The South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police is committed to keeping law enforcement officers informed about legislative developments that impact our profession. This page provides weekly updates on key activities at the South Carolina Statehouse, including our legislative priorities, bills we support, and legislation we are monitoring. We actively advocate for policies that enhance officer safety, strengthen law enforcement resources, and protect the rights of those who serve.

PRIORITIES

Our top legislative initiatives aimed at strengthening law enforcement and public safety in South Carolina.

RETURN TO WORK LEGISLATION

H.3437	Reps. Pope et. al.	Return to Work (Critical Need) for Law Enforcement	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3542	Rep. Williams	Lifting the cap if retires before January 2, 2026	Referred To Ways and Means
S.107	Senator Rice	Retirement Earnings Limitation – Raises cap to about $22,320.	Referred To Finance
S.118	Senator Adams	Constables Not Subject to Earnings Limitation	Referred To Finance
S.119	Senator Adams	Lifts the 10,000 Earnings Limitation with 90 Days separation	Referred To Finance

RETIREE PENSION COLA INCREASES & TAX BREAKS

S.64	Senator Hembree	Retirement Income Tax Deduction for First Responders	Referred To Finance
H.3410	Rep. Hardee	Property (Vehicle) Tax Exemption for Former First Responders	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3416	Rep. Kilmartin	Retirement income Tax Deduction for First Responders	Referred To Ways and Means
H.4175	Reps. Caskey et. al.	Exclude Wages Earned by Law Enforcement from Calculation of SC Income and Prohibit the Withholding of Taxes of Such Wages.	Referred to House Ways and Means

PROTECTING LAW ENFORCEMENT K9s

H.3034	Reps. Collins and Wooten	Enhanced penalties for injuring police animals	Referred To Judiciary – Awaiting Subcommittee Meeting
S.427	Sen. Adams	Enhanced penalties for injuring police animals	Heard by Senate Full Judiciary Tuesday, April 15th, → Reported Out Favorable and Placed on the Senate Calendar

HALO PROTECTION

H.3535	Reps. Wooten et. al.	Creates 25 foot buffer for law enforcement	Heard by House Judiciary Criminal Laws Subcommittee Wednesday, April 9, 2025 → Meeting was Adjourned Prior to Discussion of the Bill
S.175	Senator Zell	Creates 25 foot buffer for law enforcement	Referred To Judiciary

NON-FATAL STRANGULATION LAW

H.3522	Reps. Caskey et. al.	Defines Strangulation	Referred to Judiciary – Awaiting Subcommittee Hearing (Currently has 7 sponsors)
S.455	Senator Adams	Defines Strangulation (Companion Bill to H.3522)	Referred to Judiciary

POLICE WEEK RECOGNITION

Bill #	Sponsor(s)	Description	Status
S.542	Senator Davis	Senate Resolution To Recognize May 11 Through May 17, 2025, As “Police Week In South Carolina”	Referred to Medical Affairs
H.4314	Reps. Yow et. al.	House Resolution To Recognize May 11 Through May 17, 2025, As “Police Week In South Carolina”	Introduced in the House and Adopted

LEGISLATION WE SUPPORT

Bills that align with our mission and directly benefit law enforcement officers and their families.

