Copper Dome Chronicle: 2024 Session Week 12
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity.
This week’s edition, covering March 26-28, 2024, is 1,455 words or a 6 minute read. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
***SC Election Commission Candidate Filing Tracker***
Week 12 Preview
The House has 28 bills and one concurrent resolution on its calendar eligible for debate to begin the week, including four bills on the contested calendar.; below are a few bills that could generate some debate.
H.4158 (housing rental agreements)
H.5066 (liquor liability insurance)
H.4649 (proprietary security services in schools)
H.4289 (higher education DEI bill)
H.5118 (comprehensive energy bill)
H.5120 (resolution urging federal permitting reform)
H.4187 (retail theft)
Practically-speaking, this is the last week for House bills that have not passed their House committee to be reported out to the House calendar. The House will take its second furlough week April 1-5 and April 10 is Crossover Day. House bills that have not passed the House by April 10 require a 2/3 vote to be considered in the Senate. Expect the motion to waive House Rule 5.15 (printing rule) to be made several times this week and the week of April 8. Senate bills received by the House by April 10 will begin to receive more attention by committees as they have met the crossover deadline.
The Senate has 43 bills, two joint resolutions, two concurrent resolutions, and one Senate resolution on its calendar to begin the week. There is one bill in the status of Interrupted Debate: S.95 (comptroller general constitutional amendment).
There are 16 bills and joint resolutions without a printed objection:
H.4116 (funeral services and practices)
S.995 (crime of sexual exploitation using a morphed image of a minor)
S.1031 (Uniform Money Services Act)
S.1074 (certified medical assistants)
S.728 (firefighter cancer health care benefit plan residency requirement)
S.208 (county motor vehicle fees imposed on new residents)
S.1117 (wilderness therapeutic camps regulations)
H.4957 (name, image, likeness)
S.1132 (barbering and cosmetology practices)
H.3992 (delinquent unemployment compensation tax rates)
S.955 (blue crab fishery)
S.1051 (waterfowl hunting on Lake Blalock)
S.1095 (telecommunications devices in correctional facilities)
S.1099 (Laurens County precinct bill)
S.1161 (Greenville County road naming resolution)
S.1162 (Greenville County road naming resolution)
Week 11 Review
House floor sessions consumed 11 hours, 10 minutes and passed 16 bills.
Senate floor sessions consumed 5 hours, 46 minutes and passed 27 bills.
Both chambers spent considerable time cleaning up their calendars and debating legislation that had, in some cases, had languished for months. Two important pieces of legislation were passed without much fanfare:
H.4720 was enrolled for ratification and Gov. McMaster will sign it, thereby averting any possibility of a state government shutdown if budget negotiations reach an impasse. S.1192 is a “clean” sine die resolution and was adopted by both chambers. In 2023 the General Assembly could not agree upon a sine die resolution, which was the first time one had not been adopted since 2003.
Committee Schedule Week 12
Some committee meetings that will generate some debate and news. If a live stream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means no live stream is available.
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (3 budget hearings)
Criminal Justice; March 27 at 9am; Agenda
K-12 Education; March 27 at 9am; Agenda
Natural Resources and Economic Development; March 28 at 9:30am; Agenda
Senate Finance Sales and Income Tax Subcommittee; March 26 at 9:30am; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4087 (tax credits omnibus bill). Some observers believe H.4087 will have several amendments considered as advocates look to create what was called in the old days (the 2000s and early 2010s) a BAT bill: big a** tax bill (this is a family publication).
Senate Finance Property Tax Subcommittee; March 26 at 3pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.1114 (delete titling of outboard motors).
Senate Judiciary Committee; March 26 at 3pm; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are 18 bills on the agenda, including S.533 (abolish joint and several liability); S.844 (civil justice study committee); S.1048 (alcohol liability).
Senate Family & Veterans’ Services Committee; March 27 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4928 (Veterans’ Trust Fund) and S.1112 (background checks for group home volunteers and child placing agencies).
Senate LCI Committee; March 27 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: S.1187 (Commercial Financing Disclosure Act); S.1171 (energy conservation code); H.4029 (housing authorities and magistrates); H.4552 (affordable housing on redeveloped military installations).
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee; March 27 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.1150 (cultivated food labeling).
Senate Education Subcommittee; March 27 at 10am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.150 (allow private and charter school student participation); S.161 (allow private school student participation); S.1173 (high school athletics associations).
Senate Education Subcommittee; March 27 at 10am; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.1188 (written notification of student expulsion hearing).
