Below are the bills that the SCRLA Government Affairs team will be tracking at the Statehouse for the 125th legislative session. This is a working list and will be updated as additional bills that pertain to our industry are introduced.

Tort Reform:

• S 87 – introduced by Sen. Malloy (D-Orangeburg) – raising recovery limits for joint and several cases
• S 353 – Introduced by Sen. Massey (R-Edgefield) – amending section of SC Code 15-38-15, relating to liability of defendants and apportionment of damages in lawsuits
• S 533 – Introduced by numerous Senate members – amending section of SC Code 15-38-15, relating to liability of defendants and apportionment of damages in lawsuits
  
• H 3053 – introduced by Reps. Mark Smith (R-Berkeley) and Magnuson (R-Spartanburg) – amending section of SC Code 15-38-15, relating to liability of defendants and apportionment of damages in lawsuits
• H 3933 – introduced by numerous House members – amending section of SC Code 15-38-15, relating to liability of defendants and apportionment of damages in lawsuits

Alcohol:

• S 260 – introduced by Sen. Rankin (R-Horry) – establishment, implementation and enforcement of a mandatory alcohol server training and education program
  
• S 277 – introduced by Sen. Malloy (D-Orangeburg) – sentencing reform pertaining to alcohol-involved crimes
• H 3144 – introduced by Reps. Rutherford (D-Richland) and Kilmartin (R-Lexington) – establishing Sunday retail liquor sales
• H 3145 – introduced by Rep. Rutherford (D-Richland) – lowering the drinking age to 18
• H 3146 – introduced by Reps. Rutherford (D-Richland) and Kilmartin (R-Lexington) – prohibiting the Governor from disallowing the sale of alcoholic beverages before 12am ET under emergency declarations
• H 3150 – introduced by Rep. Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) – giving SCDOR the authority to issue multiple permits to sell liquor, beer, and wine at multiple locations on multiple days at a festival on one application instead of multiple
• S 459 – introduced by Sen. Grooms (R-Berkeley) – providing for the sale and consumption of liquor by the drink throughout TSA screened portions of SC airports
• H 3147 – introduced by Rep. Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) – allowing a micro-distillery to operate a food establishment on premise of business
• S 425 – introduced by Senators Talley (R-Spartanburg), Turner (R-Greenville), Adams (R-Berkeley), Bennett (R-Dorchester), Climer (R-York), Hembree (R-Horry), Hutto (D-Orangeburg), M. Johnson (R-York), Kimbrell (R-Spartanburg), McElveen (D-Sumter), Scott (D-Richland), Senn (R-Charleston) and Shealy (R-Lexington) – allowing retailers to provide drive-through or curbside pick up of alcohol, allowing third-party alcohol delivery
• S 492 – introduced by Sen. Davis (R-Beaufort) – allowing local governing bodies to authorize Sunday liquor sales
• H 4364 – introduced by various House members – allowing retailers to provide drive-through or curbside pick up of alcohol, allowing third-party alcohol delivery
• H 5066 – introduced by various House members – proposed litigation measures for bars/restaurants required to carry a minimum of $1 million of liquor liability insurance.

Short-Term Rentals

• H 3253 – introduced by Reps. Hewitt (R-Georgetown), Oremus (R-Aiken) and Kilmartin (R-Lexington) – prohibiting a municipality from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that prohibits the rental of a residential dwelling to a short-term guest

Workforce:

• S 25 – introduced by Sen. Jackson (D-Richland) – prohibiting employers from considering prior convictions prior to conferring a job offer to an employee
  
• H 3726 – introduced by Reps. G. M. Smith (R-Sumter), West (R-Anderson), Ballentine (R-Richland), Davis (R-Berkeley), Hager (R-Hampton), Hewitt (R-Georgetown), Kirby (D-Florence), Long (R-Spartanburg), B. Newton (R-Lancaster), Ott (D-Calhoun), M. M. Smith (R-Berkeley), Stavrinakis (D-Charleston), Tedder (D-Charleston), Robbins (R-Dorchester), Brewer (R-Charleston), Murphy (R-Lancaster), Taylor (R-Aiken), and Leber (R-Charleston) – establishing the Office of Statewide Workforce Development
• H 3605 – introduced by Reps. G. M. Smith (R-Sumter), Sandifer (R-Oconee), Carter (R-Pickens), Kirby (D-Florence), Oremus (R-Aiken), Magnuson (R-Spartanburg), Pace (R-Berkeley), Long (R-Spartanburg), Elliott (R-Greenville), Burns (R-Greenville), May (R-Lexington) and Beach (R-Anderson) – prohibiting the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) from denying professional licenses based solely or in part to a prior criminal conviction
• S 165 – introduced by Sens. Climer (R-York) and Allen (D-Greenville) – prohibiting the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) from denying professional licenses based solely or in part to a prior criminal conviction

Tax Credits:

