Legislature Passes Key Components of Small Business Bill of Rights

May 12, 2024

NFIB pledges to renew efforts to stop lawsuit abuse in next year's session

Legislature Passes Key Components of Small Business Bill of Rights

NFIB State Director Ben Homeyer released the following statement today on the outcome of the 2024 legislative session, which ended Thursday night: “South Carolina’s small businesses scored some significant wins in this year’s session of the General Assembly including some key components of what we called the Small Business Bill of Rights.” Those measures include:

HB 4187, making organized retail theft a felony, which is pending in a conference committee
HB 4832, creating private insurance that would cover paid family leave
HB 3992, establishing a payment plan for delinquent unemployment insurance taxes

“These are tough economic times for South Carolina’s small businesses as inflation continues to drive up the coast of everything from raw materials to the paper sales receipts are printing on. However, each of these measures will relieve some of the pressure on Main Street firms. “One important piece of legislation that didn’t pass was Senate Bill 533, a measure that would have helped small businesses by helping stop lawsuit abuse in the state. Legislators must remember that small businesses can’t afford big legal departments to swat away every frivolous claim brought against them. “The cost of defending itself against a single meritless lawsuit could be enough to force a small business to close its doors for good. We’ll continue to press for commonsense tort reforms when the legislature returns to Columbia in 2025.”

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South Carolina