Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 Session Week 10
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 18-20, 2025, is 1,134 words or a 4.5 minute read. The 126th South Carolina General Assembly convened on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 and will adjourn on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
NEW RESOURCE ***2025 Sine Die Resolution***
FY 2025-2026 Agency Budget Requests
Week 10 Preview
The General Assembly has passed the halfway point of the 2025 regular session. So far the big issues have been school choice, energy, healthcare agency restructuring, regulatory relief, social media, and tort reform legislation. Issues waiting in the wings include income tax, abortion, DEI, occupational licensing, and a host of crime legislation. With no crossover deadlines this year, any legislation is fair game if it can receive three readings in the House and Senate before May 8.
The House will not hold floor sessions per its post-budget week custom, but some subcommittees and full committees have scheduled meetings this week.
The Senate will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (1pm), and Thursday (11am). The current calendar has 33 bills (21 are contested) and 15 joint resolutions eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. S.244 (tort reform plus dram shop) is in the status of Special Order and Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told the media that Tuesday is “D-Day” for the legislation. Some other uncontested bills that will generate debate include:
S.171 (waste tires)
S.287 (electronic nicotine delivery systems)
S.126 (law enforcement & judicial personal privacy protection)
S.233 (Sexually Violent Predator Act)
S.235 (prostitution)
S.336 (establish judicial election date)
H.3529 (family court judges)
S.190 (redevelopment projects)
Week 9 Review
House floor sessions consumed 19 hours, 46 minutes, not including two recesses on Tuesday during the budget debate. The House passed two bills, one joint resolution, and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Priority legislation that passed the House last week included:
S.157 (utility storm damage recovery)
H.4025 (FY26 General Appropriations Act)
H.4026 (capital reserve fund)
The full House made very few changes to the Ways & Means version of the budget. Read our recap of the budget; it takes less than 4 minutes.
Senate floor sessions consumed 2 hours, 37 minutes, not including the “30 minute recess” on Thursday that consumed 3 hours, 39 minutes. The Senate passed five bills as well as several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Some legislation that passed the Senate last week included:
Three pieces of legislation were ratified and presented to Governor McMaster for his decision right; he signed all three into law.
S.157 (utility storm damage recovery)
H.3952 (Florence-Darlington Technical College budget)
S.363 (DNR regulation closing access to Deveaux Bank)
Committee Schedule Week 10
If a livestream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means livestream is not available. Additional meetings may be added during the week and while 24 hours notice is generally given, it is not always possible to provide such notice.
Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees (6 budget hearings)
Health & Human Services, March 19 at 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Higher Education, March 19 at 10am; Agenda
K-12 Education, March 19 at 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Natural Resources & Economic Development, March 19 at 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Transportation, March 19 at 12pm; Agenda; Livestream
Constitutional, March 20 immediately upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Senate Meetings
Senate Finance Committee
March 18, 3pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.11 (state employee paid parental leave), S.32 (Pregnancy Resource Act), and H.3430 (state auditor). Additionally, the committee will receive a presentation from Frank Rainwater, Executive Director of the Office or Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
March 18, immediately upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.446 (Electric Rate Stabilization Act) and H.3309 (Energy Security Act).
Senate FVS Committee
March 19, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two statewide appointments on the agenda.
Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee
March 19, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.367 (abandoned vessels) and three regulations.
Senate Banking & Insurance Subcommittee
March 19, 11am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.60 (credit union public deposits) and S.325 (Department of Consumer Affairs), as well as three regulations.
Senate LCI Professions & Occupations Subcommittee
March 19, 11am; Agenda
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.347 (Commercial Financing Disclosure Act), S.422 (pyrotechnic safety), and H.3947 (continuing education requirements for nonresident real estate brokers).
Senate Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
March 19, 11am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: This is the second meeting of the subcommittee reviewing the South Carolina Department on Aging.
Senate Education Subcommittee
March 19, 11am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.269 (school district private security firms) and S.416 (school district expulsions).
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee
March 19, 12pm; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.369 (State Commodity Code amendments).
Senate Corrections and Penology Committee
March 20, am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: As of March 16 the agenda had not been posted. A subcommittee met on March 13 and adopted a favorable report on S.374 (DJJ detention fees) so it could be part of the agenda.
Senate Education Subcommittee
March 20, 9am; Agenda
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.454 (charter school & authorizer accountability).
Senate FVS Child Welfare Subcommittee
March 19, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3654 (authorize disclosure of case records to county and state guardian ad litems) and five regulations.
House Meetings
House 3M-House LCI Pharmacy Benefit Manager Ad Hoc Committee
March 18, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: This is the second meeting of the ad hoc committee. The committee will receive seven presentations from representatives of health insurers, chain pharmacies, independent pharmacies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers' association.
House Education & Public Works K-12 Education Subcommittee
March 19, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are eight bills on the agenda:
H.3201 (computer science education)
H.3258 (mobile panic alert systems)
H.3578 (cursive writing grades 2-5)
H.3831 (AED mandate)
H.3974 (medically necessary providers in public school)
H.3778 (Hurricane Helene make up days)
H.3863 (STEM Coalition)
H.3264 (media literacy pilot)
House Agriculture Subcommittee
March 19, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.3967 (bioenergy feedstocks), H.3950 (soil classifiers exemption), and S.103 (Truth in Meat Labeling).
House Agriculture Wildlife Subcommittee
March 19, 12:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3937 (possession of venomous reptiles) and H.4100 (possession of captive wildlife).
House Government Efficiency and Legislative Oversight Committee
March 19, 1:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will hold a public input session regarding the following agencies:
South Carolina Conservation Bank
South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission
South Carolina Department of Education
South Carolina Department of Insurance
South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division
South Carolina Administrative Law Court
Joint Meetings
None.
Key Dates
January 14, 2025: Session Convenes
January 16, 2025: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 29, 2025: State of the State
February 5, 2025: Judicial elections
February 13, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) February revenue estimate
March 10-14, 2025: House floor budget deliberations
March 17-21, 2025: House Furlough Week (committee meetings only)
April 10, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) April revenue estimate
April 14-18, 2025: House Furlough Week
April 21-24, 2025: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 8, 2025: Session Adjourns
July 1, 2025: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 begins
