Statehouse Update April 22-24

The House ways and means committee is hearing testimony on Tuesday from our Senior Economic Fellow, Vance Ginn, Ph.D. and Manish Bhatt, Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation(Livestream can be viewed here). Keep an eye out for our upcoming report from Dr. Ginn on SCPC’s recommendations for tax reform releasing later this afternoon.

The state budget is on the Senate floor for debate.

Taxes

• Income tax H.4216 – Changes the income tax code to a flat 3.99%, with triggers to 2.49%, while moving to federal AGI. The House ways and means committee hears this bill on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 10:00am.
• No taxes on outboard motors, decreased boat tax H.3858 - Removes the requirement for boat outboard motors to be titled, effectively eliminating a tax on outboard motors. The bill also provides for a 50% property tax exemption on boats. A House property tax legislative ways and means subcommittee hears this bill on Wednesday, April 23 at 9am. Update: This bill has advanced to the full House ways and means committee. 

Government structure

• Department of consumer affairs reorganization S.325 – Moves the dept. of consumer affairs to the executive branch, giving the governor the power to appoint the dept. administrator. This bill is on the Senate floor.
• Department of Health and Environmental Control H.4189 – This bill is a part of the restructuring of DHEC that began in 2023. The House 3M Committee takes up the bill at 9am on Wednesday, April 23.

Legal reform

• Anesthesiologist assistant reform H.3996 – This bill would increase the number of anesthesiologists' assistants (AA) than an anesthesiologist can supervise from two to four. It would also streamline the licensing process by removing the requirement that an applicant appear before a member of the board of medical examiners. This bill is on the House floor.

• Informed vaccine consent, emergency power expansion S.54 – Bans vaccine mandates, transfers emergency health powers of the state from DHEC to the Department of Public Health and expands emergency health powers all widespread illnesses. Finally, the bill preserves the power to forcibly quarantine asymptomatic patients if they refuse vaccination or treatment S.288 transfer development rights. This bill is on the Senate floor.
• No illegals voting S.582 – This is the ratification of the constitutional amendment passed by S.C. voters in 2024. It states that only properly registered citizens 18 years or older are voting. This bill is on the Senate floor. (without reference)
• Allowing short-term rentals H. 3861 – This bill prevents municipalities from banning short-term rentals, a topic SCPC has covered extensively in prior years. The House 3M committee hears this bill on Wednesday, April 23 at 9am.

Education

• Religious expression in school H.3758 – Expands religious expression protections in public schools and implements the rollout of limited public forums in which students are selected to speak before events in which their religious expression is protected. The House education and public works committee hears this bill on Wednesday, April 23 at 9am.