S.C. House advances immigration enforcement bill

A bill that would require dozens of state law enforcement agencies to assist in federal immigration enforcement efforts received committee approval this week and will now head to the S.C. House floor.

The bill, which mandates that all law enforcement agencies with detention facilities attempt to enter into so-called 287(g) agreements with federal officials, passed the 14-8 along party lines. About 35 local law enforcement agencies and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division already voluntarily participate in the 287(g) program.

Bills that are on the move

Taxes: A bill to cut the state’s top tax rate from 6% to 5.21% is on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature. Further property and income tax cuts totaling more than half a billion dollars are advancing in both chambers. LATEST: The Senate Finance Committee voted favorably on a House bill to extend last year’s federal tax cuts to S.C. income taxpayers.

Concurrency: A bill by Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis that would allow local governments to limit development in areas with insufficient infrastructure was amended and advanced on March 12 by the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.

Juvenile justice: Two bills have passed the House — one making it easier to try 16 and 17 year olds as adults and another to mandate fingerprinting when juveniles come into the system. LATEST: A bipartisan bill to add additional guardrails before some juveniles are moved to adult court is pending before the House Judiciary Committee.

Bills in less of a hurry

Judicial selection: A bill with the support of leaders in both chambers would give the governor more power in selecting state judges. LATEST: S.C. House members passed the bill 86-25 on Feb. 11, sending it to the Senate, where it currently resides in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

DOGE S.C.: Multiple bills promising to cut the state workforce and the regulations they enforce have been introduced for consideration in 2026. In particular, House GOP leaders have pledged to get their “Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act” passed through the S.C. Senate this session. LATEST: The bill is still awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Rolling back affirmative action and DEI: Several bills are still currently awaiting consideration, including one to codify Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order ending affirmative action in state contracting.

Abortion: A House Judiciary subcommittee on Jan. 14 killed one bill to treat abortion as homicide and advanced another to reclassify abortion pills as Schedule IV drugs. LATEST: The S.C. House on Feb. 4 voted 81-31 to advance the abortion pill rescheduling bill to the S.C. Senate.