Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 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 April 1-3, 2025, is 1,122 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
FY 2025-2026 Agency Budget Requests
Week 12 Preview
The House will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (10am), and Thursday (10am). The House has 11 bills and six concurrent resolutions eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. H.3927 (prohibit DEI activities) is expected to consume a large amount of floor time. Some bills that will generate debate include:
H.3927 (prohibit DEI activities)
H.3046 (online technological exploitation)
H.3045 (child sexual abuse)
H.3387 (unlawful occupants of property)
S.74 (electronic records disclosure)
H.3276 (Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act)
The Senate will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (1pm), and Thursday (11am). The Senate has 27 bills (19 are contested) and 13 joint resolutions (2 are contested) eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. H.3309 (Energy Security Act) was placed in the status of Special Order and its debate will likely consume most of the floor time. Some other uncontested bills that will generate debate include:
S.171 (waste tires)
S.318 (government efficiency)
S.11 (state employee paid parental leave)
S.32 (Pregnancy Resource Act)
S.76 (criminal gang and anti-racketeering)
S.446 (Electric Rate Stabilization Act)
Week 11 Review
House floor sessions consumed 6 hours, 36 minutes. The House passed nine bills and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Some legislation that passed the House last week included:
H.3247 (work-based learning experiences)
H.3305 (Public Expression Protection Act)
H.4067 (hospital emergency departments)
H.4069 (patient billing)
Senate floor sessions consumed 9 hours, 49 minutes. The Senate passed six bills, one joint resolution, and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Some legislation that passed the Senate last week included:
Committee Schedule Week 12
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 (5 budget hearings)
Health & Human Services, April 2 at 10am'; Agenda; Livestream
K-12 Education; April 2 at 10am, Agenda; Livestream
Natural Resources & Economic Development, April 2 at 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Criminal Justice, April 2 at 11am; Agenda
K-12 Education; April 3 at 10am, Agenda; Livestream
Senate Meetings
Senate Finance Subcommittee
April 1, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.344 (Equine Advancement Act).
Senate Banking & Insurance Subcommittee
April 1, 10am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.402 (vision care plans) and H.3259 (first responder auto insurance premiums).
Senate FVS Child Welfare Subcommittee
April 2, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3563 (evaluation of county veterans’ affairs officers).
Senate LCI Special Subcommittee
April 2, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.268 (age-appropriate code design) and H.3431 (minors and social media).
Senate Education Subcommittee
April 2, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.454 (charter school & authorizer accountability).
Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee
April 2, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.463 (prohibit swimming near designated public boat landings) and H.3813 (bear hunting).
Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee
April 2, 11am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.449 (collaborative practice agreements) and S.477 (self-administered hormonal contraceptive).
Senate Medical Affairs Committee
April 3, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.221 (Kratom Consumer Protection Act), S.54 (medical informed consent), and S.146 (long-term care facilities visitation). Additionally, the committee will hold a second confirmation hearing regarding Dr. Edward Simmer, Governor McMaster’s nominee to be the Director of the Department of Public Health. Dr. Simmer previously appeared before the committee on March 20.
Senate Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
April 3, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: This is the second meeting of the subcommittee reviewing the South Carolina Office of Resilience.
House Meetings
House Education & Public Works Committee
April 1, 10am; Agenda, Livestream
Summary: There are 13 bills on the agenda:
H.4011 (temporary driving certificate or identification card)
H.3856 (omnibus licenses and license plates bill)
H.3801 (procurement code exemptions for transportation planning)
H.3768 (extend sunset of Act 36 of 2019)
H.3944 (max weights for EV vehicles)
H.3201 (computer science education)
H.3258 (mobile panic alert systems)
H.3578 (cursive writing grades 3-5)
H.3831 (AED mandate)
H.3778 (Hurricane Helene make up days)
H.3863 (STEM Coalition)
H.3250 (repeal 59-104-250)
House Judiciary Committee
April 1, 60 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are nine bills on the agenda:
H.3058 (disclosure of intimate images).
H.3049 (Uniform Civil Remedies for Unauthorized Disclosure of Intimate Images Act)
H.4160 (increase circuit court judges)
S.126 (law enforcement & judicial personal privacy protection)
H.3569 (domestic violence victims and rental agreements)
H.3603 (order of protection for minors)
H.3285 (law enforcement autism spectrum disorder training)
H.3930 (Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act)
H.3924 (hemp-derived ingestible)
House 3M Medical and Health Affairs Subcommittee
April 1, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3996 (anesthesiologist assistants) and H.4165 (non-opioid pain management treatments).
House LCI Regulatory Review Subcommittee
April 1, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3129 (personal delivery robots) and H.3931 (coastal tidelands and wetlands permits).
House 3M Committee
April 2, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: H.3333 (affordable housing and redevelopment of military installations), H.3910 (concurrent jurisdiction regarding juveniles), S.218 (veterans’ nursing homes), S.2 (behavioral healthcare agency restructuring), H.3996 (anesthesiologist assistants), and H.4165 (non-opioid pain management treatments).
House LCI Real Estate Subcommittee
April 2, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3753 (Amateur Radio Antenna Protection Act).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee
April 2, 9am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: As of March 30 an agenda has not been posted.
House LCI Banking & Insurance Subcommittee
April 3, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.3108 (mandate doula services insurance coverage).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee
April 3, 9am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: As of March 30 an agenda has not been posted.
House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
April 3, 30 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will discuss a study of the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
Joint Meetings
Surface Water Study Committee
April 3, 9am; Agenda (TBA)
Summary: As of March 30 an agenda has not been posted.
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
