The House of Representatives met in regular session this week, while the Senate was in perfunctory session and did not meet on the floor. House members worked through bills on the calendar, while the Senate Finance Committee met and adopted its version of the budget.
The Senate will meet in regular session next week, while the House will be in perfunctory session and will not meet on the floor. There are four weeks left until adjournment on May 8 in the regular session of the General Assembly.
Senate Finance Committee passes its version of the budget
The Senate Finance Committee adopted its version of the state appropriations bill this week. The Local Government Fund amount is the same in both the House version and the Senate Finance Committee version of the budget. Both the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bruce Bannister and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler announced on Thursday that there will be no earmarks in the state budget this year in order to direct revenue toward a statewide income tax deduction.
Some items in the budget include these:
- $14.5 million added to the Local Government Fund base amount. The Senate Finance Committee fully funded the LGF at 5% according to Act 84, which passed into law in 2019, same as the House version.
- $198.7 million in Capital Reserve one-time dollars to the SC Emergency Management Division Declared Disaster Relief for Hurricane Helene.
- $100 million to the SC Department of Transportation for bridge modernization.
- $5 million in nonrecurring dollars to the SC Rural Infrastructure Authority for a statewide Water and Sewer Fund.
- $2 million in recurring dollars and $4 million in one-time money for destination-specific grants.
- $1.5 million recurring dollars for beach renourishment grants.
- $10 million in one-time dollars to the SC Office of Resilience to replenish the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund.
- $30 million in one-time dollars to the SC Department of Commerce for airport enhancements.
- $13.3 million in one-time dollars for Disaster Relief Grant Matching Funds.
- $250,000 in recurring dollars to the SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the Undiscovered SC Grant Program, which is a program local governments can apply.
Several new provisos were introduced in the Senate Finance Committee.
- 67.cec – This proviso requires counties and municipalities to pay $200 dollars per day per juvenile in addition to the $50 per day already in statute to house juveniles in SC Department of Juvenile Justice detention facilities. There is a 30-day cap included in the proviso.
- 100.pap – This proviso creates grants for local governments that do not meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency threshold for disaster recovery dollars.
The full Senate is expected to debate the committee version of the budget beginning the week of April 22. For questions about the budget, contact Daina Riley Phillips (dphillips@masc.sc) at 803.933.1203.
Military Tax Increment Financing bill passed by the House
This week, the House of Representatives gave second and third reading to H3333, the House version of the military TIF bill. Next, the bill goes to the Senate for debate.
S190, the Senate version of the bill, has already passed the Senate and is in the House of Representatives for approval. Both bills include affordable housing as an allowable project in a TIF district, extends the bonding period for projects in a military TIF, and gives local governing bodies greater flexibility when using TIF funds outside of the TIF boundary.
For questions about the bill, contact Erica Wright (ewright@masc.sc) at 803.354.4793.
Stay in Touch
The Municipal Association legislative team is on X. Follow Erica Wright (@EricaMuniSC) for updates from the State House. Also follow the Association at @MuniAssnSC. Don’t forget to listen to the From the Dome to Your Home podcast every Friday for a recap of the week’s legislative issues and a look to the week ahead at the State House.
Senate Judiciary subcommittee
S399 – public transportation trespassing – favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Charges someone with a misdemeanor in municipal court for entering a transportation facility after being warned not to enter the facility by the transportation director.
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
S526 – Beach preservation appeals policies – favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Stays any enforcement action during the appeals process of a beach preservation policy to the Administrative Law Court.
Senate Judiciary subcommittee
S6 – changes to the Freedom of Information Act – carried over
Summary of the bill as introduced: Decreases the amount of time a public body has to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request from 10 days to five days.
House Judiciary General Laws subcommittee
H4000 – Alcohol licensing for performing arts and convention complexes – favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Adds performing arts and convention complexes owned by a municipality to the law that allows on-premises consumption of beer and wine.
House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee
H3163 – Occupational diseases compensable under workers' compensation – favorable report. Later in the week, the full House of Representatives gave this bill second reading.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Includes a stroke in the list of occupational diseases compensable under workers' compensation in the course of employment for firefighters.
House Education and Public Works Public Safety subcommittee
H4122 – high speed rail system – adjourned debate
Summary of the bill as introduced: Establishes a high-speed rail system study committee to examine and develop a plan of action for a high-speed rail system in the state.