Help Not Harm bill agreement reached. What else is ready for SC governor to sign?
The Republican led South Carolina General Assembly agreed on several bills they say will protect children, including restrictions on transgender healthcare, age verification requirements for pornography websites and curbs to prevent child abductions.
Before ending its final day of session Thursday, the House concurred with the Senate’s changes to the Help not Harm bill, which requires schools to proactively notify parents of their child’s perceived gender identity while preventing gender transition procedures for minors by surgery or puberty-blocking drugs.
The measure is now headed to the governor.
I’ve talked to some some local teacher groups, and they felt like that, if they were, if they did encounter this situation, their number one priority is to simply say, ‘we believed this was what was happening’ and they’re out of it. That’s all they have to,” said House Majority Leader Davey Hiott on Thursday about any potential encounters with transgender students.
Hiott said the bill was important to pass for many in the legislature. “I’ve never had a perfect bill in my 20 years here. I believe that was good enough to where a teacher said look, as long as we’re not having to call parents,” he said. Hiott led the original effort in the House to eliminate the teacher’s responsibility to contact parents.
The House agreed with the Senate’s amendment to take the energy bill off a suicide prevention measure. The legislation would require and one hour of suicide prevention training as part of continuing education requirements and licenses for therapy workers. It was one of a half dozen bills the House had attached with the energy legislation. With the energy bill removed, they also passed a bill allowing for counselors licensed in other states to work in South Carolina.
Constitutional Carry was already passed and signed into law. The General Assembly revised the measure Thursday to dismiss pending illegal handgun possession charges.
Here are a few other measures, now awaiting Gov. Henry McMaster’s signature.
Amending Constitution about voting, U.S. citizens
Both chambers passed a Senate measure changing one word in the state Constitution about voter qualifications. If the governor signs this bill, it would become a ballot measure for South Carolinians to vote on before becoming law.
State Sen. Josh Kimbrall, R-Spartanburg, told The State the measure is to prevent non U.S. citizens from voting in local elections. Other jurisdictions, such as California and New York, have allowed non-citizens to vote in municipal elections and school board races.
“Certain jurisdictions and courts have found that every citizen is a floor not a ceiling, so were just saying only citizens would be able to vote,” Kimbrell said.
No tax on period products, antisemitism defined
The General Assembly defined antisemitism, and added guidance on how it aligns with discrimination laws based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
They passed tax exemptions for golf club dues and feminine menustral products. And, with the governor’s signature, people will be able to hunt feral hogs from helicopters, under certain conditions.
Other bills passed include:
allowing insurance providers to cover paid time off for family members
rules governing the name, image and likeness of college athletes
pay for inmates working outside prisons
creating an assessment fee for private ambulance services
allowing non S.C. residents to qualify for burial in the state’s veterans’ cemeteries
enabling deer processor’s to recover fee for donated does
prohibiting interference with farm animals being transported
allowing photographs to provided for handicap parking placards
