Bills filed during 1/21/20 – 1/23/20

Individual rights

• H.4991 – Seizure of weapons without due process or notice, commonly known as a “red flag law”
• S.1039 – Permanent loss of gun rights for low-level crimes (crimes that carry a penalty of one year or more)

Criminal Justice

• H.4965 – Jails/prisons can not permanently prohibit or limit in-person visitation, may still temporarily suspend the visitation rights for good cause
• H.4974 – Increasing the number of circuit court and family court judges elected by the General Assembly (16 to 17) and (8 to 10)
• H.5010 – Writ of execution and final judgements putting a 10 year lien on a property may be renewed or revived for an additional 10 years
• S.1021 – Making littering (in excess of fifteen pounds) while trespassing a misdemeanor with graduating punishments for subsequent offenses 
• S.1042 – Removing an exemption from animal abuse laws for hunting dogs, and removing an exemption for “abandoning an animal” for hunting dogs that are identifiable 
• S.1043 – Requiring the DNR to make rules for humanely taking an alligator, making it illegal to inhumanely take an alligator even with a depredation permit 

Elections

• H.5019 – Local election boards must submit post-election reports detailing issues and complaints after each election to the governing board of the local election commission, county legislative delegation, and the State Election Commission 
• S.1020 – Adding two voting precincts in York County, polling places determined upon approval of York County Legislative Delegation
• S.1045 – Redesignating the identifying number of a map of Georgetown voting precincts kept on file by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office 

Government Structure

• H.4993 – Local governments may create local utilities to expand broadband service
• H.4996 – Allowing the SCRA to invest in the obligations of a private organization as long as they have an investment grade rating from two credit rating services; extending how long companies can remain in SCRA operated “innovation centers”‘; Adding two seats to the SCRA executive committee to be elected by the rest of the executive committee; 
• S.1029 – Allowing the SCRA to invest in the obligations of a private organization as long as they have an investment grade rating from two credit rating services; extending how long companies can remain in SCRA operated “innovation centers”‘; Adding two seats to the SCRA executive committee to be elected by the rest of the executive committee; 
• H.4966 – Ordering DHEC to collect data on midwife patient transfer to hospitals, regulate how they are transferred, and allow them in training 
• S.1022 – Ordering DHEC to develop a plan to cut organic waste of the state by 50% in five years
• S.1024 – Creating a task force with the goal of subjecting thirty percent of the state to conservation protection measures by 2030; the task force is composed of the heads of the DNR, PRT, and the SC Conservation Bank 
• S.1025 – Developing a plan on how to make all state government operations carbon free by 2050, based on State Energy Office recommendations
• S.1027 – Reducing the number of Commission for the Blind’s meetings from once a month to once a quarter 

Tax and Spending 

• H.4992 – Property tax exemption for renewable energy resource properties
• H.4994 – Doubling the property tax exemption under for homeowners if they are over the age of 65, permanently disabled, or blind (Homestead exemption)
• H.5016 – Allowing school board members to join the state retirement system/ state health and dental insurance plan
• S.1019 – An additional annual pay raise for teachers with a national board certification, amount to be determined in the appropriations act annually
• S.1026 – If a commercial vehicle is registered under the international registration plan and assigned a number by the USDOT but operated by someone other than the owner, they must register with the SCDOT and pay fees
• S.1034 – Redefining income tax brackets, reducing all brackets
• S.1035 – Allowing people in the US on certain visas to qualify for the special 4% assessment rate on a home they are domiciled in 

Education 

• H.4998 – Combining the Ed. Oversight Committee and the Commission on Higher Ed. into SC Commission for Comprehensive Education. It gives the legislature the majority of appointments on the new governing board, and creates the “P-20” education system  (preschool to age 20), major emphasis on workforce training and economic development
• H.4973 – Student athletes may earn money for their likeness, scholarships are not considered compensation and may not be revoked or rewarded for this purpose
• S.1037 – Pupil classification weighting for career and technology must apply in grades 6 through 8, which determines the amount of money allocated to the school based on comparative costs of areas of study
• S.1038 – Education funding contingent upon satisfying statutory student to teacher ratios, plus requiring that teachers may not teach more than 150 students in one semester

Regulation 

• H.4990 – When DLLR accepts a federal OSHA regulation, DLLR shall adopt a compliance or abatement plan for the entity that OSHA and DLLR are regulating 
• H.4995 – Mandating that health insurance (including the state plan and health group benefit) must cover hearing aids
• H.5011 – A deed, contract, lease, rental agreement, or the governing documents of a HOA that prohibit solar energy systems is void and unenforceable
• S.1032 – A deed, contract, lease, rental agreement, or the governing documents of a HOA that prohibit solar energy systems is void and unenforceable
• H.5012 – DHEC and local governments may not approve permits to allow oil or natural gas exploration or development in the territorial waters of SC or the atlantic ocean 
• H.5013 – Outlaws “surprise billing” by health care businesses, this occurs when an out of network company is approved to perform services without the knowledge of the patient (labs and testing mainly) and then sends the patient the bill, under the bill it must be sent to the insurer
• H.5015 – Allowing DNR to obtain schedule 3 and schedule 4 non-narcotic controlled substances for capture and immobilization of wildlife
• H.5017 – Tow companies may not charge storage for a towed vehicle until they have notified the owner that they have it
• H.5018 – Allows DNR to accept and send paperwork electronically for a watercraft or motor that has a lien on it 
• S.1023 – Ordering DNR and DHEC to research microplastic contamination
• S.1028 – Requiring an EPA-approved water quality test before owners of homes with a water well may sell their property 
• S.1036 – Clarifying that a statement in the American Law Institute’s “Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance” does not constitute the law if it conflicts with: the US constitution, state statute, state case law, or common law adopted by this state
• S.1041 – Giving storage unit owners statutory permission to charge late fees, regulating what the permissible fee is; adjusting regulations that govern the advertisement of a delinquent storage unit before it can be sold
• S.1044 – Allowing mobile optometrist offices to provide services in Title 1 public schools so long as it is part of a non-profit program
• S.1046 – Any nursing home or skilled and intermediate care nursing facility licensed by DHEC must keep liability insurance of at least one million dollars 

Resolution (highlights)

• H.4967 – A resolution for the prime minister of Japan 
• H.5009 – Resolution to name an interchange in Greenville after President Trump
• S.1047 – Resolution for Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc’s Rural Woman of the Year

Previous weeks

• January 14 – 16