain protections for the personal information of election officials from public dissemination, to prohibit unauthorized access to, or tampering with, components of election-related systems, and to authorize the attorney general or an election official to bring a civil action to prevent or restrain violations of this article, among other things.

H. 5009 (Reps. Kilmartin and May) — Adds Section 12-6-1172 to exempt the retirement income of first responders, law enforcement officers, and teachers.

H. 5010 (Reps. Kilmartin and McCabe) — Add Section 28-2-520 to require a condemner to utilize property obtained by eminent domain to be used for the public purpose identified as the reason for the use of eminent domain.

H. 5012 ( Reps. Henderson-Myers, Clyburn, Hosey, Dillard, Jefferson, J.L. Johnson, Bannister, Hayes, W. Jones, Lowe, Weeks, Willis) – Establishes juvenile pretrial diversion courts for certain children who commit first-time nonviolent status offenses or delinquent acts.

H. 5013 (Reps. Elliott, Caskey, Gatch, B. J. Cox, Long, Wooten and Hiott) — Amends Section 23-31-600, relating to the issuance of identification cards to qualified retired law enforcement officers, the circumstances in which qualified law enforcement officers may carry concealed weapons, and opportunities for training to qualify to carry firearms that must be offered to qualified retired law enforcement officers.

H. 5015 (Rep. Bannister) — Amends Section 2-7-68, relating to the format of the General Appropriations Bill, to provide new provisos to be underlined instead of italicized.

H. 5016 (Reps. B. Newton, Murphy and Caskey) — Adds Section 11-7-70 to provide that the Governor shall appoint the State Auditor with the advice and consent of the Senate.

H. 5017 (Reps. Wooten, J. L. Johnson, Collins, Chumley, Hiott and Sandifer) — Adds Section 6-29-550 to require a county to report a residential development plan to a city under certain circumstances.

H. 5021 (Reps. W. Jones, McDaniel, White, Thigpen, Williams, King, J.L. Johnson, Dillard, and Clyburn) — Enacts the "South Carolina Community Jobs Act" by adding section 12-6-3810 so as to provide an income tax credit for an eligible employer that hires certain employees.