Bill #	Sponsor(s)	Description	Status
H.3003	Reps. Collins and Beach	Officer Matthew Logan Hare Memorial Avenue	Adopted by the Senate and Returned to House with Concurrence
H.3052	Reps. Pope and Wooten	Enhanced Penalties for Assault on Law Enforcement Officer	Referred to Judiciary
H.3053	Reps. Pope et. al.	Violent Crimes, Discharging Firearms into Dwellings	Referred to Judiciary
H.3055	Reps Wooten et. al	Harassment and Stalking	Referred to Judiciary
H.3093	Rep. Moss	Enhanced Penalties for Assaulting a First Responder or Healthcare Worker	Referred to Judiciary
H.3124	Reps. Pope et. al.	Exposing First Responders to Fentanyl	Referred to Judiciary
H.3127	Rep. Robbins, Wooten and Lawson	Failure to Stop	The Bill was Sent to the Senate and Referred to Judiciary → The Bill was Recalled from Senate Judiciary Committee and Placed on the Senate Calendar
H.3159	Rep. Yow	Allows Retired Officer to Carry a Concealed Weapon	Referred to Judiciary
H.3176	Rep. Davis	Enhanced Penalties for Failure to Stop	Referred to Judiciary
H.3258	Reps. Pope et. al.	Requires Department of Education to Install Mobile Panic Alert Systems in All Public Schools	The Bill was Taken up Thursday, April 10th, 2025 → The Bill was improperly before the House for consideration since its number and title have not been printed in the House Calendar at least one statewide legislative day prior to second reading.
H.3259	Reps. Pope and Gilliam	First Responder Automobile Insurance Premiums	Scheduled to be Heard by full Banking and Insurance Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 10am in 209 Gressette. → The Bill Was Passed Out Of Committee Favorably And Placed On The Senate Calendar
H.3261	Reps. Pope and Gilliam	Workers’ Comp to Include Coverage for PTSD for First Responders	Referred to Labor, Commerce and Industry
H.3276	Reps. Pope et. al.	South Carolina Hands Free Act	The Bill was Heard by Senate Transportation Full Committee Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 → The Bill was Reported Out Favorably as Amended and Placed on the senate Calendar
H.3281	Reps. McCravy et. al.	Fallen First Responders Advocate Position	Referred to Judiciary
H.3392	Rep. Moss	Enhanced Penalties for Assaulting a Healthcare Worker or Emergency Response Employee	Referred to Judiciary
H.3295	Rep. Hardy	Release of Vehicle Location Information to Law Enforcement Agency in Emergency Situations.	Referred to Judiciary
H.3315	Rep. Collins	Authorize Correctional Officers to Serve Warrants without Magistrate Endorsing the Warrant.	Referred to Judiciary
H.3363	Rep. B. Newton, et.al.	Catawba Nation to Become An Employer Under PEBA.	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3460	Rep. Wooten	Disclosure of Electronic Communication to Law Enforcement, Solicitors and Attorney General	Recommitted to Subcommittee Similar Bill S.74 is Being Debated.
H.3461	Rep Lawson	Excludes First Responder Wages from SC Gross Income	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3650	Reps. G.M. Smith et. al.	Discharging Firearms into Dwellings and other Structures	Heard By Full Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, April 15 at 2pm or 15 minutes Upon Adjournment In 308 Gressette → The Bill was Reported Out Favorable and on Senate Calendar
H.4336	Reps. Hartnett et. al.	Relating To Assault And Battery Offenses, So As To Provide That Assault And Battery Of A High And Aggravated Nature Occurs When A Person Injures A Federal, State, Or Local Law Enforcement Officer Or Corrections Officer; A Healthcare Professional, Healthcare Worker, Or An Emergency Response Employee; Or An Educational Professional During Or Because Of The Person’s Official Duties.	Referred to Judiciary
S.71	Senator Hembree	Enhanced Penalties for Assault and Battery Against a Law Enforcement Officer	Referred to Judiciary
S.74	Senator Hembree	Disclosure of Electronic Communications and Other Records	Placed on House Contested Calendar and Up for Second Reading Friday, April 11th, 2025
S.111	Senator Rice	Enhanced Penalties for Vehicle Pursuit	Passed to Senate Floor as Amended → Placed on Senate Calendar
S.127	Senator Johnson	Adds Catawba Nation to PORS	Passed the Senate and Sent to the House → Referred to House Ways and Means

LEGISLATION WE ARE MONITORING

Legislative proposals we are tracking to assess their potential impact on law enforcement and public safety.

