Legislative Session Week in Review: April 15-19
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April 19, 2024
With only a few short weeks left of the 2023-2024 session, the countdown is on to push legislation over the finish line and to the governor’s desk.
The South Carolina Catholic Conference asks for your prayers for our lawmakers as they work to prioritize bills for the good of our state.
See more of this week's highlights below!
Message the Committee HereApril 16
First - S. 142, Safe Harbor for Exploited Minors, was heard in a subcommittee of the House Judiciary committee. The bill was found favorable and sent to the full committee. It previously passed the Senate by a vote of 40-0.
The bill would provide for an affirmative defense for minors, who are victims of sex trafficking, for crimes that they committed while in captivity. For example, a victim may shoplift simply to have something to eat. However, when they are liberated from this form of slavery, criminal charges inhibit the ability to move forward. It is important for our society to give survivors of human trafficking a way to rebuild their lives after they have been freed.
The Catholic Conference commends Rep. Beth Bernstein for chairing the subcommittee. We urge the full House Judiciary committee to pass this bill to the floor quickly.
Message the Committee HereSecond – S. 445, Recovery Housing, was found favorable by a subcommittee of the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs committee.
This bill has already passed the Senate by a vote of 38-0 and now needs passage from the House.
South Carolina and the nation have a lethal drug epidemic. Many people are suffering and feel they have no options for recovery. S. 445 will facilitate the development of drug recovery housing and rehabilitation needed in this state.
We commend the subcommittee’s passage of this legislation and especially the leadership of the subcommittee chair, Rep. Mark Smith. We urge the full committee to pass this bill to the floor quickly.
Support the Bill HereApril 17
A subcommittee of the Labor, Industry and Commerce committee of the Senate continued their discussion on H. 4700, the South Carolina Social Media Regulation Act. It has already passed the House by a vote of 113-1 and must now be passed by the Senate.
Commenting on the previous subcommittee meeting, Chairman Sen. Sean Bennett noted that many organizations who testified against the bill admitted that they represented the largest social media platforms in the world. When asked about potential solutions, they had none to offer. Social media companies do not want to protect minors from the risks of their products.
The Catholic Conference stands in support of increased parental rights over minors’ social media use and commends the subcommittee for their debate and discussion about this important issue.
Message the Committee HereApril 17-18
A subcommittee of the Labor, Industry and Commerce committee of the Senate heard testimony about H. 3424, the Child Online Safety Act. It was unanimously favorable. On Thursday, the bill was heard in the full committee and was again found unanimously favorable. It will move to the second reading calendar.
H. 3424 previously passed the House by a vote of 113-1 and now must be voted on by the Senate.
This legislation would require pornography websites to verify the age of patrons before allowing access to their content to make it more difficult for minors to access it.
Michael F. Acquilano, Catholic Conference director, wrote a letter to the subcommittee stating, “Nothing is more sacred and worthy of protection than the minds and hearts of our children. We must do everything in our power to protect them and our families from the harm of explicit sexual content that is too easily accessible.”
The Catholic Conference thanks Sen. Sean Bennett, subcommittee chairman, Sen. Tom Davis, full committee chairman, for their leadership on this important issue.
Click HERE to read the article about the proceedings.
The bill is now on the second reading calendar on the Senate floor. The Catholic Conference urges the Senate to take the bill up for a vote as soon as possible so that children in South Carolina can be protected.
Message the Committee HereApril 18
S. 1, Drug-Induced Homicide, which passed the Senate unanimously, was heard in the Criminal Laws subcommittee of the House Judiciary committee. The bill was found favorable as amended and now goes to the full committee.
According to a 2023 report from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), there has been a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths over the last few years in our state. In fact, “From 2020 to 2021, the total number of drug overdose deaths” increased by more than 430 individuals, “an increase of more than 25%,” the report states.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear that the “production of and trafficking in drugs … constitutes direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law” (2291).
The Catholic Conference urges the House to pass this bill swiftly so we can combat this deadly epidemic and bring traffickers to justice.