Statehouse Update May 6-8

Update 5/08/25: Adjustments were made to this summary to reflect developments that occurred during the week.

The House still has the budget to address, along with many education bills that advanced to the floor last week. The newly amended income tax bill is also on the House floor.

The Senate has received the House’s amended energy bill, but other bills are making the chamber calendar in this final week of session.

Energy bill H.3309 Update: On Wednesday the Senate concurred with the House's 5/1/2025 amendment, striking notification requirements related to eminent domain and all regulatory and incentives language related to data centers. Data centers will no longer be required to enter into their own rate process and contracts and will continue to receive incentives. Notice for eminent domain now adheres to the current process rather than enhanced notice requirements for utilities. H.3309 advances to the governor's desk for signage.

Budget H.4025 Update: On Tuesday the House amended the budget and returned it to the Senate for concurrence.

Taxes and spending

Film industry handouts H.3832 – Allocates rebates amounting to 30% of an annual production budget to film producers that spend over $250,000 and heightens that budget limit to $2 million annually. This bill is on the House floor.
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 property tax exemption on boats. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading.

Cities with no millage S.102 – Allows new municipalities to impose a millage rate that supplements one-third of the previous fiscal year’s fund expenses. This bill is on the Senate floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading and advanced to the House upon third reading.
Manufacturing property tax exemption S.439 - Increases the property tax exemption for manufacturing property, allowing a larger portion of its value to be excluded from taxation. This bill is on the Senate floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading and advanced to the House upon third reading.
Income tax H.4216 – Changes the income tax code to a two-tiered system of 5.39% and 1.99%, while moving to federal AGI and with revenue triggers to flatten the rate at 1.99% and then 0%. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading as amended on the floor and advanced to the Senate upon passing third reading.

Education

S.C. healthy schools act H.4339 – This bill would prevent schools participating in a federally funded or assisted meal program from selling or serving ultra processed food on school premises. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading as amended on the floor and advanced to the Senate upon third reading.
Private security for public schools S.269 – Allows public school districts with over 15,000 students to contract private security protection to work in public schools. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading and advanced to the governor's desk for signage upon third reading.
Schoolboard livestreaming S.77 – Requires school boards to adopt policies for electronic transmission of meetings. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading as amended on the floor and advanced to the Senate for concurrence upon third reading.
Noncertified teachers S.79 – Allows public schools to hire non-certified teachers for up to 10% of their teaching staff. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading as amended on the floor and advanced to the Senate for concurrence upon third reading.
Students must stand for pledge S.135 - Requires students from kindergarten to high school to salute the U.S. flag and recite the pledge of allegiance, striking language allowing one to sit. A Senate education subcommittee hears this bill on Wednesday, May 7 at 10:30am. Update: Canceled.
Therapists for students during school hours H.3974 – Authorizes private therapists (evaluators/private providers) to counsel students on school premises during school days upon parental permission. This bill is on the House floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading and advanced to the Senate upon third reading.

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 Senate floor. Update: This bill has passed second reading and advanced to the governor's desk for signage upon third reading.
S.C. DOGE S.318 –Creates a commission that sends spending cut recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly. Update: This bill passed second reading on the Senate floor Wednesday night. This bill passed third reading on Thursday and advances to the House.
Last-second liquor liability deal H.3430 - Previously a state auditor bill, this legislation is now a compromise between the House and Senate that only addresses liquor liability for the hospitality industry, with both regulatory language for bars to earn lower premiums and language related to joint and several liability. Update: The House gutted the state auditor bill on the floor Tuesday and inserted this legislation, advanced it to the Senate, in which the Senate concurred Wednesday night, advancing the bill to the governor's desk for signage.

Government Structure

Governor appoints state auditor H.3222 - Previously a litter control officer bill, this bill now strikes all language related to litter control officers from the House and inserts language related to what the House removed from "state auditor" H.3430 when the liquor liability deal was inserted. Update: The Senate amended the litter control H.3222 bill Wednesday night to insert new state auditor legislation, and advanced it to the House for concurrence upon third reading.