THE MOSS REPORT
An update on where legislation stands
REP. DENNIS MOSS

H.4400, is a bill that establishes comprehensive Immigration Reform and a companion bill H.4347 that directs the Attorney General to seek reimbursement from the Federal Government for the costs the State incurs for incarcerating illegal immigrants.

The House returned S.588 to the Senate, which is a bill that establishes requirements, powers, duties, and restrictions for a Small Employer Health Group Cooperative, which authorizes small employers to form cooperatives for the purpose of providing lower health insurance costs to their employees. The House returned S.452 to the Senate with amendments, which requires the Department of Natural Resources to establish an Alligator Management Program.

House Committees reported out the following bills, which will now come before the full House:

EDUCATION - H.4372 is a bill that creates the "SOUTH CAROLINA TECHNICAL COLLEGE ENTERPRISE CAMPUS AUTHORITY ACT" and provides a mechanism for technical colleges to respond to private sector initiatives and to work in tandem with local and state economic development efforts; H.4316 a bill that establishes criteria to award Palmetto Fellow Scholarships to students who attend Magnet Schools.

MEDICAL, MILITARY AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS - H.3950 to create the Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative Governing Board and H.3723, to create an automated External defibrillator program for high schools, and Senate bill S.775 relating to the creation of the Multiple Sclerosis Healthcare study committee.

WAYS AND MEANS - H.4520, is a bill that expands financing under the Higher Education Revenue Bond Act and allows the issuance of revenue bonds to finance educational, administrative, operations, and health facilities of colleges and universities.

Bills that were introduced in the House this week included:

H.4587 - This bill requires districts to consider the proximity of bus stops to residences of convicted sex offenders.

H.4609 - This bill reforms eminent domain procedures and outlines procedures required of a county before it may exercise eminent domain. Among other things, the bill provides that the owner of condemned property has the right of first refusal to redeem his property if the condemning entity does not use the property for the intended public use or it contemplates a sale to another party.

H.4620 - This joint resolution proposes to amend the State Constitution and would be submitted to voters at the next general election and would delete the Adjutant General, Commissioner of Agriculture, Secretary of State, and Superintendent of Education from the list of state officers which the constitution requires to be elected.

If you have a comment or opinion concerning the matters discussed in this report, or if I may be of assistance to you at any time, please feel free to call your legislative office in Columbia (803-734- 3073), office 422A Blatt Building, Columbia, SC 29211; or by e-mail at mossd@scstatehouse.net or my home in Gaffney (864-487-2121); or write 306 Silver Circle, Gaffney, SC 29340. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in the House of Representatives.