Copper Dome Chronicle: 2026 Overtime Week 7
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Copper Dome Chronicle, sponsored by Advocatus USA. We strive for substantive writing with brevity, inspired by the book Smart Brevity.
This week’s edition, covering June 29 - July 3 is 938 words or a 4 minute read. The second regular session of the 126th General Assembly adjourned May 14, but a special session began on May 15. Thanks for reading and sharing; we welcome your feedback and commentary!
Resources
FY 2026-2027 Agency Budget Requests
2026 Candidate Tracking Portal
Overtime Week 7 Preview
Neither the House nor the Senate have announced a floor session for this week. However, after the House adjourned on June 25 House Speaker Murrell Smith stated at the end of session, “Everyone have a good evening and we may see you next week.”
Similarly, the Senate adjourned “subject to the Call of the Chair” with a condition: the Senate will meet in perfunctory session each Wednesday until the end of the special session to confirm magistrates that have the necessary support under Senate Rule 51(E) and that the Senate Clerk is authorized to endorse resolutions expressing congratulatory messages or sympathy under Senate Rule 22.
The Executive Budget Office informed state agencies on June 26 to prepare to operate under the continuing resolution because a new budget will not be enacted by July 1. July 3 is a state holiday in recognition of Independence Day. So if the General Assembly was to hold floor sessions this week, July 1 or July 2 appear to be the only available dates.
The three bills in the status of a conference committee:
H.5126 (FY27 Budget)
H.4337 (LAC powers & private organizations)
H.3570 (economic interests disclosures)
The H.4377 conference committee adopted a report on June 16 but it has not been considered by either chamber yet. The conference committee on H.3570 hasn’t met. The budget conference committee is scheduled to meet at 11am on June 30 - the last day of the state fiscal year.
Overtime Week 6 Review
The House and Senate each held a floor session on Thursday, June 25. The House floor session consumed 5 hours, 15 minutes while the Senate floor session consumed 4 hours, 32 minutes.
There were 13 bills in the status of a conference committee and here were the outcomes:
H.5126 (FY27 Budget) - Pending. The conference committee is meeting June 30.
H.4337 (LAC powers & private organizations) - Pending. Wasn’t considered even though the conference committee adopted a report on June 16.
S.11 (state employee paid parental leave) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.3021 (Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.3387 (unlawful occupants of property) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.4069 (patient billing) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.4248 (shrimp country of origin labeling) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.4635 (gym contract renewals) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
H.4709 (Buy American Iron and Steel Act) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
S.52 (DUI) - Probably dead. The House didn’t vote on it after the Senate rejected a free conference powers motion and seems unlikely another version will be adopted as an alternative.
H.3570 (economic interests disclosures) - Zombie (neither alive nor dead). Wasn’t considered and the conference committee hasn’t met on the bill.
H.4763 (Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction “HALO” Act) - Zombie (neither alive nor dead). The Senate adopted free conference powers and the conference report, but the House motion to adopt free conference powers failed on two separate votes, the first time by a single vote (needed 83 votes; received 82 votes with 15 excused absences). We’ll see if the third time’s a charm if and when the House returns to consider a budget.
H.3924 (regulate hemp-derived products) - Dead. The Senate adopted the conference report but the House overwhelmingly rejected it. Hemp-derived products will remain almost entirely free from state regulation and available for sale. However, law enforcement has made arrests and raids on wholesalers and retailers of these products despite no specific state law.
There were four bills Gov. McMaster vetoed that were considered last week:
S.238 (legislative session extension) - Veto overridden and bill becomes law
S.428 (fraudulent check expungement) - Veto overridden and bill becomes law
H.3558 (Commissioners to Article V Convention) - Veto overridden and bill becomes law
H.5164 (hospital beds in hallways) - No action taken because S.958 was signed into law so H.5164 is duplicative.
There are five other bills considered last week:
H.5538 (Guarantee Banking Act) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
S.1043 (Civil Air Patrol Leave Act) - Passed and enrolled for ratification.
S.922 (governor appointments) - On life support. The House nonconcurred in the Senate Amendments. Technically the Senate could recede from its amendments, which seems very unlikely, or request a conference committee. But at this last stage a path forward seems unlikely.
H.4300 (judges retirement & retirement age) - On life support. Amended and received second reading on the Senate calendar. If it receives a third reading in the Senate and the House is in session to receive the bill, it is possible the House concurs in the Senate amendments and the bill is sent to Gov. McMaster for his decision.
H.4042 (ivermectin over-the-counter sales) - Dead. The House recommitted the bill to the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
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.
Conference Committee Meetings
H.5126 Conference Committee
June 30, 11am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The conference committee will hold its second meeting on H.5126 (FY27 Budget).
Senate Meetings
As of June 27 no committee meetings have been scheduled.
House Meetings
House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee
July 1, 10:30am; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The subcommittee will hold its fourteenth meeting on the study of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Joint Meetings
Joint Bond Review Committee
August 11, 1pm; Agenda; Livestream
Summary: The JBRC agenda has not been posted.
2026 Key Dates
January 13, 2026: Session Convenes
January 28, 2026: Judicial Merit Selection Commission draft report published
January 28, 2026: State of the State Address
February 12, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update
March 4, 2026: Judicial elections
March 9-13, 2026: House floor budget deliberations
March 16-20: House furlough week
March 16, 2026: Candidate filing opens (all statewide constitutional offices, federal offices, SC House of Representatives)
March 30, 2026: Candidate filing closes
April 9, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update (cancelled)
April 6-10: House furlough week (confirmed)
April 20-24, 2026: Senate floor budget deliberations
May 14, 2026: Session Adjourns
May 19, 2026: BEA revenue forecast update -
