Copper Dome Chronicle: 2025 Sine Die
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity.
This week’s edition is 958 words or a 4 minute read. The 2025 regular session of the 126th South Carolina General Assembly adjourned sine die on Thursday, May 8. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
FY 2025-2026 Agency Budget Requests
Week 17 Review
House floor sessions consumed 18 hours, 17 minutes and Senate floor sessions consumed 19 hours, 26 minutes.
56 bills and joint resolutions were ratified in the final week of the regular session. 20 bills and joint resolutions were signed into law by Governor McMaster; the remaining 36 pieces of legislation must be signed, vetoed, or allowed to become law without signature by May 14. Governor McMaster has signed all 45 pieces of legislation presented to him this year. Additionally, 14 bills and one concurrent resolution were enrolled but not yet ratified.
As expected, the House and Senate will go to conference on H.4025 (FY26 General Appropriations Act). The House and Senate agreed upon H.4026 (capital reserve fund) before sine die, which appropriated funds for three items: disaster relief from federal declared disaster like Hurricane Helene, security upgrades at state government buildings, and $150M for a world-class neurological care and rehabilitation hospital to be built in Columbia in partnership with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. The budget conferees are:
Senate Finance Chair Harvey Peeler
Senate President Thomas Alexander
Senator Darrell Jackson
House Ways and Means Chair Bruce Bannister
Representative Lee Hewitt
Representative Leon Stavrinakis
The Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) meets on May 20 to review state revenue projections. Some budget advocates believe a small amount of additional non-recurring revenue will be certified. It is rumored the budget conference committee will meet after the BEA meeting (May 21 or 22), which would allow the House and Senate to return on May 28 to consider the budget conference report.
Governor McMaster, historically, has not issued many budget line item vetoes. Without hundreds of earmarks in this budget this year, it is likely the line item vetoes will largely be limited to budget provisos. However, House Speaker Murrell Smith indicated unless a critical issue must be addressed, he did not intend to call the House back into session during calendar year 2025. However, standing, ad hoc, and study committees will meet in the offseason.
In the House, four bills were delayed until next year via the House rules: H.4176 (Class III casino gaming) was continued via a motion by House Ways and Means Chair Bruce Bannister while debate was adjourned on H.3822 (motion picture & theater production tax incentives), S.287 (electronic nicotine delivery systems), and H.4165 (non-opioid pain management treatments) until January 13, 2026. Over in the Senate, H.3305 (Public Expression Protection Act) was in position to pass third reading as amended by the Senate but an objection and motion to carry over delayed its passage.
What Was Passed & What Was Passed Over
Legislation passed by the General Assembly:
H.3127 (felony failure to stop)
H.3196 (Educator Assistance Act)
H.3276 (Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act)
H.3309 (Energy Security Act)
H.3430 (state auditor)
H.3497 (liquor liability)
H.3523 (organized retail crime)
H.3800 (durable medical equipment)
H.3813 (bear hunting)
H.3862 (charter school enrollment preferences)
H.4067 (hospital emergency departments)
S.2 (behavioral healthcare agency restructuring)
S.28 (child abuse via artificial intelligence)
S.29 (morphed images of minors)
S.62 (K-12 scholarships)
S.74 (electronic records disclosure)
S.77 (livestream school board meetings)
S.78 (educator credential prior work experience credit)
S.79 (school district noncertified teachers)
S.103 (Truth in Meat Labeling
S.126 (law enforcement & judicial personal privacy protection)
S.156 (fentanyl induced homicide)
S.157 (utility storm damage recovery)
S.164 (state agency rule making)
S.171 (waste tires)
S.269 (school district private security firms)
S.275 (EV charging stations)
S.307 (peer-to-peer car sharing services)
S.425 (school-based meals)
Legislation passed by at least one chamber:
S.11 (state employee paid parental leave)
S.32 (Pregnancy Resource Act)
S.114 (telecommunication location information)
S.125 (nonprofit housing corporation property tax exemption)
S.150 (Rental Kart Age Act)
S.163 (cryptocurrency)
S.190 (redevelopment projects)
S.233 (Sexually Violent Predator Act)
S.235 (prostitution)
S.287 (electronic nicotine delivery systems)
S.405 (homicide by child abuse)
S.415 (kin-specific licensing standards)
S.439 (manufacturing property tax exemption)
S.449 (collaborative practice agreements)
S.477 (self-administered hormonal contraceptive)
S.526 (beach preservation appeals)
S.534 (removal of State Treasurer)
H.3021 (Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act)
H.3305 (Public Expression Protection Act)
H.3387 (unlawful occupants of property)
H.3431 (minors and social media)
H.3447 (homeowners association authority)
H.3556 (political party nominating contests)
H.3557 (candidate filing)
H.3570 (economic interests disclosures)
H.3645 (increase state employee paid parental leave)
H.3858 (boat taxes)
H.3876 (accommodations tax & short-term rental property)
H.3927 (prohibit DEI activities)
H.3930 (Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act)
H.4216 (income taxes)
Legislation that never advanced out of committee:
S.6 (FOIA)
S.46 (prohibit physician non-compete contracts)
S.47 (childcare tax credits)
S.60 (credit union public deposits)
S.222 (utility terrain vehicles)
S.274 (unemployment benefits)
S.331 (infant safe havens & safety boxes)
S.344 (Equine Advancement Act) and H.3279 (Equine Promotion Act)
S.447 (license plate readers)
H.3165 (annexation & impact fees)
H.3215 (building permits)
H.3399 (mandate filters on smartphones/tablets)
H.3405 (App Store Accountability Act)
H.3457 (Human Life Protection Act)
H.3503 (prohibit solid waste or mining facilities near public areas)
H.3777 (direct-to-consumer vehicle sales)
H.3874 (workers’ compensation medical fees)
H.3937 (possession of venomous reptiles)
H.4100 (possession of captive wildlife)
Committee Schedule
If a livestream link is not provided with a committee meeting that means livestream is not available. Additional meetings may be added during the week and while 24 hours notice is generally given, it is not always possible to provide such notice.
Senate Meetings
None.
House Meetings
None.
Key Dates
January 14, 2025: Session Convenes
January 16, 2025: Judicial Merit Selection Commission final report published
January 29, 2025: State of the State
February 5, 2025: Judicial elections
February 13, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) February revenue estimate
March 10-14, 2025: House floor budget deliberations
March 17-21, 2025: House Furlough Week (committee meetings only)
April 10, 2025: Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) April revenue estimate
April 14-18, 2025: House Furlough Week
April 21-24, 2025: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 8, 2025: Session Adjourns
July 1, 2025: Fiscal Year 2025-2026 begins
