Road fixes, pay raises, hemp ban? What may become law in SC as deadline looms

South Carolina lawmakers only have two weeks — six working days— left to pass new laws this year.

Income tax reform, gender restrictions on public school bathrooms and a bill keeping NIL payments to athletes a secret have cleared the General Assembly this year. But lawmakers want to pass other pieces of legislation before the May 14 deadline.

The General Assembly can also agree to come back after the last official day of session, but it’s currently unclear what issues beyond the state budget would be included in such a deal. If lawmakers don’t finish their work or don’t have a sine die agreement, the governor could also call them back.

Here’s some of the pending legislation that could still become law this year:

Department of Transportation reform

The House and Senate passed massive legislation intended to make the state Department of Transportation more efficient, including allowing the agency to contract with private entities for infrastructure projects, create optional toll lanes and take over environmental permitting from the federal government.

The House made some key changes in April, and the two chambers will have to reconcile their differences in conference committee.

One point of contention between the House and the Senate may be whether to disband the Department of Transportation’s commission.

If representatives from the House and Senate agree to a finished bill and both chambers approve, it will head to the governor’s desk.

Adjusting DUI laws

Both the House and the Senate also passed an overhaul of the state’s DUI laws with the goal of reducing intoxicated drivers.

But it’s likely the DUI reform will also go to conference committee over some changes made in the House. The lower chamber watered down some of the Senate’s blood testing requirements, including limiting where the draws could take place.

Edible THC regulation

Instating new rules for South Carolina’s growing intoxicating hemp industry has been one of the more chaotic legislative processes this year, but lawmakers say their goal is to either regulate or ban the products before the end of session.

After several days of debate in March, the Senate opted to regulate hemp products, picking and choosing where the edibles could be sold. The House did not agree to the other chamber’s amendments and passed conflicting language to both ban THC and only allow adults 21 and older to obtain it.

The hemp bill will now go to conference committee, where six lawmakers will have to decide whether to ban THC products. If they don’t ban it, they could agree on a regulation for both full chambers to approve.

Revamping the Heritage Act

Reforming South Carolina’s Heritage Act, which protects monuments and memorials from being moved or altered, cleared the Senate last month.

The bill expands which monuments are protected, gives more groups standing to sue if the law is violated and bans signs and QR codes not original to the memorial.

It’s expected to get a vote in the House, said Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens. The legislation passed a panel of House lawmakers in late April.

Tax cuts

In addition to income tax reform, the Senate passed a homestead exemption on property tax for seniors. It’s up in the air if the House will take up the bill or budget for the tax cut.

The House also sent a tax cut for small businesses to the Senate, which would exempt the first $10,000 on business equipment. The proposal passed a panel of lawmakers late last month.

Charter school reform

More accountability for charter schools and their authorizers may also become law this year. A charter school reform bill passed the Senate and was heavily amended in the House this year.

The legislation could go to conference committee, or the two chambers could work out a compromise bill before the end of session.

Other possible new laws

The House moved several other consequential bills through this year, and the Senate will take up some before the end of session, Majority Leader Shane Massey told reporters Thursday.

Which bills hasn’t been determined, he said.

A bill directing agencies to cut regulations passed the House last year and an amended version cleared a Senate panel late last month. Regulatory reform was a priority for the Senate’s Republican caucus early this year.

The House cleared some legislation involving culture war issues, like requiring local police agencies to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a “parental rights” bill and a proposal to reschedule abortion medication.

The chamber also passed a large insurance bill aiming to lower prices in part by cracking down on fraud. An overhaul of the way South Carolina picks judges also passed the lower chamber, but there hasn’t been discussion in the Senate to take it up, Massey said.

The Senate sent a $25,000 pay raise for all lawmakers to the House, who will likely be hesitant to take it up in an election year. The Senate also passed a one-year budget item raising in-district pay by $18,000, which is up in the air if it will end up in the final spending plan.