2025 Bills Somebody Wants as Law in South Carolina
2025 marks the first year of South Carolina's two-year legislative cycle. The General Assembly will convene for the 2025-26 legislative session on Tuesday, January 14. As such, South Carolina legislators pre-file hundreds of bills every year ahead of the January session.
Here are a few that have been filed in South Carolina for the 2025 Term:
School vouchers (S. 62): After seeing two private school voucher plans struck down in the S.C. Supreme Court due to the state constitution’s prohibition against using public funds to benefit private schools, supporters are now proposing to use state lottery dollars to fund the program. Under the bill, families making up to $187,000 would be eligible. Primary sponsor: Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry.
Raise teacher pay (S. 30): Higher teacher salaries are a bipartisan priority heading into the next session, with the S.C. Education Department already requesting a new $50,000 minimum, up from $47,000 this year. Going even further, and more of a stretch, is S. 30, which would require teachers “to be paid the average national teacher salary instead of the Southeastern average.” The national average is currently $71,699. Primary sponsor: Sen. Karl Allen, D-Greenville.
Hate crimes (H. 3039): Named the “Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act” in remembrance of the nine parishioners lost in the hate-fueled massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in 2015, the law would stiffen penalties for crimes motivated by racial, religious or other animus. Previous versions of the bill have passed the House in each of the last two sessions before dying in the Senate without a vote. South Carolina and Wyoming are currently the only states without a hate crimes law on the books. Primary sponsor: Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston.
Nuclear restart (S. 51): The 2017 collapse of the V.C. Summer nuclear power project sent several utility officials to prison and left ratepayers on the hook for $9 billion. After a state panel determined earlier this year that the project could in theory be restarted to allow the state to generate much-needed power, this bill would direct state-owned utility Santee Cooper to invite proposals from private companies to complete the project using non-public funds. Primary sponsor: Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort.
Diversity, equity and inclusion ban (H. 3184): With university DEI departments under fire across the country, this legislation would restrict DEI initiatives in state institutions of higher education. The ban would include mandatory DEI training, DEI statements and the consideration of diversity issues in admissions and employment decisions. Primary sponsor: Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Spartanburg.
Tax-free baby formula (S. 14): Under current law, South Carolina exempts several categories of goods and services, including unprepared food and prescription medicines, from the state’s 6% sales tax. Under this bill, which already has two Republican cosponsors, baby formula and baby food would be added to the list. Primary sponsor: Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.
Death penalty for abortion (H. 3537): Under current law, abortions are banned in South Carolina after six weeks, with limited exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. This bill would effectively ban the procedure by establishing that life begins at conception and bringing abortion under the state’s homicide statutes, which allow the death penalty for murder. Primary sponsor: Rep. Robert Harris, R-Spartanburg.
No income tax up to $1M (H. 3498): House leaders have said that income tax cuts will be a major focus in 2025, with a goal of getting rates below the Southeastern average. The most ambitious legislation filed to date is H. 3498, which would set the tax bracket on all income up to $1 million at 0%. Primary sponsor: Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Berkeley.
Medical marijuana for veterans with PTSD (H. 3018): After failing to get medical marijuana legislation over the finish line in the last two sessions, supporters will try again next year with a limited initiative to OK the use of marijuana by U.S. military veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Under the bill, vets with a combat-related diagnosis of PTSD and an honorable discharge would be allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana or 10 grams of hashish. Primary sponsor: Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.
A voter referendum on Medicaid expansion (H. 3377): Facing seemingly implacable opposition from Gov. Henry McMaster and GOP supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature, Democratic supporters of Medicaid expansion are now proposing to let the voters have their say directly in a non-binding advisory referendum. South Carolina is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, leaving more than 350,000 otherwise eligible residents without coverage. Primary sponsor: Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Richland.
No gender changes on birth certificates (H. 3095): With youth gender-dysphoria treatment bans such as the one passed in S.C. last year under active review in the U.S. Supreme Court, S.C. Sen. Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, has said that further transgender legislation is unlikely to be a priority. Nevertheless, this House bill would prohibit gender changes on state-issued birth certificates. Primary sponsor: Rep. Steven Long, R-Spartanburg.
