This week, despite debating just a few bills on the House floor, we made significant progress on several important bills in our subcommittees and committees. The committee process is an essential part of developing, and ultimately passing, good legislation on the floor. It allows for thorough debate, public input, discussion between members, and amendments to bills before they move to the full House for a vote. Expect to see many of these bills make their way to the House floor soon as we wrap up the first year of the 2023-2024 session. 

On Tuesday a subcommittee of the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee passed S.164, which would eliminate our state’s Certificate of Need (CON) requirements for most healthcare providers. Currently, these regulations require healthcare providers to obtain government approval before expanding or establishing new healthcare facilities or services. Repealing these laws will reduce the regulatory burden on healthcare providers, increase access to healthcare in our state, and lower costs for patients. This bill also creates a study committee to examine the impact of the repeal of the CON program on the quality and quantity of access to healthcare in rural areas. Ultimately, by eliminating unnecessary government regulations, we can encourage innovation, improve the overall health of our citizens, and contribute to the economic prosperity of our state. The bill, which I fully support, now heads to the full House 3M committee next week.

Another healthcare-related bill discussed in a 3M subcommittee this week is H.4159, the South Carolina Telehealth and Telemedicine Modernization Act. This bill will improve access to healthcare services for all South Carolinians, especially those in remote or underserved areas. The bill defines and specifies requirements for healthcare professionals who provide telehealth services, ensuring that patients receive high-quality care from qualified professionals. Telemedicine is a critical tool in today's digital age as it helps to bridge the gap, especially for those in rural areas of our state, and provide access to quality medical care. I plan to fully support this bill as it will help modernize our healthcare system and make quality care more accessible to all South Carolinians.

Three bills designed to protect our children passed out of the House Judiciary Committee this week and will head to the House floor in the coming weeks. H.3220, the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act, provides a crucial framework for preventing child abduction in family law cases. With procedures in place to address and prevent abduction, this bill prioritizes the welfare and best interests of children, making sure that child custody determination orders from other states can be registered and enforced efficiently. This is an important step in protecting our most vulnerable citizens and ensuring that families and children are not unnecessarily traumatized. H.3217, the Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act, strengthens criminal penalties for violators and requires child placement agencies to share specific information with adoptive parents. This bill ensures that children placed for adoption are not subjected to unregulated custody transfers and that they receive the financial support services they need. The third bill is known as "Gavin's Bill," H.3583, which is the one I mentioned in an earlier newsletter. This is the one that identifies "sexual extortion" as a felony offense with scheduled imprisonment penalties for first, second and third offenses. As your Representative, it is my duty to advocate for the safety and well-being of all of our citizens, and I intend to support all three of these bills.

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee discussed H.3734, a bill aimed at improving the election process for municipal elections in South Carolina. By requiring the use of a state-approved voting system, we will have a consistent and more-secure voting process for town and city elections, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of our democracy. Additionally, the changes made to the terms of office for mayors and council members, and the establishment of certain dates for municipal general elections, will provide a more predictable election schedule for voters. Furthermore, requiring special elections to be held at the same time as general elections, and extending the time frame for declaring election results means more transparent municipal elections. Overall, this bill is a significant step towards ensuring that the will of the people is accurately represented and that the election process is fair and transparent for all.

H.3774, the Human Life Protection Act, was set for special order next week in the State Senate.

H.4300, the General Appropriations, and H.4301, the Capital Reserve Fund, were amended and passed in the Senate. They now come back to the House for final changes. 

H.3728, the Transparency and Integrity in Education Act, received a favorable report in the Senate Education Committee and will head to the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

This past Wednesday, April 19th, it was my honor to introduce for the first time ever in the SC State House, the Division AA State Champion Oceanside Landsharks. The House welcomed the Landsharks' Girls' Tennis and Girls' Volleyball teams for their tremendous season. Coaches Shawn Harris & Carlos Lozano led the Lady Landsharks' Tennis Team to an impressive victory with their second state trophy on the very same day that Coaches Jennifer Fort & Wylie McCall's Volleyball Team clinched their second straight State Championship! On top of these victories, I announced that the Oceanside Landsharks won the Carlisle Cup for AAA for 2022, and also won the MaxPreps Cup for 2022 as the #1 ATHLETIC PROGRAM IN SOUTH CAROLINA regardless of classification!

Accompanied by Principal Christina Brown, Athletic Director Mark Meyer, and Asst. Athletic Director Wylie McCall, as well as their other coaches, the young ladies enjoyed a great visit to our beautiful State Capitol, including a tour. It was so impressive to learn that they had to get back in time for many of these student-athletes to report for their jobs. I asked Coach Meyer what percentage of all the student-athletes, who already balance quite a lot of responsibilities, have part-time jobs? The answer - 90%!! Wow!! If this fantastic group of young people is indicative of their generation, the future is indeed very bright. Thank you to Principal Brown, Coach Meyer, and all the other coaches for bringing these talented high-achieving young ladies to the SC State House.