House Bills - January 31, 2025

H. 3792 (Rep. Pedalino) — Amends Act 106 of 2021 to consolidate Clarendon County school districts into the Clarendon County School District, changing the election process for board members and requiring the board to submit its annual budget to Clarendon County Council for approval.

H. 3793 (Reps. Teeple, Holman, Hartnett, Hardee, B.L. Cox, Brewer, Bustos, Edgerton, Gilreath, Guest, Landing, Martin and Wickensimer) — Adds Section 12-6-1230 to exempt all overtime income from state tax for individual taxpayers, ensuring it is not included in South Carolina taxable income.

H. 3794 (Reps. Mitchell and Pope) — Amends Section 23-31-240, relating to individuals authorized to carry concealed weapons anywhere in the state, to include public defender investigators and assistant public defender investigators under certain circumstances.

H. 3796 (Reps. Kilmartin and Beach) — Amends Chapter 1, Title 1 by adding Article 29 to prohibit governmental entities from granting or recognizing legal personhood in certain instances, including: artificial intelligence, an inanimate object, a body of water, land, real property, atmospheric gases, an astronomical object, weather, a plant, a nonhuman animal, or any other member of a taxonomic domain that is not a human being.

H. 3797 (Reps. Kilmartin and Beach) — Amends Section 23-9-198 to require the State Fire Marshal to establish regulations for annual blood testing of firefighters for the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

H. 3799 (Reps. Wooten, Pope, Jordan, B. Newton, Brittain, B.L. Cox, Holman, W. Newton, Brewer, J.L. Johnson, Caskey, Guest, Hixon, McDaniel and Robbins) — Amends Section 23-23-60, regarding law enforcement officer certification, to require state and federal criminal background checks for applicants and allows retention of fingerprints by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI for specific purposes.

H. 3801 (Reps. Wooten, Pope, Jordan, B. Newton, Brittain, B.L. Cox, Holman, W. Newton, Brewer, J.L. Johnson, Caskey, Guest, Hixon, McDaniel and Robbins) — Amends Section 11-35-710 of the State Procurement Code to include planning for repairs to bridges, highways, roads, and improvements on state rights of way as exemptions. Exemptions do not apply to welcome centers operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism.

H.3803 (Rep. Hart) — This bill is introduced annually to repeal provisions of Act No. 388 of 2006. Previous versions of this bill did not advance through the legislative process.

H. 3804 (Reps. Hart, King and Henderson-Myers) —Amends Section 44-53-370 to decriminalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana or 10 grams of hashish and to allow law enforcement to issue a civil citation for such possession.

H. 3806 (Reps. Hart and Henderson-Myers) — Amends Section 56-5-3895 to make it unlawful to operate motor vehicles while using handheld wireless devices, including cell phones and pagers, unless equipped with hands-free mechanisms, and to establish penalties.

H. 3807 (Reps. Hart and Henderson-Myers) — Adds Section 58-27-25 requiring electrical utilities in this state to bury all new electrical power transmission lines within municipalities starting Jan, 2, 2026, and to bury existing lines by Jan, 1, 2031, according to a graduated schedule. Further, the bill amends Section 58-27-20 to include Section 58-27-25.

H. 3809 (Reps. Hart, King and Henderson-Myers) — Adds Section 41-1-125 to establish a base state minimum wage of $17 per hour, effective Jan. 1, 2027. This section requires the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation to notify employers of this minimum wage before Nov. 1, 2026. Further, it will be unlawful for employers to fail to pay the state minimum wage or to retaliate against employees for actions related to the enforcement of this law. The section also provides remedies for violations, sets a five-year statute of limitations, and allows actions brought under this act to be pursued as class actions under state law.

H. 3810 (Reps. Kilmartin and Beach) — Amends Section 61-6-1810 to update fees for establishments authorized to sell alcoholic liquors by the drink on Sundays and amends Section 61-6-2010 to change charge a fee and remove the requirement for the Department of Revenue to offer annual 52-week temporary permits.

H. 3811 (Reps. Pace, Magnuson, Frank, Kilmartin, Edgerton, Beach, Morgan, Terribile, Harris, Huff, Oremus, Gilreath and Long) — Adds Section 12-6-3830 to provide an income tax credit for eligible taxpayers with a child attending a qualifying private school, parochial school, or home school.

H. 3812 (Reps. Bernstein, Herbkersman, W. Newton and Guest) — Enacts the "South Carolina Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience Act" by adding Chapter 39 to Title 6 to provide definitions, establish the program, outline application and administration, and set processes for liens and financing.

H. 3814 (Rep. Hixon) — Allows the Surface Water Study Committee to investigate the current condition of groundwater in this state and to extend the deadline for the committee's report.

