SCPPA Legislative Report

Legislative Report
[updated 3/26/08]

During the coming months, we will try to keep you informed on legislation that is pertinent to the membership of SCPPA. If we fail to report on a piece of legislature that you are interested in, just let your Board know and we'll get that information for you.

   We are watching the following:

               Senate 0081- This is a bill to amend Section 16-17-725, relating to giving false information to a law enforcement officer or member of a fire department or rescue squad. House Version 3059, passed the Judiciary Committee without objection. The bill is before the full body, as of February 8th.
              March 18th, legislation has been passed out of the Senate, will now be ratified by the House and then go to the Governor for his signature.

               Senate 1006- Provides that a spouse or dependent of a law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty would continue ro receive health and dental benefits for one year from date of death and then have the option to purchase this insurance at the rate the officer was paying. This bill has been read in the Senate and forwarded to the Finance committee. (1-17-2008)
                March 26, legislation remains in the Finance Committee).

Subsistence- Senator Mike Fair, chair of the Finance Committee has been approached in reference to making the $8. per day subsistence allowance, a permanent budget item. Hopefully he will sponsor a bill to get this done. Rep. Annette Young is hopefully going to introduce a similar bill on the House side.

There will probably not be a bill filed to make the $8 subsistence a permanent budget item, seems to be to much concern over the lack of recurring money. On the good side of this, the subsistence was protected through the budget on The House side and I will track the proviso as the Senate begins budget discussion.

Dual Office Holding- This Constitutional Amendment has met with some opposition but there is an interest in getting it to a subcommittee for debate. Will keep you advised.

Salary Increase for State Employee- I spoke with Rep. Brian White, today. There has been no votes taken on the question of pay for State employees in the House Ways and Means Committee. He assured me that he was committed to trying to find monies to fund a pay raise. Each 1% = $19 million.
Waiting for Senate Budget discussions