Bill #	Sponsor(s)	Description	Status
H.3016	Rep. Rutherford	Interrogation of Child	Referred to Judiciary
H.3068	Rep. Rutherford	Revised forfeiture procedures	Referred to Judiciary
H.3126	Rep. Pope	Creation of the South Carolina Department of Law Enforcement and Public Safety	Referred to Judiciary
H.3131	Rep. Rutherford	Disallows Law Enforcement from Purchasing Cell Site Simulator	Referred to Judiciary
H.3133	Rep. Rutherford	Disallows Law Enforcement from Stopping Vehicles that don’t have License Plate Illumination	Referred to Education and Public Works
H.3134	Rep. Rutherford	Disallows Law Enforcement from Purchasing Cell Site Simulator	Referred to Judiciary
H.3139	Rep. Rutherford	Certification of Law Enforcement Officers	Referred to Judiciary
H.3155	Rep. Rutherford	Automatic License Plate Readers	Referred to Judiciary
H.3170	Rep. Beach	Unlawful to Drive Vehicles with Drivers’ Licenses Not Recognized.	Referred to Education and Public Works
H.3283	Rep. Long	CWP on College Campuses	Referred to Judiciary
H.3285	Rep. Landing	Education of Law Enforcement Officers or EMS to Include Training Course in Autism	The Bill Received Second Reading Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 → The Bill Passed the House and Sent to the Senate and Referred to Judiciary
H.3288	Rep. J.L. Johnson	Allows Persons who are Subjects of Body Camera Video Data to Receive Footage by Simple Request.	Referred to Judiciary
H.3289	Rep. J.L. Johnson	Include 911 Operators as “First Responders”	Referred to Ways and Means
H.3378	Rep. Burns et al.	Exempt All Property from Taxation and Provide Dollar-for-Dollar Reimbursement to Political Subdivisions	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3421	Rep. Long	Retirement Investment Commission Cannot Invest Funds with China	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3794	Reps. Mitchell and Pope	Allow Public Defender Investigators to Carry Concealable Weapons	Referred To Judiciary
H.3799	Reps. Wooten et. al.	Law Enforcement Officer Certificates of Compliance	Referred To Judiciary
H.3806	Reps. Hart and Henderson-Meyers	Driving While Using Wireless Communication Devices	Referred To Judiciary
H.3855	Reps. Huff et. al.	Sales Tax Exemption for Small Arms and Small Arms Ammunition	Referred To Ways and Means
H.3868	Reps. J. Moore et. al.	Sale, Exchange or Transfer of Firearms Require National Instant Criminal Background Checks	Referred To Judiciary
H.4005	Reps. Henderson-Meyers et. al.	Driving Under the Influence	Referred To Judiciary
H.4011	Rep. Erickson	Department of Motor Vehicles – “Temporary Driving Certificate”	Referred To Education and Public Works
H.4013	Reps. J.E. Johnson et. al.	Automated License Plate Readers	Referred To Education and Public Works
H.4092	Reps. Kilmartin et. al.	Sales Tax Exemption During The Month Of July 2025 For Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns, And Ammunition	Referred to Ways and Means
S.8	Senator Jackson	Training Council to Set Policies and Procedures for Vehicle Pursuits	Heard in Judiciary Subcommittee Thursday, March 13, 2025 → Carried Over Due to Time Constraints
S.90	Senator Young	Hands Free Act	Referred To Transportation
S.126	Senator Johnson	Relating to Definitions, so as to Include Additional Information in the Definition of “Personal Contact Information” and to Define “Disclosed Records”	The Bill was taken up on the House Floor Wednesday, April 10th, 2025 → The Bill was Given Third Reading Define “Disclosed Records” and Enrolled for Ratification
S.136	Senator Tedder	Dismissal of Pending Gun Possession Charges	Heard by House Judiciary General Laws Subcommittee Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 → The Bill was Reported Out Favorably
S.142	Senator Devine	Requires CJA to Develop Use of Force Model Policy, Qualified Immunity	Referred To Judiciary
S.145	Senator Devine	Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act Repeal	Referred To Judiciary
S.149	Senator Devine	Juvenile Justice Reform Act	Referred To Judiciary
S.156	Senators Alexander et. al.	Fentanyl Induced Homicide	The Bill, as Amended, was Given a Second Reading Wednesday, April 10th, 2025 → The Bill was Read for the Third Time and Returned to the Senate with Amendments
S.168	Senator Campsen	Concealed Weapon Permits Program	Heard by Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Wednesday, March 12, 2025 → Carried Over to Next Subcommittee Hearing (Author of the bill, Senator Campsen, was not present)
S.270	Senators Alexander et. al.	Define Attempted Murder	The bill was given consideration on the Senate floor April 1, 2025 → Discussion of the Bill Was Carried Over
S.297	Senator Turner	Employer And Employee Contribution Rates Under SCRS And PORS	Referred To Finance
S.300	Senator Tedder	Background Checks Before Sale or Transfer of Firearms	Referred To Judiciary
S.338	Senators Climer and Kimbrell	Second Amendment Privacy Act	Referred to Judiciary
S.386	Senator Elliott	Retired Law Enforcement Officers – Concealed Weapons Permit	Referred to Judiciary
S.398	Senators Stubbs and Zell	Allow Individuals With Military Or Law Enforcement Experience To Be Eligible To Be Appointed As A Magistrate In Counties With Less Than Fifty Thousand People.	Referred to Judiciary
S.447	Senator Adams	Automated License Plate Reader System	Scheduled To Be Heard By Full Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, April 15 at 2pm or 15 minutes Upon Adjournment In 308 Gressette → Carried Over
S.448	Senator Tedder et. al.	Electronic Driver’s License System	Referred to Transportation
S.542	Senator Davis	Senate Resolution To Recognize May 11 Through May 17, 2025, As “Police Week In South Carolina”	Referred to Medical Affairs
S.518	Senator Grooms	“South Carolina Pray Safe Act”	Referred to Judiciary
S.520	Senator Davis	“South Carolina Pray Safe Act”	Referred to Judiciary
S.521	Senator Garrett	Allows Municipal Court Judges To Participate In PORS	Referred to Judiciary

