The House and Senate met in regular session this week before adjourning sine die at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Bills that did not pass or receive assignment to a conference committee are dead for the year. 

Both chambers passed S1192, the sine die, or adjournment, resolution. This resolution outlines the legislation that the General Assembly can consider when the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House bring members back to Columbia in June to finish the budget and handle other bills in conference committees.  

State Budget in Conference Committee 
House and Senate members could not agree on a single version of the state budget, so a budget conference committee was appointed. The budget conferees are Sens. Peeler, Setzler and Bennett as well as Reps. Bannister, Stavrinakis and Lowe. 

For questions about this bill, contact Joannie Nickel (jnickel@masc.sc) at 803.354.4794.  

Abandoned buildings enrolled for ratification  
The House of Representatives gave third reading to S1021, the abandoned buildings revitalization tax credit bill, on Thursday. The bill was amended in committee to add language from H3737, the Shortline Railroad Modernization Act. The original language from S1021 is still in the bill. The Senate amended the bill to remove a House amendment and the House concurred with that change. The bill is now enrolled for ratification.  

For questions about this bill, contact Joannie Nickel (jnickel@masc.sc) at 803.354.4794.  

Property tax exemption bill in conference committee   
S1017, the affordable housing property tax exemption bill, was placed in a conference committee after the House and Senate could not agree on the language of the bill.  

The House amended the Senate bill to include language that qualifies those projects that set lower income thresholds for residents in cities located within a North Carolina metropolitan statistical area whose population exceeds 500,000 residents. The bill was also amended in the House to require written permission of owners of adjoining agricultural properties before annexing into municipalities and to exempt solar equipment from property taxes.  

The conferees are Reps. Hewitt, Collins and Ott and Sens. Michael Johnson, Verdin and Setzler.  

For questions about this bill, contact Erica Wright (ewright@masc.sc) at 803.354.4793. 

Election bill amended and stopped in the House 
H3734, the municipal election bill, was amended by the Senate this week with two amendments. The first sets the election date for all cities and towns as either the first Tuesday of April, or the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of odd years, or the first Tuesday of April or the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of even years if a city currently uses those dates. The amendment also does not require election machines, eliminates holdover status for incumbents who are defeated or don't run again and adds provisions of S406. When the bill was returned to the House for approval, Rep. Rob Harris (R – Spartanburg) objected to taking up the bill. This objection killed the bill for the year. 

Military TIF bill in conference committee  
H4552, the military tax increment financing bill, has remained on the Senate calendar for several weeks and did not make any progress toward passage. However, on Wednesday, S577, a bill that deals with income taxes, was amended by the House of Representatives to include the language from H4552, the military tax increment financing bill. When S577 was returned to the Senate, the members nonconcurred with the House amendments sending the bill to a conference committee. Conferees include Reps. Whitmire, Hayes and Willis and Sens. Peeler, Alexander and Setzler. 

For questions about this bill, contact Erica Wright (ewright@masc.sc) at 803.354.4793. 

Stay in Touch 
The Municipal Association legislative team is on X. Follow Joannie Nickel (@JoannieMuniSC) and 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.