Submitted by JoLee Gudmundson, SCACDL Lobbyist
First appeared in The Advocate | Vol. 1 | No. 2 | April 2022
The General Assembly’s looming “crossover week” deadline came to a fast close on Friday, April 8th. This significant week marks when one chamber must pass legislation to be heard in another chamber. For example, a bill introduced in the House must be voted and passed by the House and referred to the Senate for consideration. This year that date is April 10th which happens to fall on a Sunday. The General Assembly adjourned on Thursday, April 7th, for the week, so any bills that had not passed both chambers or were given an automatic 3rd reading on Friday will have a technically challenging opportunity to be heard after Friday, April 8th. Of course, we all know the General Assembly loves to make motions and waive rules. One such rule will allow a 2/3 vote to consider overriding the crossover date and enable a bill to be considered and
placed on the calendar.
What made it through the “crossover”?
– H 3696 – J. Lucas. This legislation will increase the number of judges elected, specifically interested in Circuit Court Judges. A conference committee was appointed this week,
details, click here: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3696.htm
– H 3010 Computation of Time Served by Prisoner/GPS Monitoring – Rep. Weeks’ legislation passed the House and was introduced in the Senate April 5th; details:
click here. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3010.htm
x H 5064 Sex Offender Registry/Three Tiers – Rep Jeff Johnson. Jim Huff and Joe McCulloch testified on this bill in the house subcommittee. SCACDL offered amendments to this legislation, the subcommittee met twice, amended in subcommittee, but the full committee adjourned debate on 3/29/22; details on this legislation click here. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/5064.htm
x S 1073 Sex Offender Registry – Hembree. SCACDL offered amendment language on this bill to the committee. This three-tier approach bill passed the Senate judiciary subcommittee on 3/16/22, but the senate judiciary full committee has not taken it up in full committee; for details on this legislation, click here.
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/1073.htm
– H 4075 Sex Offender Registry – Wetmore. This bill will amend consensual conduct, provided the offender is eighteen years of age or less, or consensual conduct between persons under sixteen years of age will allow that the convicted person is not an offender and would not be required to register. This bill passed the House on April 28th, 2021, and passed the Senate subcommittee on 3/16/2022; for details on this legislation, click here: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/4075.htm
x S.22 Children Tried as Adults/Children in Adult Jails – Malloy. This bill received a second reading on Wednesday, April 6th; amendments were
expected on Thursday, but the bill was carried over; for details on the amendment and the procedural motion, click here: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220406.htm#p47
x S.53 Juvenile Justice Reform – Malloy. This bill was amended and received a favorable report from the senate judiciary committee on 3/29/22. On Tuesday, April 5th, the bill was up for consideration, and an objection was made; on Wednesday, April 6th S.53 was amended to S. 22. For details on the legislation and the procedural motion, click here: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220405.htm
x S. 458 Trafficking Fentanyl – Adams. Marion Moses testified in the senate subcommittee and offered a detailed amendment to the committee for this legislation. It received a second reading in the Senate; on third reading a procedural motion was made, and the bill did not pass, https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220302.htm#p10
– S. 429 Fentanyl-induced homicide – Alexander. Marion Moses testified in the Senate subcommittee and offered detailed amendments to the
committee for this legislation. This legislation received a third reading 3/2/22 and has been sent to the House judiciary committee. For additional details on the amendment and passage of this bill, click here: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220301.htm#p21
x S 28 Ignition Interlock – Hutto’s bill passed the Senate on 4/13/2021; no action has occurred in the House.
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/28.htm
x H 3148 Refuse BAC Test/DUS/DUI Ignition Interlock Program – Rutherford’s bill has been quiet, and no action in the House.
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3148.htm
The General Assembly welcomes their newest member, Senator Mike Reichenbach, R (Dist 31), who was sworn in on April 5th. Senator Reichenbach’s committee selections: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Corrections and Penology, Family and Veterans’ Services, Fish Game and Forestry, and Judiciary Committees.
I want to give massive applause to SCACDL Board member Cody Mitchell, running unopposed in Dist. 65. We look forward to having your expertise in the General Assembly, Mr. Mitchell.
SCACDL’s legislative committee continues to meet and review legislation and attend hearings. Members of the committee include: Marion Moses, Joe McCulloch, Jim Huff, Ally Benevento; Kitty Sutton and JoLee Gudmundson serving as ex-officio members, as well as Reilly Lerner, SCACDL’s L2 extern. I am very excited to have the support of this dedicated committee and all their continued participation and review of criminal bills that are before the General Assembly. Currently, we are tracking just over 200 pieces of legislation at the General Assembly for you, many of which are quiet and not expected to receive passage. As of this week, the General Assembly has ratified 29 pieces of legislation, bringing the two-year session to 149. There is still a lot of work to be done. This two-year session will sine die on Thursday, May 12. I stand ready to make the needed IMPACT.