Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 Session Week 15
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 21-24, 2025, is 1,276 words or a 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 15 Preview
The House will hold floor sessions on Tuesday (12pm), Wednesday (10am), and Thursday (10am). The House has 21 bills (2 on the contested calendar) and one joint resolution eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week. Some bills that may generate debate include:
H.3058 (disclosure of intimate images)
S.74 (electronic records disclosure)
H.3258 (mobile panic alert systems)
H.3778 (Hurricane Helene make up days)
H.3645 (increase state employee paid parental leave)
H.3309 (Energy Security Act) is on the calendar under Senate amendments
H.3497 (liquor liability) will be on the calendar under Senate amendments
The Senate will hold floor sessions on Monday (12pm), Tuesday (TBA), Wednesday (TBA), and Thursday (TBA). The Senate has 53 bills (18 are contested), six joint resolutions (2 are contested), and five concurrent resolutions (2 are contested) eligible for consideration on its calendar to begin the week.
This will be a historic week for the Senate as it will meet in the Committee of the Whole on Monday to conduct a hearing on whether or not to remove State Treasurer Curtis Loftis from office under the provisions of Article XV, Section 3 of the South Carolina Constitution. The allocation of time is as follows per a motion adopted by the Senate on April 2:
1.5 hours for the Senate presenters to present the causes for Treasurer Loftis’ removal. The Senate presenters are Senator Larry Grooms and Senator Stephen Goldfinch.
3 hours for Treasurer Loftis for his defense. Loftis’ attorney is Deborah Barbier of Columbia.
30 minutes for the Senate presenters in response to Treasurer Loftis’ defense.
Each member of the Committee of the Whole (46 senators) may ask a total of ten minutes of questions to the Senate presenters, Treasurer Loftis, or both upon the conclusion of the Senate presenters response.
Neither side is permitted to call witnesses.
The maximum time allotted based on the constraints above is 12 hours, 40 minutes. With the Senate convening at 12pm, it will likely be early evening before the Committee of the Whole concludes its work.
Upon conclusion of the work of the Committee of the Whole, the Senate shall proceed to consideration of S.534, which is the concurrent resolution to remove Treasurer Loftis from office. It requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate in order to be sent to the House. The House then has a decision to make regarding the concurrent resolution. The House Rules, as amended on January 29, deleted the provisions of the Committee of the Whole. It’s unclear how the House would provide for a similar hearing. The same two-thirds vote threshold applies to the House to pass S.534. Per Article XV, Section 3, if this concurrent resolution is passed by both chambers, Governor McMaster is required to remove Treasurer Loftis from office.
After the Loftis hearing, the Senate will spend the remainder of the week on H.4025 (FY26 General Appropriations Act) and H.4026 (capital reserve fund). Take 6 minutes to read our recap of the Senate Finance Committee version of the budget. If the Senate completed work early on the budget and decides to work the calendar, below are some bills that may be debated:
S.62 (K-12 scholarships)
S.163 (cryptocurrency)
S.454 (charter school & authorizer accountability)
S.416 (school district expulsions)
S.54 (medical informed consent)
S.99 (enhanced penalties for assault crimes)
S.114 (telecommunication location information)
S.288 (development rights transfer)
S.346 (assault & battery)
H.3650 (discharge firearm at a dwelling)
S.427 (penalties for mistreating a law enforcement animal)
Week 14 Review
The House took its furlough week. No floor sessions or committee meetings were held.
Senate floor sessions consumed 5 hours, 47 minutes and did not hold a statewide session on April 17. The Senate passed five bills and several congratulatory and memorial resolutions. Legislation that passed the Senate last week included:
S.32 (Pregnancy Resource Act)
S.2 (behavioral healthcare agency restructuring)
S.463 (prohibit swimming near designated public boat landings)
H.4014 (abolish Charleston County School District constituent boards)
H.3654 (authorize disclosure of case records to county and state GALs)
Committee Schedule Week 15
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 LCI Committee
April 21, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda: S.583 (funeral directors continuing education), S.268 (age-appropriate code design), and H.3431 (minors and social media). Additionally there are three LLR regulations on the agenda.
Senate LCI Special Subcommittee
April 23, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: S.256 (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience Act).
House Meetings
House 3M-House LCI Pharmacy Benefit Manager Ad Hoc Committee
April 22, 9am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: This is the fourth meeting of the ad hoc committee.
House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
April 22, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will discuss the study of the SC Tuition Grants Commission.
House Ways & Means Committee
April 22, 10am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The full committee will receive expert testimony about H.4216 (income taxes). No votes will be taken.
House Ways & Means Licenses, Fees and Other Taxes Subcommittee
April 22, 60 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There is one bill on the agenda: H.4137 (bingo licenses for veteran’s organizations).
House Ways & Means Revenue Policy Subcommittee
April 22, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda, all related to gambling/gaming: H.4176 (Class III casino gaming), H.3625 (sports wagering), and H.4129 (games of skill).
House Education & Public Works K-12 Education Subcommittee
April 22, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are three bills on the agenda, all related to interscholastic athletics. H.4163 (SC High School Athletic Association Act), H.3245 (private school student participation), and H.3802 (co-curricular participation).
House 3M Municipal and Public Affairs Subcommittee
April 22, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.3861 (short-term rentals) and H.4050 (concurrency programs).
House LCI Business & Commerce Subcommittee
April 22, 90 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.4135 (vision care plans), S.307 (peer-to-peer car sharing services), S.176 (public accountants), and S.101 (firefighters).
House Education & Public Works Committee
April 23, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are nine bills on the agenda:
H.4249 (emergency scene management)
H.3632 (accounting majors and lottery scholarships)
H.4257 (excused absences for interscholastic athletic contests)
H.3758 (student expression of religious viewpoints)
S.78 (educator credential prior work experience credit)
H.3949 (official state choral anthem)
H.4163 (SC High School Athletic Association Act)
H.3245 (private school student participation)
H.3802 (co-curricular participation)
House 3M Committee
April 23, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are four bills on the agenda: H.3089 (personal injury insurance claims), H.4189 (DHEC restructuring code cleanup), H.3861 (short-term rentals), and H.4050 (concurrency programs).
House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee
April 23, 9am; Agenda (TBA); Livestream
Summary: As of April 18, 2025 an agenda has not been posted.
House LCI Regulatory Review Subcommittee
April 23, 9am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: There are two bills on the agenda: H.4247 (commodity code)and S.150 (Rental Kart Age Act).
House Invitations Committee
April 23, 9:15am; Agenda
Summary: There are eight resolutions on the agenda: seven road naming resolutions and H.4291 (restore humanitarian aid to Sudan).
Joint Meetings
Joint Review & Oversight Commission on the South Carolina Ports Authority
April 24, 30 minutes upon adjournment; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The committee will consider the appointment or reappointment of seven members of the South Carolina Ports Authority; the board has nine members.
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
