*** This week’s Floor Actions of the SC House of Representatives, prepared by staff. Should you have any questions about my votes on these bills, or would like additional information, please contact my office at (803) 734-2969. **
S. 336 Annual Judicial Election Joint Session Dates
The House has adopted, and returned to the Senate, S. 336 – Annual Judicial Election Joint Session Dates. To save the necessity of having to enact an annual Concurrent Reso-lution for holding judicial elections, this bill would set the first Wednesday in March of each year as the Joint Session date for conducting these judicial elections in the House Chamber. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission would also be required to release its formal report on judicial candidates twenty-three days prior to this annual judicial elec-tions Joint Session.
H. 4756 South Carolina Student Physical Privacy Act
The House has amended and passed H. 4756 the “South Carolina Student Physical Pri-vacy Act.” The Senate now has this bill for its deliberations.
This proposed legislation represents an attempt to ensure privacy among sexes using restrooms and changing facilities in public schools and public institutions of higher learning. It would limit restroom and changing facilities to one sex at a time, and these facilities could be temporarily designated for this use, and the sex of those able to use them, event-by-event.
On overnight trips, multi-occupancy restrooms, sleeping quarters, or changing facilities would not be shared with anyone of the opposite sex.
Single occupancy restrooms, changing facilities, and sleeping quarters could still be es-tablished by these public institutions of learning. Public School violators would face
penalties for their noncompliance, including twenty-five percent reductions in their General Assembly funding for their violations. These reductions could be restored when that school district determines that school is back within compliance.
Higher learning institution violators also face these potential reductions, which could only be restored when the SC Commission on Higher Learning determines they are back in compliance.
Students filing legal actions against these violators could recover their attorney fees, costs, and related litigation expenses.
However, under its current version, emergency or medical situations, accommodating anyone protected under the provisions of the American with Disabilities Act, custodial or maintenance workers, coaching staff present when everyone is clothed, and natural disasters creating student safety considerations would all be exceptions to these prohi-bitions.
The House recommitted H. 4385 to the Medical, Military Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, a bill creating oversight measures of the operations of South Carolina Vet-erans’ Homes.
The House recommitted H. 4165 to the Medical, Military Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, a bill requiring healthcare practitioners to inform patients of available non-opioid treatment for pain management.