H. 3830 (Rep. Lawson) — Amends Section 20-4-20, which defines terms in the "Protection from Domestic Abuse Act," to revise the definition of "household member" and introduces a definition for "dating relationship."

H.3841 (Reps. Hewitt, B. Newton, Yow, Hardee, Bailey, M.M. Smith, Teeple, Kirby, Bustos, Landing, Brewer, Hartnett, Lawson, Davis and Murphy) — Amends Section 12-43-220 regarding assessment ratios to state that under specific circumstances, properties that qualify for the 4% assessment ratio will maintain this rate even after the owner's death. Additionally, the bill adds Section 12-37-460 to provide that any property tax exemptions the owner was receiving will continue to be applicable after the owner's death for a certain period of time.

H.3843 (Rep. Bannister) — This bill enacts the "Budget Proviso Codification Act of 2025" to provide for the codification of certain provisos contained in the annual General Appropriations Act.

H.3844 (Reps. Mitchell and Yow) — Amends Section 38-53-70 to require the clerk of court to issue a bench warrant if a defendant violates the conditions of release on bond.

H.3845 (Rep. Gatch) — Amends Section 57-5-880, which relates to transportation improvement projects, to require that any entity undertaking a federal highway project shall be responsible for the costs associated with relocating broadband service lines. This bill shall also establish the requirements for broadband service providers to be eligible for relocation payments. Additionally, this bill would repeal Section 2 of Act 36 of 2019, which contains a sunset provision.

H.3846 (Reps. Erickson, Hartnett, M.M. Smith and Wetmore) — Adds Section 50-23-37 to require owners of boats and non-motorized floating structures anchored in this state for more than 30 days to maintain liability insurance on their boats and structures, and to establish penalties for violations.

H.3847 (Rep. Brewer) — Adds Section 27-1-80 to require that any regulation concerning the use, disposition, sale, or any prohibition, restriction, fee imposition, or taxation of a co-owned home must be established by the General Assembly. This does not otherwise limit a county’s ability regulate a co-owned home.

H.3849 (Reps. M.M. Smith, Hager, Oremus, Kirby, Teeple, Bailey, Gilliam, Herbkersman, Davis, Hartnett, Holman, Cobb-Hunter, Hewitt, Yow, Taylor, Wooten, Chapman, Lawson, Guffey, Pedalina, Erickson, Calhoon, Reese, Willis, Vaughn, Landing, Bustos, B.L. Cox, Forrest, Gagnon, Haddon, Hiott, J.L. Johnson, and Neese) — Amends and adds various statutory provisions for tort reform regarding the amount of fault to be assigned to either the person bringing a claim for damages if their actions partially caused the damage, or to the defendant or defendants. It also makes changes to liquor liability laws by requiring alcohol server training. It requires a business with a liquor license to carry liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence. Finally, among other things, it redefines occurrence for medical malpractice claims to mean an unfolding sequence of events flowing from a single act of negligence including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same harmful conditions. Multiple events occurring without a break in the chain of events shall be considered one occurrence.

H.3850 (Reps. Beach, Frank and Edgerton) — Enacts the "Responsible Library Funding and Child Protection Act" by adding Section 60-9-15, which requires county libraries to certify to the State Library that they do not offer any books or materials that appeal to the prurient interests of children under age 17 in their children's, youth, or teen book sections. These materials will only be available with parental consent.

H.3851 (Rep. Wooten) — Amends Section 56-5-5015, concerning tinted windows, to state that the provisions in this section do not apply to any law enforcement vehicles.

3853 (Rep. Murphy) — Amends Section 12-10-88, which pertains to the redevelopment fees submitted by the DOR to the redevelopment authority for closed of realigned military bases, to eliminate the redevelopment fee cap, and extends the timeframe for a closed or realigned military installation.

H.3854 (Reps. Huff, Gilreath, McCabe and Cromer) — Enacts the "Earmark Responsibility, Accountability, Integrity, and Transparency Act" by adding Section 11-1-130, which requires organizations receiving state funds to provide quarterly itemized spending updates and detailed accountings of how these funds were used. This includes submitting copies of all receipts for the purchase of goods and the procurement of services.

H.3855 (Reps. Huff, Cromer, Gilreath and Oremus) — Amends Section 12-36-2120, which relates to sales tax exemptions, to exempt small arms and small arms ammunition.

H.3856 (Rep. Erickson) — This bill amends Section 56-1-80 to address applications for licenses or permits by removing the term "blood type" and replacing it with the term "information." This bill also amends Section 56-1-3350, which pertains to the issuance of special identification cards and veteran designations on driver's licenses. Finally, the bill revises the number of motor vehicle sales that must be made before dealer plates are issued.

