THE BIG STORY: Lots of bills still await action

By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent  | Before a bill becomes a law, it must be passed by both legislative bodies.  Then the bill goes through ratification, which includes a signature from the governor.

You probably remember this from Schoolhouse Rock.

More than 1,000 bills have been filed so far in the first year of the 2019-2020 legislative session, and scores have received a majority vote by either the Senate or the House — but not both as required to head to the governor for a signature into law. These bills are in an odd hiatus as the 2019 session winds down.  They could make it to a floor vote any time before the mid-session break next month or they might be put off until next year.

• Want to know what’s passed so far this session? See the 31 ratified bills here.

The floor calendar isn’t crowded in the S.C. House, which currently has only one Senate-passed bill awaiting passage on its floor: S. 735, which seeks to abolish the Clarendon County Board of Education and have the legislative delegation there appoint trustees of education in the county.

But both chambers have many bills under consideration that have passed only one chamber.  We’ve arranged the bills  in several topical categories, such as education, health care, child protection, environment, energy and more.

EDUCATION

Reinforcing College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage Act (S. 35): This bill would require makes it a requisite for graduation, to provide that each public higher education schools must provide instruction concerning the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the Declaration of Independence to each student for at least one year. The Senate passed the bill Feb. 14 and it is now in the House Education and Public Works Committee.

Expanding private school vouchers (H. 3136): This bill would expand the Exceptional S.C. tax credit program for children with special needs to attend private school. It would bring the maximum amount from $12 million to $20 million in reimbursements. It passed the House Feb. 1. It is now in the Senate Finance Committee.

Massive education reform package (H. 3759): Fewer tests, better teacher pay, school consolidation and more are all part of this comprehensive reform package. It passed the House March 7. It is now in the Senate Education Committee.

HEALTH CARE

Ban on local tobacco bans (H. 3274): The bill says political subdivisions may not enact any laws, ordinances or rules pertaining to ingredients, flavors or licensing of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, tobacco products or alternative nicotine products. Local government laws, ordinances or rules enacted prior to Jan. 1, 2019, are exempt from the preemption imposed by this legislation. The billI passed the House Feb. 27, and received a favorable report from Senate Medical Affairs Committee March 21.

Tax credits for clinical rotations (S. 314): This bill allows an income tax credit for clinical rotations served by a physician, advanced practice nurse or physician assistant as a preceptor for public teaching institutions and independent institutions of higher learning. The Senate passed it Feb. 13. It is now in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Expanding physician assistant practice (S. 132): The bill, among many things, revises the Act to include several provisions that include expanding the responsibilities and duties of physician assistants. It passed the Senate March 21. It is now in the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee.

Ban on under-age use of tanning beds (H. 3807): The bill would require customers using tanning beds be over the age of 18. The House passed the bill April 4. It is now in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee.

Interstate medical licensing (H. 3101):  The measure would allow qualified physicians to practice medicine in all member states of a 25-state compact by applying for an expedited license through the licensure board of the physician’s principal state. It passed the House Feb. 28. It is now in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee.

ENVIRONMENT

Allowance for local taxes to be used for flooding mitigation (S. 217): This bill revises provisions relating to the expenditure of the state accommodations tax, local hospitality tax and local accommodations tax.  It also would allow the revenue to be expended for the control and repair of flooding and drainage at tourism-related lands or areas and for site preparation, including demolition, repair, or construction. The Senate passed the bill Jan. 23. It is now in the House Ways and Means Committee

South Carolina Resilience Revolving Fund (S. 259):  The proposed legislation would create a fund to provide low interest loans to perform flooded-home buyouts and floodplain restoration. The Senate passed it March 20. It is now in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Water resource statewide plan (H. 4011): The bill adds a “State Water Plan” as an example of a comprehensive water resource policy in which a state agency provides assistance to the governor and General Assembly in formulating. It passed the House April 5. It is now in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

WORKFORCE

Panthers incentive package (H. 4243): The legislation revises job tax credit provisions to allow a professional sports team to be eligible for the tax credits for jobs created. It passed the House March 27. It is now in the Senate Finance Committee.

Workforce scholarship for industry needs (H. 3576): The scholarship created by this bill would cover the full cost of a technical college education that equips a student for a career in sector experiencing a high demand for qualified employees. It passed the House Feb. 1, and received a favorable report Senate Education Committee March 14.

Professional licenses for military spouses (S. 455): This bill establishes a protocol that expedites the issuance of professional and occupational licenses to spouses of military personnel transferred to South Carolina when the spouse holds a professional or occupational license issued by another state. The Senate passed it  March 7. It is now in the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.

Lactation support (H. 3200): This bill would require employers to make reasonable efforts to provide workers with reasonable unpaid break time and space to express milk at work. It passed the House March 7. It is now in the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.

CHILD PROTECTION

Ban on underage marriage (S. 196): This bill would repeal existing state law that permits an unmarried female and male under the age of 18 to get a marriage license when the female is pregnant or has borne a child. The Senate passed it Jan. 30. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Allowing “free-range” child rearing (S. 79): This bill would not consider children participating in independent activities as subjected to child abuse or neglect. Activities include walking or bicycling to and from school or recreational centers, outdoor play, being alone at home so long as a parent or guardian will return to that home the same day and the child has been provided emergency contact information, as well as similar, but unspecified, independent activities. The bill passed the Senate March 6. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Expanding foster care options for children (S. 191): Kinship foster care would be extended to people not related to children by blood or marriage but have a relationship with a child. It passed the Senate March 5. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Banning female genital mutilation (H. 3973): The bill would make it a felony to mutilate the genitalia of females who are under the age of 18 or older females who are unable to consent to the procedure. The bill passed the House March 6. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was assigned to subcommittee March 15.

