Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 Session Week 13
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 8-10, 2025, is 1,059 words or a 4 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 13 Preview
The House will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (10am), and Thursday (10am). The House has 30 bills and one joint resolution eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. Expect S.2 (behavioral healthcare agency restructuring) to generate significant debate from the House Freedom Caucus. Some bills that will generate debate include:
H.3058 (disclosure of intimate images)
H.3930 (Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act)
S.2 (behavioral healthcare agency restructuring)
H.3127 (felony failure to stop)
S.74 (electronic records disclosure)
H.3276 (Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act)
S.156 (fentanyl induced homicide)
The Senate will not hold floor sessions this week and will only meet in perfunctory session. The Senate has 25 bills (19 are contested),12 joint resolutions (2 are contested), and one concurrent resolution on the calendar. Bills received from the House, new bill introductions, and committee reports can be read across the desk.
One bill to watch during Week 14: S.62 (K-12 scholarships) is on the Senate calendar under Bills Returned from House. The Senate can amend the bill a second time and it is possible the House could concur in the Senate amendments.
Week 12 Review
House floor sessions consumed 14 hours, 14 minutes. The House passed eight bills and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Some legislation that passed the House last week included:
H.3927 (prohibit DEI activities)
H.3046 (online technological exploitation)
H.3045 (child sexual abuse)
H.3387 (unlawful occupants of property)
Senate floor sessions consumed 16 hours, 39 minutes. The Senate passed 11 bills, three joint resolutions, and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Some legislation that passed the Senate last week included:
H.3309 (Energy Security Act)
S.171 (waste tires)
S.269 (school district private security firms)
S.415 (kin-specific licensing standards)
S.11 (state employee paid parental leave)
S.425 (school-based meals)
S.307 (peer-to-peer car sharing services)
Committee Schedule Week 13
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 Meetings
Senate Finance Committee
April 8, 12:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will begin its budget deliberations on H.4025 (FY26 General Appropriations Act) and H.4026 (capital reserve fund). The committee will meet as many times as is necessary until a budget is adopted.
Senate LCI Special Subcommittee
April 8, 9am; Agenda
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.268 (age-appropriate code design) and H.3431 (minors and social media).
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
April 8, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are six bills on the agenda: S.99 (enhanced penalties for assault crimes), S.316 (Attorney General & civil litigation), S.346 (assault & battery), S.357 (mail theft), S.399 (public transit trespass), and H.3650 (discharge firearm at a dwelling).
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
April 8, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.526 (beach preservation appeals). Additionally, the committee will consider the nomination of Myra Reece to be Director, Department of Environmental Services.
Senate Education Committee
April 8, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.416 (school district expulsions), S.454 (charter school & authorizer accountability), and H.3196 (Educator Assistance Act).
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
April 8, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: S.6 (FOIA) and S.214 (Minority Affairs Commission). Additionally, the subcommittee will hold screenings on seven appointments: four workers’ compensation commissioners, two members of the State Ethics Commission, and current Inspector General Brian Lampkin.
Senate FVS Committee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3563 (evaluation of county veterans’ affairs officers) and S.121 (adoption proceedings). Additionally, there are DSS regulations on the agenda.
House Meetings
House 3M-House LCI Pharmacy Benefit Manager Ad Hoc Committee
April 8, 9am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: This is the third 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 Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee
April 8, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: S.233 (Sexually Violent Predator Act), H.4265 (penalties for fires on certain lands), H.3394 (homicide by child abuse), H.3535 (Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction (HALO) Act), and H.3602 (Jaden's Law).
House 3M Medical and Health Affairs Subcommittee
April 8, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.3089 (personal injury insurance claims), H.3996 (anesthesiologist assistants), H.4165 (non-opioid pain management treatments), and H.4189 (DHEC restructuring code cleanup).
House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee
April 8, 2:30pm or 60 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.136 (dismissal of pending firearms charges), S.287 (electronic nicotine delivery systems), and H.4000 (alcohol licensing).
House Education & Public Works Higher Education Subcommittee
April 8 3:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3632 (accounting majors and lottery scholarships) and H.3225 (Service Year Program).
House Education & Public Works K-12 Education Subcommittee
April 8, 3:30pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are eight bills on the agenda:
H.3974 (medically necessary providers in public school)
H.4257 (excused absences for interscholastic athletic contests)
H.3758 (student expression of religious viewpoints)
S.276 (Child Abuse and Neglect Network)
S.77 (livestream school board meetings)
S.78 (educator credential prior work experience credit)
S.79 (school district noncertified teachers)
H.3949 (official state choral anthem)
House 3M Committee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.3089 (personal injury insurance claims), H.3996 (anesthesiologist assistants), H.4165 (non-opioid pain management treatments), and H.4189 (DHEC restructuring code cleanup).
House Education & Public Works Public Safety Subcommittee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4249 (emergency scene management) and H.4122 (high-speed rail system study committee).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda, S.164 (state agency rule making) and ten regulations from the Attorney General, LLR, and CHE. S.164 proposes some significant changes to how agencies, boards, and commissions promulgate regulations.
House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: S.233 (Sexually Violent Predator Act), H.4265 (penalties for fires on certain lands), H.3394 (homicide by child abuse), H.3535 (Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction (HALO) Act), and H.3602 (Jaden's Law).
House LCI Committee
April 9, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are five bills on the agenda: H.3162 (commission of hearing aid specialists), H.3752 (Social Work Interstate Compact), H.3163 (firefighter workers’ compensation), H.3129 (personal delivery robots), and H.3931 (coastal tidelands and wetlands permits).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee
April 10, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are eight regulations on the agenda from DSS and the State Board of Education.
House LCI Banking and Insurance Subcommittee
April 10, 9am; Agenda
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: H.3874 (workers’ compensation medical fees), H.3108 (mandate doula services insurance coverage), and H.4305 (wellness reimbursement programs).
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
