Legislative Update
News from the House of Representatives
House Resolutions
On Thursday the House adopted a resolution relating to the order of business of the House of Representatives, so as to add a time for special introductions, recognitions, and announcements to the daily order of business. The sum total of special introductions, recognitions, and announcements are not to exceed fifteen minutes, with no more than eight, each one not exceeding ninety seconds.
Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact
On Tuesday the House gave second reading to a bill by Representative Mike Gambrell that would reenact the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact of 2008. The Compact expired on June 1, 2014 so the new legislation makes the reenacted provisions retroactive to the expiration date. The Compact was created for the purposes of regulating certain designated insurance products and advertisement of those products uniformly among the states that are compact members. Upon third reading of the bill on Wednesday by the House, the measure was referred to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
South Carolina Workforce Development Act
The House approved legislation this week by Representative Brian White creating the South Carolina Workforce Development Act. The bill creates the Coordinating Council for Workforce Development within the Department of Commerce to develop a comprehensive plan for workforce development. The Council is to coordinate with the Department of Education, the Department of Employment and Workforce, the Department of Commerce, the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, and the Commission on Higher Education to recommend improvements to the state’s training system. The Council is to advocate for the state training system and for meeting the needs of employers and the workforce for workforce education and training. Reports to the General Assembly and Governor are due by December 31, 2017, and annually after, on progress on the state plan and make additional recommendations as necessary. The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
2016 House Budget Calendar
The House Ways & Means Committee has released the House’s tentative 2016 budget calendar, which is listed below. Please note that the schedule has been updated and the full House deliberations have been pushed back until March 21st.
- February 2-4: Budget Subcommittee Meetings
- February 9-11: Budget Subcommittee Meetings
- February 16-18: Proviso Subcommittee Meetings
- February 22-25: Full Ways & Means Committee Budget Deliberations
- March 1-3: Appropriation Bill Printed
- March 8-10: Printed Appropriation Bill Distributed to All House Members
- March 15-17: Printed Appropriation Bill Distributed to All House Members
- March 21-24: House Floor Budget Deliberations
News from the Senate
Department of Transportation
On Thursday the Senate voted to confirm Christy Hall as the Secretary of the Department of Transportation by a unanimous vote. The Senate Transportation Committee approved Ms. Hall’s nomination last week.
Civil Liability
The Senate gave second reading to a bill by Representative Bill Sandifer this week that would provide circumstances in which a person is immune from civil liability for property damage resulting from his forcible entry into a motor vehicle to remove a child who he reasonably believes is in imminent danger or suffering harm if not removed. The Senate amended the bill to include immunity from civil liability for property damage resulting from his forcible entry into a motor vehicle to remove a vulnerable adult from the vehicle if the person has a reasonable good faith belief that forcible entry into the vehicle is necessary because of imminent danger of suffering harm. The bill received second reading by a vote of 35-2 and must receive third reading before it is returned to the House for its consideration of the Senate amendments.