The Senate and House of Representatives met in regular session on Wednesday to adopt the budget conference committee report. Legislators do not plan to return to Columbia again until the beginning of the 2026 session in January.
The SC Department of Transportation Modernization Ad Hoc Committee had its organizational meeting on Wednesday. The House committee, appointed by SC House Speaker Murrell Smith, is co-chaired by Reps. Shannon Erickson and Heather Crawford, and is planning to host regional meetings in the summer and fall to meet with local leaders and stakeholders to discuss the state’s roads and infrastructure.
Budget Conference Committee report adopted
Members of the Senate and House met in session on Wednesday to hear the report of the budget conference committee and adopt the final conference report. Gov. Henry McMaster has five days after the budget is ratified to veto the whole budget bill, target certain items in the budget for elimination by line-item veto, or take no action and allow the budget to become law without his signature.
The final conference committee version of the budget includes these items:
- $14.5 million added to the Local Government Fund base amount.
- $198.7 million in Capital Reserve one-time dollars to the SC Emergency Management Division Declared Disaster Relief for Hurricane Helene.
- $200 million in nonrecurring to the SC Department of Transportation for bridge modernization.
- $15 million in nonrecurring dollars to the SC Rural Infrastructure Authority for a statewide Water and Sewer Fund.
- $2 million in recurring dollars and $6 million in one-time money for destination-specific grants.
- $1.5 million recurring dollars for beach renourishment grants.
- $40 million in one-time dollars to the SC Office of Resilience to replenish the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund.
- $80 million in one-time dollars to the SC Department of Commerce for airport enhancements.
- $13.3 million in one-time dollars for Disaster Relief Grant Matching Funds.
- $250,000 in recurring dollars to the SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the Undiscovered SC Grant Program, which is a program for which local governments can apply.
- $2 million in recurring and $2.5 million in one-time money to the SC Department of Mental Health for alternative transportation programs.
- $10.9 million in nonrecurring money to the State Election Commission for a voting system upgrade.
Several provisos were included in the conference committee report that affect cities and towns. These provisos are only in effect for the budget year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
The conference committee included a 4.6% increase in employer premiums to the State Health Plan administered by the SC Public Employee Benefit Authority. There is not an employee increase included.
The conference committee adopted the Senate version of the SC Department of Juvenile Justice proviso. The proviso requires counties and municipalities to pay $125 dollars per day per juvenile, in addition to the $50 per day already in statute to house juveniles in SC Department of Juvenile Justice detention facilities. There is a 25-day cap included in the proviso. This proviso only applies to new admissions after July 1, 2025. Current juveniles housed in SC DJJ facilities remain at the $50 daily rate.
The conference committee also included a Senate proviso in the final budget conference report that stops payment of Local Government Fund dollars to cities and towns that have an ordinance that prohibits conversion or reparative therapy.
For questions about the final version of the state budget, contact Daina Riley Phillips (dphillips@masc.sc) at 803.933.1203.
Golf cart bill signed into law
H3292 (R92, Act 64) was signed into law by Gov. McMaster and became effective on May 22, 2025. This bill changes the current law related to local golf cart ordinances and operation of golf carts. The bill allows cities and towns to adopt ordinances regulating golf carts, requires seat belts on the golf cart for children under 12 years of age and requires liability insurance similar to that of automobiles.
For questions about the new golf cart law, contact Daina Riley Phillips (dphillips@masc.sc) at 803.933.1203.