Child brides (H. 3369): This bill would eliminate a S.C. law that allows the issuance of marriage licenses to those who are under 18 years of age when the female is pregnant or has borne a child. It passed the House Feb. 1, and it is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Expanding age of children that can be abandoned at safe haven (H. 3294): This bill would allow for infants up to one year old to be abandoned at designated safe locations without criminal penalty. Under current law, babies must be younger than 60 days old. The House passed the bill March 6. It is now in the Senate Family and Veterans’ Services Committee.

ENERGY AND UTILITIES

Solar promotion and industry protections (H. 3659): This major bill would lift a cap on solar energy generation reimbursement for rooftop solar customers.  It also would , and mandate contract lengths between utilities and independent solar generators. It passed the House Feb. 22, and received a favorable report from Senate Judiciary Committee April 10.

Evaluating sale of Santee Cooper (H. 4287): This bill would direct a legislative committee to evaluate bids for the sale of state-owned utility Santee cooper. It passed the House April 4. It is now in the Senate Finance Committee.

Solar energy tax credits (S. 362): This bill seeks to provide for an income tax credit to an individual or business that constructs, purchases or leases certain solar energy property and that places it in service in this state. The Senate passed it March 5. It is now in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Cooperatives oversight and transparency (H. 3145): This bill seeks to regulate and provide oversight to electric cooperatives in the state. It passed the House March 26. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was assigned to subcommittee April 5.

Ratepayer protection (H. 4260):  This bill would provide protections for whistleblowers, provides regulation of who can serve as a utility regulator and more. It passed the House April 2. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Public Service Authority reform (H. 4261): This bill would end current board membership for those overseeing Santee Cooper and establish appointments for new board members. It passed the House April 4. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Fentanyl trafficking (H. 3730): This bill would create the criminal offense of “trafficking in fentanyl” for quantities of 4 grams or more. First time offenders could receive up to 10 years in jail. It passed the House April 10. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Criminalizing terrorism aid (H. 3046): The legislation would establish the felony offense of furthering terrorism that applies to someone who makes significant plans or takes actions toward the commission of an act of violence with the intent to commit an act of terrorism. A violator is subject to imprisonment for up to 30 years. It passed the House March 26. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was assigned to subcommittee April 11.

TECHNOLOGY

Rural broadband access (H. 3780): The legislation would establish the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology Fund as a special revenue fund in the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority that is to be used for awarding state grants, in conjunction with federal funds, that are to be used to pay for the infrastructure costs associated with deploying high speed, high capacity, broadband Internet access to homes, businesses, and community anchor points in an unserved area of an economically-distressed county. It passed the House April 4, and it is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Wireless access (H. 4262): This bill would prevent local governments from imposing regulations on small wireless facilities, and would establish standards for such facilities. It passed the House April 4. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it was assigned to subcommittee April 10.

OTHER MEASURES

Local government fund revisions (H. 3137): The legislation would discontinue the former approach for funding political subdivisions that is tied to the previous year’s revenues and would tie local government funding to state revenue forecasts. The funding requirement for the Local Government Fund, set at 4.5 percent of the previous year’s state general fund revenues, would beis replaced with new funding requirements structured to deliver a revenue stream to counties and municipalities that is adjusted according to whether the state is projected to experience revenue growth. It passed the House Feb. 1, and received a favorable report from Senate Finance Committee April 9.

Ethics: Subpoena power for chamber ethics committees (H. 3446): This bill would provide  authorization for House and Senate ethics committees to issue subpoenas to financial institutions and state and local government to further their investigations of campaign accounts. It passed the House Feb. 1. It is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Animal cruelty: Tethering, animal cruelty education, more (S. 105): This bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation seeking to enact six big changes in the state in animal cruelty: requiring judges to get training in animal cruelty, setting penalties for tethering dogs, placing young animals with shelters, sterilization of stray cats, animal rescuers can seek reimbursement from the former owner, and establishment of a special fund to sterilize animals. It passed the Senate March 28. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Death penalty: Electrocution could be standard without lethal injection (S. 176): Death-row inmates would be able to decide between lethal injection or electrocution should drugs for lethal injection be available, but the bill would also make electrocution the de facto execution method if those drugs are unavailable. It passed the Senate Jan. 31. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Protection for human trafficking victims (S. 194): This bill would increase the penalties for soliciting prostitution, establishing or keeping a house of prostitution, or inducing another to participate in prostitution, and permits, as an affirmative defense to these charges, that an accused is a victim of human trafficking. The Senate passed it Jan. 29. It is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

Sheriff qualifications (H. 3951): The bill would require any elected sheriff to receive law enforcement training through the Class I Certification, and disqualifies someone from holding the office who has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been pardoned for a felony or a crime of moral turpitude in this state or another state. TIn order to be eligible to serve as a sheriff, an individual must be a legal resident of the state for at least one year immediately preceding the date of the election for sheriff and a legal resident of the county in which he seeks the office of sheriff at the time he files for office. It passed the House April 3, and was recalled from the Senate Judiciary Committee April 11.

•         Have a comment?  Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com