H.3857 (Reps. W. Newton, Erickson, Bradley, Bernstein, Rutherford, Wetmore, Kirby, Teeple, Hewitt, Guest, M.M. Smith, McGinnis, Bauer, Williams, Davis, Rose, Sessions, Bannister, J. Moore, B. Newton, Bailey, Brittain, Stavrinakis, Mitchell, Luck, Wooten, B.J. Cox, Hager, Pedalino, Caskey, B.L. Cox, Govan, Neese, Taylor, Guffey, Hartnett, Collins, Willis, Landing, Wickensimer, Ballentine, Bamberg, Gatch, Hart, Herbkersman, Lowe, Robbins and Weeks) — Amends Section 61-2-170, which relates to the drive-through or curbside service of alcoholic beverages, to introduce specific exceptions. Furthermore, by adding Section 61-4-45, the bill allows the DOR to issue certain licenses or permits enabling a retailer to offer curbside delivery or pickup of alcoholic beverages. Additionally, this bill adds a new Section 61-4-280 permitting retail dealers to hire a delivery service for the delivery of specific beer and wine, along with stipulating certain requirements. Further, this bill adds Section 61-6-1570, which allows the DOR to issue certain licenses or permits for retailers to provide curbside delivery or pickup services. This bill specifically prohibits the delivery of open containers with chilled beer or wine.

H.3858 (Reps. Brewer, Pedalino, Lowe, Mitchell, M.M. Smith, B.J. Cox, Chapman, Davis, Caskey, Sessions, Erickson, Guffey, B.L. Cox, Hewitt, Teeple, Hartnett, Pope, Rutherford, Brittain, Wooten, Guest, Hager, J.L. Johnson, B. Newton, Bailey, Bustos, Gagnon, Gilliam, Herbkersman, Holman, Jordan, Lawson, Martin, Murphy and Robbins) — Amends Article 1 of Chapter 23, Title 50, Section 50-23-345, and Section 50-23-375, all pertaining to the titling of watercraft and outboard motors, to remove the requirement that outboard motors be titled. Additionally, this bill amends Section 12-37-3210, concerning tax notices for boats, boat motors, and watercraft, to allow the auditor to consolidate the tax notice. Further, this bill amends Section 12-37-220, relating to property tax exemptions, to provide a property tax exemption for 50% of the fair market value of the watercraft.

H. 3859 (Reps. Cromer, Gilreath, Magnuson, Harris, Oremus, Kilmartin, Burns, Bailey, Hager, Rose, Huff, McGinnis, Hardee, Forrest, Gagnon, Haddon, Long, Murphy, Pace and Robbins) — Adds Article 29 to Chapter 1, Title 1 to prohibit state-funded agencies, departments, universities, or public institutions from allocating funding, resources, or any form of support to the World Health Organization.

H. 3860 (Reps. Cromer, Gilreath, Magnuson, Harris, Oremus, Kilmartin, Burns, Bailey, Hager, Rose, Huff, McGinnis, Hardee, Forrest, Gagnon, Haddon, Long, Murphy, Pace and Robbins) — Amends Section 44-130-60 to require first responder stations always to maintain a supply of opioid antidote medication.

H. 3861 (Reps. Hewitt, Bailey, Brewer, Murphy and Bannister) — Amends Section 6-1-195 to prohibit the governing bodies of municipalities, counties, or other political subdivisions within the state from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, or regulation that restricts the rental of a residential dwelling to short-term guests. If a local government entity violates these provisions, they cannot assess or collect taxes on 6% property and their portion of the Local Government Fund will be withheld until they comply.

H. 3868 (Reps. J. Moore, Grant, Garvin and Spann-Wilder) — This bill adds Article 2 to Chapter 31, Title 23, requiring national instant criminal background checks before any sale, exchange, or transfer of firearms in this state. It also establishes procedures for conducting these background checks. Furthermore, the bill mandates national instant criminal background checks at gun shows and outlines the procedures for these checks. It includes provisions to exempt records from disclosure as public records under the Freedom of Information Act and establishes penalties for violations of this article.

H. 3870 (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 related purposes; this measure also involves repealing Sections 7-19-70, 7-19-80, 7-19-90, 7-19-100, and 7-19-120, all of which pertain to presidential electors.

H. 3874 (Rep. J.E. Johnson) — Amends Section 42-15-90, which relates to attorney and physician fees and hospital charges approved by the Workers’ Compensation Commission, to allow the Commission to establish medical fee schedules and related systems.

H. 3876 Reps. Hewitt, Bailey, Kirby, Oremus, Hardee, McGinnis, Hayes, Cobb-Hunter, Ligon and Rutherford) — This bill adds Section 12-36-72 to create a method for the collection and remittance of state and local accommodations taxes from intermediaries and providers including Airbnb and VRBO. The bill also requires among other things that the DOR publish applicable tax rates and fees on accommodations by the state and local governments annually.