House Bills - January 27, 2023

H. 3770 (Reps. Ligon, B. Newton, O'Neal, Chumley, Haddon, Magnuson, Sandifer and Neese) — Amends Section 5-31-1520, relating to extension of water and sewer systems by a municipality, to prohibit extensions conditioned on annexation.

H. 3772 (Reps. Long, Chumley, Burns, Haddon and Bustos) — Adds Section 60-11-75 to provide plaques, markers, or other messages on historical monuments and memorials on property owned by political subdivisions of the state or school districts are subject to review and approval by the Department of Archives and History, and to provide related requirements for a related review and approval process.

H. 3774 (Reps. McCravy, G. M. Smith, Hiott, W. Newton and Pope) — Enacts the "Human Life Protection Act."

H. 3775 (Rep. Bailey) — Amends Section 27-1-60, relating to the rights of homeowners or tenants to fly the United States flag at their premises, notwithstanding the provisions of any homeowners' association governing documents, contractual provisions, or deed covenants to the contrary, to provide that this right includes the right to display the flag on a flagpole installed at the premises for this purpose.

H. 3777 (Rep. Bernstein) — Adds Section 42-17-15 to provide Workers' Compensation settlement agreements are unenforceable to the extent that they are conditioned upon the release of certain legal claims by the injured employee or his dependents, and to provide the offer of settlement agreements that include such conditions constitutes bad faith per se.

H. 3778 (Reps. Trantham, Vaughan, Long, Burns, Haddon, May, A. M. Morgan and T. A. Morgan) — Amends Section 12-37-220, relating to property tax exemptions, to allow an exemption from all property tax equal to 100 percent of the value subject to tax of an owner-occupied residence if the owner has attained the age of 70 and has made the property his residence for 30 years.

H. 3786 (Reps. Lowe, G. M. Smith, Bannister, Jordan, Rutherford, Bernstein, Cobb-Hunter, Henegan, Gilliam, Hewitt, Erickson, Ott, M. M. Smith, W. Newton, Murphy, Gatch, Elliott, Herbkersman, Hosey, McDaniel, Mitchell, Stavrinakis, Taylor and Wooten) — Enacts the "South Carolina Conservation Enhancement Act."

H. 3790 (Rep. Hart) — Provides that for every legislative day the House of Representatives does not address certain issues, the members of the House of Representatives shall forfeit one day of subsistence allowance.

H. 3801 (Reps. McCravy, Burns, Nutt, T. Moore, B. L. Cox, Lawson, Pope, Long, M. M. Smith, Thayer, Haddon, Pace, Chumley, Bailey, J. E. Johnson, Hiott and Hixon) — Adds Chapter 23 to Title 63 to prohibit the state government from discriminating against persons who provide adoption or foster-care services based upon a sincerely held religious belief, to define terms, to create a private right of action against the state government for violations of the chapter, to allow certain remedies, and for other purposes.

H. 3802 (Rep. B. J. Cox) — Enacts the "Veterans' Trust Fund" by amending Section 25-21-20.

H. 3803 (Rep. Hart) — Amends Section 44-53-370, relating to controlled substance offenses and penalties, to decriminalize possession of 28 grams or one ounce or less of marijuana or 10 grams or less of hashish.

H. 3804 (Rep. Hart) — Adds Section 29-1-70 to provide a mandatory minimum grace period of 20 days for a mortgage payment.

H. 3805 (Rep. Hart) — Adds Section 41-1-125 to provide a base state minimum wage of $17 per hour effective January 1, 2025.

H. 3806 (Rep. Hart) — Amends Section 6-1-320, relating to the limit on annual property tax millage increases imposed by political subdivisions, to restore the former method of overriding the annual cap by a positive majority of the appropriate governing body and deleting the super majority requirement for overriding the cap for specific circumstances.

H. 3807 (Rep. Hart) — Adds Section 7-19-130 to adopt "the agreement among the states to elect the president by national popular vote" and for other purposes.

H. 3808 (Rep. Hart) — Adds Section 58-27-25 to provide an electrical utility operating in this state shall bury all of its new electrical power transmission lines installed within the boundaries of a municipality in this state beginning January 2, 2024, and shall bury all of its existing electrical power transmission lines located within the boundaries of a municipality in this state according to a graduated schedule before January 1, 2029.

H. 3809 (Rep. Hart) — Requires the General Assembly to provide by law a definition of "fair market value" for real property for purposes of the property tax, to eliminate the 15 percent limit on increases in the value of real property over five years.

H. 3812 (Rep. Hart) — Adds Section 56-5-3895 to provide it is unlawful for persons to operate motor vehicles while using cellular telephones, pagers, personal digital assistant devices, or other wireless communications devices that are not equipped with hands-free mechanisms.

H. 3813 (Reps. Jefferson, White and Kilmartin) — Enacts the "Rural Area Support Act."

H. 3821 (Rep. Elliott) — Amends Section 12-51-50, relating to sale of property, to provide for the electronic sale of certain property by the person officially charged with the collection of delinquent taxes.

H. 3822 (Reps. M. M. Smith, Pace, B. L. Cox, Davis and Chapman) — Enacting the "First Responder Protection Act."

H. 3823 (Reps. M. M. Smith, Pace, B. L. Cox, Davis and Chapman) — Adds Section 7-15-382 to provide that it is unlawful for a person to witness the signature of more than five absentee ballot applicants on the oath imprinted on absentee ballot return-addressed envelopes in a single election.

H. 3824 (Reps. B. Newton, W. Newton, Haddon, Ballentine, Wetmore, Tedder and Carter) — Amends Section 12-6-3695, relating to the alternative fuel property income tax credit, to provide for certain leases, to add electrical equipment to the definition of "eligible property", and to add electricity to the definition of "alternative fuel".

H. 3825 (Reps. Wooten and Gilliam) — Adds Section 17-13-142 to authorize a law enforcement officer, a prosecutor, or the attorney general to require the disclosure of electronic communications and other related records by a provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service under certain circumstances.

H. 3832 (Reps. M. M. Smith, Davis, B. J. Cox and Pace) — Amends Section 56-3-627, relating to the infrastructure maintenance fee, to exempt certain fire fighting vehicles and ambulances.

H. 3833 (Reps. Ligon, B. Newton, Neese, O'Neal, Hyde and Carter) — Adds Section 15-39-625 to provide for the sale of property by a private selling officer.

H. 3834 (Reps. Long and M. M. Smith) — Amends Section 12-43-220, relating to property classifications and assessment ratios, to provide that for purposes of obtaining the special 4 percent assessment rate, a person who owns and occupies a residence as his legal residence is deemed to be domiciled at the residence if the person is in the United States legally.