Out of time: Several bills won’t make Wednesday’s crossover deadline to become law in SC

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Time is running out for bills that could potentially become law in the Palmetto State.

Wednesday is the crossover deadline, which means several measures that lawmakers and community advocates have been pushing for this legislative session have simply run out of time.

This crossover is like an expiration date for any bill currently under consideration by the state legislature. Each bill will need to pass either the House or the Senate to move forward beyond this point.

Some of the bills not likely to make the cut – a bill that would allow a county legislative delegation to declare a state of emergency in order to suspend the commissioners of the Housing Authority (S.506).

The Compassionate Care Act (S.0366) in support of medical marijuana in the state is also on the chopping block.

There’s the DUI-E bill (H. 3355) is another proposal not likely to make Wednesday’s deadline. This would make it illegal to hold a cellphone while driving.

A bill that would require all drivers employed by a rideshare company to get a front and rear license plate (H. 4397) does not seem likely to make to the crossover, either.

However, another rideshare-related bill does look more likely to make Wednesday’s deadline and that’s the Samantha Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act (H. 4380) – named after the USC student killed late last month. This proposal would require all ridesharing vehicles to have illuminated signage any time the driver is active.

More proposals have already beat this hurdle of the crossover including a bill that would require that all law enforcement personnel responsible for transporting a person believed to have mental illness to undergo mental health and crisis intervention training (S. 303). This measure has already passed the Senate and is now in the House.

There are also several bills that have passed the House and are now in the Senate – like the Energy Freedom Act (H. 3659), which would put an end to the net metering cap in our state allowing for more solar panel energy use.

WIS has had continuing coverage of the massive education reform bill introduced in the house (H. 3759), which would increase teacher pay and revamp K-4 education among several other things. This proposal has also passed the House and is now in the Senate.

The Professional Sports Investment Act (H. 4243), which would help to support bringing some of the Panthers operations here to South Carolina has already made it pass Wednesday’s crossover, as well.

This deadline will surely mark a defining moment for South Carolina politics this year, as this crossover gives us a better idea of what bills are even closer to becoming law this legislative session, and which ones have simply run out of time.