From the Dome to Your Home: March 27, 2015
The House of Representatives and Senate were in session this week and held subcommittee and committee meetings. The House is on furlough until Tuesday, April 14. The Senate plans to take furlough next Thursday and the following week.
House Ways and Means Committee approves roads plan
On Tuesday, a House Ways and Means subcommittee approved H3579, a bill to reform SC DOT, with a strike and insert amendment that erased all of the language in the bill and replaced it with language that proposes solutions for the state's roads. Later in the week, the full House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill including an amendment that allows cities, towns and counties to opt in or out of taking on state roads. However, there was no funding included in the amendment for cities and counties that choose to accept the roads. Municipal Association staff is working with committee leadership and staff to develop a funding plan if cities choose to opt in and take state roads. For information about this bill, contact Melissa Carter (mcarter@masc.sc) at 803.933.1251.
House Judiciary subcommittee amends and passes Senate agenda bill
The House Judiciary Constitutional Laws subcommittee gave S11, the Senate version of the public agenda bill, a favorable report with an amendment on Wednesday. The amendment strikes all of the language in the Senate version of the bill and replaces it with the language from H3192, the House version of the agenda bill. Both of these bills require agendas for all regularly scheduled meetings of a public body. For information about this bill, contact Tiger Wells (twells@masc.sc) at 803.933.1270.
Weekly bill introductions
Committee action this week
House Judiciary Committee
H3685 - Adds a five dollar surcharge on all monetary penalties imposed by municipal courts - adjourned debate
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires a five dollar surcharge imposed on all monetary penalties imposed by a general sessions, magistrates or municipal court for misdemeanor traffic or non-traffic offenses where an electronic ticket or citation was issued.
H3433 - Domestic Violence Reform Act - favorable report with an amendment. As soon as the amendment is written, it will be available on the tracking system.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Restructures the domestic violence offenses by graduating the penalties into degrees.
H3521 - Prevents a court or other enforcement authority from enforcing foreign law - no action taken although it was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Prevents a court or other enforcement authority from enforcing foreign law.
Senate Judiciary Committee
S255 - Requires removal of arrest records on websites if the charges have been dismissed or discharged - favorable report with an amendment. The amendment provides that dismissed criminal offenses, including traffic offenses and local ordinance offenses for which an individual was not fingerprinted, are eligible for expungement.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires removal of arrest records on websites within 30 days if the charges have been dismissed, discharged or the person is found not guilty.
S512 - Outlines different penalties for willful damage to a water system - favorable report with an amendment. The amendment reduces the penalties from felonies to misdemeanors.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Provides different penalties for willful damage to a water system based on the amount of property damage.
Senate Finance Committee
S523 - South Carolina Collective Road Act - favorable report with amendments. As soon as the amendments are finalized by Senate staff, they will be posted in the tracking system.
Summary of the bill as introduced: Increases fees and taxes to pay for road and infrastructure maintenance.
Senate Finance Special Transportation Funding subcommittee
S2 - Establishes the Interstate Lane Expansion Fund - no action although the bill was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Increases the number of lanes on existing mainline interstates with funding from the taxes from the sale, use or titling of a motor vehicle.
S23 - Adds a motor vehicle user fee of 16 cents per diesel gallon to liquefied natural gas - no action although the bill was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Adds a motor vehicle user fee of 16 cents per diesel gallon to liquefied natural gas.
S142 - Requires all excess general fund revenues to be credited to the State Highway Fund - no action although the bill was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires all excess general fund revenues accumulated in a fiscal year in excess of general appropriations and supplemental appropriations to be credited to the State Highway Fund for improvements to existing mainline interstates and state and local roads.
S244 - Local Option Motor Fuel User Fee Act - no action although the bill was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Allows a county to impose by ordinance and approved by referendum a user fee of no more than five cents a gallon on retail sales of fuel for the sole purpose of road improvement projects and road maintenance within the county.
S406 - Increases the gas tax and provides an income tax credit - no action although the bill was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Directs the State Fiscal Accountability Authority to establish a motor fuel surcharge and provide for a refundable income tax credit for taxpayers who pay the motor fuel surcharge.
Senate Judiciary subcommittee
S133 - Requires automatic expungement of non-violent crimes that occurred before the age of 16 - carried over
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires automatic expungement of non-violent crimes that occurred before the age of 16 years old.
Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
S389 - Provides further definitions for Business Development Corporations - favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Outlines the way business development corporations are organized, regulated and permitted to operate.
Senate Transportation Committee
S561 - Reforms the SC Department of Transportation - carried over
Summary of the bill as introduced: Changes the governing structure of the SC Department of Transportation.
S409 - South Carolina Transportation Companies Act - carried over
Summary of the bill as introduced: Outlines the regulations for transportation network companies such as Uber under the Office of Regulatory Staff and exempts these companies from regulation by the Public Service Commission. This bill also exempts transportation network companies from municipal regulation.
Senate Judiciary subcommittee
S47 - Requires all state and local law enforcement officers to wear body cameras - no action although it was on the agenda
Summary of the bill as introduced: Requires all state and local law enforcement officers to wear body cameras.
House Labor, Commerce and Industry Banking and Consumer Affairs subcommittee
H3785 - Provides further definitions for Business Development Corporations - favorable report
Summary of the bill as introduced: Outlines the way business development corporations are organized, regulated and permitted to operate.
Don't forget to follow the Municipal Association on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute updates on what's happening every day at the State House. Follow us @MuniAssnSC.
The Municipal Association encourages reprints and reproductions of this report; however, contact the Municipal Association for permission and give credit for any reprints or re-use of this report.