REGULATIONS

Updates to the South Carolina Code of State Regulations

Bill #	Sponsor(s)	Description	Status
5302	SCCJA	Investigation of Events Requiring Withdrawal of Certification; Notification to Officer	Approved by House Regs Committee
5304	SCCJA	37-108. Sanctions	Approved by House Regs Committee

LEGISLATIVE INTRODUCTIONS

House and Senate Legislation Introduced this Week

Bill #	Sponsor(s)	Description	Status

FY25-26 APPROPRIATIONS BILL

This section outlines the South Carolina FOP’s priorities and positions regarding the Fiscal Year 2025–2026 Appropriations Bill, with a focus on funding provisions that directly impact law enforcement operations, officer safety, and public safety initiatives statewide.

Bill #
H 4025	Ways and Means Committee	Members of the House passed their version of the $14 billion FY25-26 Appropriations Bill on Wednesday, March 13, 2025. The House Version of the Budget Bill is Posted at: 2025-26 General Appropriations Bill – House of Representatives 2025-26 General Appropriations Bill – Senate Finance Committee – Summary Control Document 2025-26 General Appropriations Bill – Senate Finance Committee Proviso Changes	Heard by Senate Finance Full Committee Tuesday, April 8, 2025 → Passed to the Senate Floor as Amended
H4026	Ways and Means Committee	Members of the House passed their version of the FY25-26 Capital Reserve Fund Joint Resolution on Wednesday. The House Version of the Capital Reserve Fund Joint Resolution is Posted at:  https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4026.htm   2025-26 General Appropriations Bill – Senate Finance Committee – Summary Control Document	Heard by Senate Finance Full Committee Tuesday, April 8, 2025 → Passed to the Senate Floor as Amended

The Return to Work Program Provisio is reauthorized in the proposed budget.

108.14 – PEBA: PORS and SCRS Return to Work
For the current fiscal year, the earnings limitation does not apply to retirees in either the Police Officer Retirement System (PORS) or the South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS) if the retiree has not worked in any compensated capacity—including as an employee, independent contractor, leased employee, or otherwise—for a participating employer for at least twelve consecutive months following retirement.

• The exemption is only valid after the retiree certifies that they meet the twelve-month requirement.
• If a retiree inaccurately certifies their eligibility, they will be required to repay any benefits that were incorrectly paid.

108.15 – PEBA: PORS Return to Work License Protection
Participation in the Return to Work program does not impact a PORS member’s law enforcement certification. Officers who take a 12-month break from service under this program will not lose their law enforcement credentials and may return to duty.

• Participating officers must still meet all training and continuing education requirements of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Academy.

108.16 – PEBA: Employer Contribution Requirement
Retired members reappointed by the Governor whose pay falls under Section 8-11-160 may qualify for the benefits of Section 9-1-1590 if they:

• Return to active service for at least 36 consecutive months, and
• Receive annual compensation of at least 75% of their average final compensation at retirement.