The first month of session has been packed with committees and subcommittees, many of which include the Chamber’s priorities. Please see below for a full list of Chamber priorities that may be making their way to the House or Senate floor soon.
S. 778 Social Work Licensure Compact – Favorable Report, moves to Senate Floor
S. 778 passed out of the Senate Family and Veteran Services committee with unanimous approval. The bill now heads to the Senate floor. This directly addresses the Chamber’s priority to expand membership into additional interstate licensing compacts so that military spouses can more readily participate in SC’s workforce.
H. 4710 Maximum Potential Unemployment Benefits – Favorable Report, moves to House Floor
H. 4710 indexes unemployment benefits to economic conditions. During economic conditions where jobs are plentiful, unemployment benefits will last 12 weeks. In poor economic conditions where it is more challenging to find a job, benefits will last the full 20 weeks. This is part of a package of bills the House hopes to pass this year to address labor shortages and workforce participation in South Carolina.
S. 298 Allocation and Apportionment – Favorable Report, moves to House Floor
S. 298 passed the Senate last session. Since it is the second year of a two-year session, bills can start off where they finished last year. The bill creates clarity for businesses when completing their taxes. SC currently advertises itself as a separate entity apportionment state, but the SC Department of Revenue (SCDOR) can force a combination. This bill articulates criteria and standards to justify separate filing.
S. 944/H. 4832 Paid Family Leave – Both advance to Full Committee
Both S. 944 and H. 4832 allows employers to work with their insurance providers to create their own voluntary insurance coverage options that fit their business needs. The policy would function similarly to any other supplemental policy an employer offers, like dental, vision or short-term disability. Four other states in the Southeast have passed similar legislation in recent years – Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia, empowering small and medium sized businesses to increase their competitiveness in recruiting and retaining top talent.
There are a series of other bills we have been working on the last few weeks that will need to be amended or discussed further before they pass out of committee for floor debate. These include:
- H. 4087 Knowledge Based Economic Development Incentives
- H. 4673 Beginner’s Permits
- H. 4823 Expedited Licensing and Permitting
- S. 862 Childcare Worker Requirements
If you have any specific questions on any bills mentioned, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Have a great weekend!