Sports betting (H. 3625): Despite almost $300,000 in lobbying support from major industry players like the Sports Betting Alliance, a bill to legalize mobile phone-based sports gambling in the Palmetto State died late in the 2024 session. Supporters of proposed legislation note that North Carolina has brought in about $100 million in sports gambling tax revenues since instituting it nine months ago. Opponents point to studies showing that severe problem gambling rates rise dramatically after such laws are passed. Primary sponsor: Rep. Chris Murphy, R-Dorchester.
Others of Interest:
H. 3125 Elimination of state income tax – This bill would repeal the state income tax of individuals, estates, and trusts.
H.3298 Overtime income tax exemption – This bill would make overtime income exempt from income tax.
H.3424 South Carolina Property Tax Relief for Seniors Act – This bill proposes increasing the property tax exemption for seniors, disabled individuals, and the legally blind by raising the exemption from the first $50,000 to the first $1 million of their home's market value.
S. 132 Economic Incentive Clawback – This bill would attempt to recover the funds granted to Scout motors in the incentives deal passed in 2023.
H.3033 Lawyer-legislators participation in judicial elections – States that members of the General Assembly who are attorneys licensed to practice law in South Carolina cannot vote or participate in the election process of any judge or justice before whom the attorney has appeared, or had appeared before, in the preceding five-year period.
H.3526 Judicial election reform – This bill proposes an amendment to the Constitution regarding the process of selecting judges. Under the proposed amendment, judges would be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the General Assembly.
H.3526 Tort Reform – This bill would allow for nonparties or entities to be included when determining allocation of fault. (Similar: S. 133)
H.3646 Meeting Transparency Act – This bill mandates that meetings of legislative committees and school district boards of trustees must be publicly accessible through live electronic means, such as livestreams, and archived for later viewing, with accompanying records, including minutes and voting details.
H.3647 Earmark Transparency Act – This bill establishes transparency and accountability for earmarks in appropriations bills by requiring written documentation of requests, public posting of details, restrictions on awards to organizations linked to lawmakers or their families, and conditions for agencies passing funds to private entities.
H.3648 Budget Transparency Act – enhances public access to budgetary and operational information by requiring state agencies to justify and publish budget requests, mandating local governments to post detailed financial and operational data online, ensuring meeting records and voting results are promptly archived.
H.3011 Parental Bill of Rights – This bill asserts that the state cannot infringe upon a parent's fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, healthcare, and mental health of their child. (Similar bills: H.3118, H.3185)
H.3199 Open enrollment in public schools – This bill allows parents to apply to enroll their children in any public school, regardless of their designated attendance zone. The bill also states that each school board must develop an open enrollment policy.
H.3200 School board transparency – Requires school boards to “make reasonable and necessary efforts” to ensure the entirety of meetings are open and accessible to the public and available by means of live streaming. (Similar: S. 77)
H.3208 Grade inflation prohibition – This bill would require the state Board of Education to update the uniform grading scale for high schools to make grading a more accurate reflection of students' academic achievement.
S.50 Academic Choice in Education fund – A tax credit scholarship program. The program would be a new income tax credit for contributions to scholarship organizations that help students attend certain private and home schools.
H.3021 Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act – Creates the "Small Business Regulatory Review Committee" with the goal of reducing regulatory requirements by 25 percent. It aims to achieve this by reviewing existing regulations, requiring that for every new regulation introduced, two existing regulations must be removed, allowing challenges to existing regulations in court, and introducing expiration dates for regulations.
H.3322 Tax litigation deference – This bill requires that all legal decisions made by a court must be based on the law itself, without giving preference to any previous interpretations made by the Department of Revenue.
H.3334 South Carolina Government Efficiency Act – Would establish the "South Carolina Government Efficiency Task Force" to develop recommendations for improving and streamlining government operations.
H.3282 Lieutenant Governor as Transportation Secretary – This bill delegates the role and responsibilities of Secretary of Transportation to the Lieutenant Governor.
H.3387 Unlawful occupants – This bill allows property owners to quickly remove unlawful occupants by initiating a court process that can result in an immediate order for their removal.
New Year, New Desires for those that represent us. Do these bills represent your desires? If you need an attorney for any actions that are about to become illegal, get ahead of the game and give us a call at Winslow Law: 843-357-9301
May God Bless You, Your Business, and the United States of America,
Tom Winslow
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