Last week was a busy week in Columbia, as the House passed legislation covering a wide range of subjects. With the “crossover” date behind us, each chamber will spend much of our remaining time focusing on legislation passed by the other with the goal of getting bills sent to Governor McMaster for his review and signature before time runs out in this year’s legislative session.

After sending a number of bills over to the Senate for their consideration, the House will take the week off after spending much of the last few weeks working on the state budget and education reform. Here are some of the bills which were passed by the House and sent over to the Senate prior to the cross-over deadline:

PUBLIC SAFETY AND OPIOID ABUSE:

• H.4380, the “SAMANTHA L. JOSEPHSON RIDESHARING SAFETY ACT” was passed in a bi-partisan 99-1 vote to revise the state’s Transportation Network Company Act for greater rider safety.  Under the new requirements, a Transportation Network Company vehicle must make use of an illuminated sign displaying the company’s proprietary trademark or logo that allows the vehicle to be recognized in darkness.  The legislation establishes requirements for this sign and other identifying emblems to be returned when a driver ceases to be employed by the company.   
• H.3728 expands the state’s PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAM. This requires the Department of Health and Environmental Control to include and maintain information in the prescription monitoring program on the administering of opioid antidotes in a hospital emergency department or by a first responder.
• H.3730 establishes makes it a felony to TRAFFICK IN FENTANYL in amounts at least four grams of fentanyl, fentanyl‑related substances, or mixtures. Penalties include a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years and a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars for a first offense, and a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty years and a fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars, for a second or subsequent offense.
• H.3307 makes provisions for a searchable online DATABASE ON PROPERTY SEIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FORFEITED. 
• H.3174: ELECTRIC-POWERED BICYCLES. This legislation, which I sponsored, would require bicycles with helper motors to be considered the same as regular bicycles under state laws when operated on public roads. These are relatively new on our roadways and this legislation will help close that loophole.

EDUCATION

• H.3403: COMPENTENCY-BASED SCHOOLS. I am one of the sponsors of this bi-partisan legislation, which creates guidelines and requirements for competency-based schools. Competency-based schools place a stronger emphasis upon teaching mastery of concrete skills and provide an alternative approach to educating students.

HEALTH

• H.3967: RESTRAINING INMATES WHO ARE PREGNANT OR IN POSTPARTUM RECUPERATION.  This legislation details the safety methods and restrictions that are to be followed in correctional facilities and other settings for using wrist restraints or other types of restraints on inmates who are pregnant or have been determined to be in postpartum recuperation.
• H.3036 “DYLAN’S LAW” would require the Department of Environmental Control to add tests for certain neonatal genetic disorders and diseases to the existing newborn screening program.  The legislation establishes the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee to review the feasibility and advisability of including additional metabolic, genetic, and congenital disorders in the neonatal testing.

TAX REFORM

• H.3205 makes revisions to the Catawba Indian Claims Settlement Act to eliminate an obsolete tax provision affecting the York County-based Catawba Indian Tribe.
• H.3210: HIGH GROWTH SMALL BUSINESS JOB CREATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION.  The legislationreauthorizes the High Growth Small Business Job Creation Act for an additional six years.

VETERANS

• H.4439 designates the sixteenth day of July of each year as ‘ATOMIC VETERANS DAY’ in South Carolina to recognize those who participated in aboveground nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962, served with the United States military occupation forces in or around Hiroshima and Nagasaki before 1946, or were held as prisoners of war in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

In addition to these bills which were sent to the Senate this week, these are some of the more important House bills awaiting action in the Senate:

• H. 3759 – The S.C. Education, Career, Opportunity, and Access for All Act
• H. 4000 and H. 4001 – The General Appropriations Bill and Capital Reserve Fund (the budget)
• H.3951 – Tighter qualifications for holding the Office of Sheriff
• H.3936 – Expanded lottery college funding
• H. 4243 – Professional Sports Team Investment Act
• H. 3046 – Provide for the Offense of Furthering Terrorism

When we return next week, we hope to see progress in the Senate with these and other bills.

The following bills were received from the Senate and were passed. They will be sent to Governor McMaster for his consideration:

• S.205 requires the Department of Aging’s ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS RESOURCE COORDINATION CENTER to facilitate the coordination and integration of educational initiatives for health care providers on the importance and value of early detection and timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment, validated cognitive assessment tools, and increasing understanding and awareness of early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia and how to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
• H.3420: PREVENTING YOUTH ACCESS TO VAPING, CIGARETTES, AND OTHER TOBACCO AND NICOTINE PRODUCTS.  The House adopted legislation which was amended by the Senate which updates the “Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act of 2006” to include vaping. The legislation would do a number of things, including prohibit minors under the age of eighteen from entering retail establishments that primarily sell tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or both, unless the minor is actively supervised and accompanied by an adult.  The legislation also revises the restrictions governing Internet commerce and other remote sales that requires the signature of a person at least eighteen years of age before a tobacco product or alternative nicotine product will be released to the purchaser, unless the remote seller employs certain alternative protections to ensure age verification. 
• H.3929: TEMPORARY ENHANCED AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE MISSED SCHOOLS DAYS. After the flooding experienced by areas of the state in recent months, this legislation provides that a local school district may waive the requirements of making up days missed during the 2018‑2019 School Year because of snow, extreme weather conditions, or other disruptions requiring schools to close.

Questions or Concerns?

As always, thank you for the privilege of serving you in Columbia. If I can ever be of assistance to you, or if you have ideas on issues you want me to share with the rest of the General Assembly, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].