• H 3126 – introduced by Rep. J. Moore (D-Berkeley) – creates an exemption from sales tax for paper goods and certain prepared foods
• H 3613 – introduced by Rep. Beach (R-Anderson) – allowing any business who employs less than 50 individuals is not required to withhold income tax
• S 557 – introduced by various Senators – increasing the amount of the apprentice income tax credit

H-Tax and A-Tax:

• S 284 – introduced by Sen. Davis (R-Beaufort) – using A-tax funds for affordable workforce housing
• H 3149 – introduced by Rep. Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) – prohibiting fines being levied when H-tax payments are made within acceptable time limits
• H 3869 – introduced by Rep. Bustos (R-Charleston) – using A-tax funds for affordable workforce housing
• H 4213 – introduced by Rep. Dillard (D-Greenville) – using A-tax funds for affordable workforce housing

Minimum Wage:

• S 28 – introduced by Sens. Jackson (D-Richland) and K. Johnson (D-Clarendon) – statewide ballot initiative for raising the minimum wage
• S 216 – introduced by Sen. McCleod (D-Richland) – raising the minimum wage by $2.00 above the federal minimum wage for all hours worked in SC
• S 291 – introduced by Sen. Scott (D-Richland) – raising the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour for all hourly workers
• H 3450 – introduced by Reps. Long (R-Spartanburg), Chumlee (R-Greenville), and Pace (R-Berkeley) – excluding overtime and certain bonuses from gross income for income tax purposes
• H 3805 – introduced by Rep. Hart (D-Richland) – raising the minimum wage to $17.00 an hour for all hourly workers

Hate Crimes:

• S 3 – introduced by Sen. Jackson (D-Richland) – penalty enhancements for hate crimes
• S 296 – introduced by Sen. Allen (D-Greenville) – penalty enhancements for hate crimes
• H 3005 – introduced by Rep. Carter (R-Pickens) – penalty enhancements for hate crimes
• H 3014 – introduced by Reps. Gilliard (D-Charleston) and Henegan (D-Marlboro) – penalty enhancements for hate crimes
• H 3020 – introduced by Reps. King (D-York) and Henegan (D-Marlboro) – penalty enhancements for hate crimes
• S 615 – introduced by various Senators – penalty enhancements for hate crimes

Public School Start Date

• S 65 – introduced by Sen. Malloy (D-Orangeburg) – giving individual school districts the authority to set their own public school start date
• H 3317 – introduced by Rep. King (D-York) – eliminates the provision requiring the opening date for public schools to be the third Monday in august and giving individual school districts the authority to set their own public school start date

Other:

• S 53 – introduced by Sen. Malloy (D-Orangeburg) – establishing study committee for legalizing sports betting in SC
• S 68 – introduced by Sen. Malloy (D-Orangeburg) – statewide ballot initiative to legalize sports betting in SC
• H 3095 – introduced by Rep. Rutherford (D-Richland) – statewide ballot initiative to legalize sports betting in SC
• H 3749 – introduced by Reps. Murphy (R-Dorchester), Rutherford (D-Richland), Bannister (R-Greenville), Ott (D-Calhoun), Herbkersman (R-Beaufort), B Newton (R-Lancaster), M. M. Smith (R-Berkeley), Brewer (R-Charleston), Gatch (R-Dorchester), Bernstein (D-Richland), W. Newton (R-Beaufort) and Tedder (D-Charleston) – legalizing sports betting
• S 142 – (introduced by Sens. Shealy (R-Lexington), Gustafson (R-Kershaw), and Goldfinch (R-Georgetown) – human trafficking sentencing reform
• S 152 – introduced by Sen. Young (R-Aiken) – stabilizing future commodity prices
• S 218 – introduced by Sen. McLeod (D-Richland) – prohibiting utility companies from proposing commodity price increases during a declared state of emergency
• S 225 – introduced by Sen. McLeod (D-Richland) – providing taxpayers making $50,000-$100,000 annually with a $100.00 rebate in months where the average retail price of gasoline exceeds $4.00 per gallon
• H 3824 – introduced by Reps. B. Newton (R-Lancaster), W. Newton (R-Berkeley), Haddon (R-Greenville), Ballentine (R-Richland), Wetmore (D-Charleston), Tedder (D-Charleston) and Carter (R-Pickens) – tax credits for alternative fuel usage, including electrical equipment
• H 3694 – introduced by Reps. Burns (R-Greenville) and Chumley (R-Spartanburg) – Mandating all retail establishments must accept cash as a method of payment
• H 3930 – introduced by numerous House members – placing the Beach Restoration and Improvement Trust Fund under the authority of SC PRT and provide annual appropriation for said fund. 
• H 4013 – introduced by Rep. Pendarvis (D-Charleston) – relating to the creation of transit-oriented redevelopment agencies to connect areas to existing transportation facilities/routes

 To see the list of bills that the SCRLA Government Affairs team was tracking during the 124th legislative session and the bill outcomes, please click here.