Senate Banking & Insurance Committee; March 27 at 11am; Agenda
Summary: The committee will receive a presentation from Mr. Michael Wise; Director, Department of Insurance. This is in response to several Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meetings regarding tort reform, alcohol liability insurance, the availability of property insurance, and the current state of the insurance marketplace. Expect some fireworks from this hearing.
House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee; March 26 at 11am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: H.3016 (crime of looting); H.3227 (delete playing pinball as a status offense); H.3374 (automatic license plate readers); H.4972 (obscene visuals of child sex abuse); H.4973 (sexual exploitation of a minor via morphed images).
House Judiciary Family, Business, and Probate Laws Subcommittee; March 26 at 11am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4304 (loss of parental and filial consortium claims). Personal injury lawsuits are filed so that the injured person can receive money as compensation for medical treatment, lost wages/compensation from not being able to work, and other expenses related to the injury. The purpose is for the injured person, or in the case of a wrongful death the decedent’s family, to be made “whole” in a tangible way. Loss of consortium claims are for the intangible things that are lost or can’t be replaced: companionship, care, and even love for one who can no longer express the emotions or has died. In 2007 the State Supreme Court considered a case involving loss of consortium by parents with their child; the court ruled in a split decision that such a claim is not valid under South Carolina law.
House Education & Public Works Committee; March 26 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: H.5245 (military child enrollment preference); H.4702 (Computer Science Education Initiative); H.4703 (STEM Coalition); H.5144 (school mapping); H.4673 (beginners’ permits).
House W&M General Government Legislative Subcommittee; March 26 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: H.5207 (uniform commercial code); H.5225 (preceptor tax deduction); H.5230 (Permit Attorney General participation in retirement System for judges and solicitors); H.5235 (Medicaid conformity); H.5236 (Medicaid procurement using NASPO).
House W&M Property Tax Subcommittee; March 26 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5310 (airline aircraft exemption).
House LCI Public Utilities Subcommittee; March 26 1 hour upon adjournment; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.5154 (gas utility civil penalty).
House 3-M Committee; March 26 1.5 hours upon adjournment; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: H.4622 (itemized medical billing); H.4681 (First Responders Advisory Committee); H.4867 (911 telecommunicators CRP training); H.4934 (paid military leave); H.4953 (delete state veterans' cemeteries residency requirement); H.5183 (certified medical assistants).
House LCI Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee; March 26 1.5 hours upon adjournment; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4549 (Amateur Radio Antenna Protection Act) and H.3180 (HOA lien prohibitions).
House Judiciary Committee; March 26 at 2:30pm or 30 minutes upon adjournment whichever is later; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are nine bills on the agenda: H.5016 (state auditor); H.3980 (insurance fraud reporting); H.3016 (crime of looting); H.3227 (delete playing pinball as a status offense); H.3374 (automatic license plate readers); H.4972 (obscene visuals of child sex abuse); H.4973 (sexual exploitation of a minor via morphed images); H.4618 (paternity court orders); H.4304 (loss of parental and filial consortium claims).
House Ways & Means Committee; March 27 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: H.5207 (uniform commercial code); H.5225 (preceptor tax deduction); H.5230 (Permit Attorney General participation in retirement System for judges and solicitors); H.5235 (Medicaid conformity); H.5236 (Medicaid procurement using NASPO); H.5310 (airline aircraft exemption).
House LCI Committee; March 27 at 9am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The current agenda lists no bills but given two subcommittee meetings on March 26, it is likely the agenda will be amended and those bills considered.
House Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Cyber Crime; March 28 at 8:45am; Agenda; Live Stream
Summary: The committee will receive a presentation from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Key Dates
January 9: Session Convenes
January 16: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 24: State of the State
February 7: Judicial elections (subject to change)
February 15: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) February revenue estimate
February 20-22: House Ways & Means Committee budget deliberations
March 6: Election of the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court
March 11-14: House floor budget deliberations
March 16: Candidate filing opens for all House and Senate seats at 12pm
April 1: Candidate filing closes for all House and Senate seats at 12pm
April 1-5: House furlough week
April 9-11: Senate Finance Committee budget deliberations
April 10: Crossover Day
April 17: Judicial Elections
April 23-25: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 9: Session Adjourns
June 11: Nominating Primary Elections
June 25: Nominating Primary Runoff Elections
July 1: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 begins
October 6: Last day to register to vote
October 21: Early voting opens
November 2: Early voting closes
November 5: General Election Day
