THE MOSS REPORT
REP. DENNIS MOSS

The House approved and sent to the Senate the following bills:

The House of Representatives amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.4494, a bill authorizing the CONTINUATION OF THE RESEARCH CENTERS OF ECONOMIC EXCELLENCE program that utilizes South Carolina Education Lottery funds for the creation of endowed professorships at the state's research universities to anchor centers conducting scientific research with business applications.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.4470, a bill establishing TAX CREDITS AND INCENTIVES FOR FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND IMPROVEMENT, in commercial and residential structures that comply with the standards of the National Fire Protection Association. This bill provides a state income tax credit for the purchase, installation, or improvement of a fire sprinkler system equal to 80 percent of the costs of purchase, installation, and retrofitting of the system, not to exceed $50,000. The legislation exempts fire sprinkler systems from the state sales tax.

The House approved S.598, the "TELEVISION PROGRAMMING PROTECTION ACT," and enrolled the bill for ratification. This legislation requires a cable or video service provider that uses digital transmission technology to deliver its programming to block completely all video and audio on any channel that a subscriber has not purchased at no charge to the subscriber.

The House overrode the Governor's veto on H.3379, which provides LIFE AND PALMETTO FELLOWS ELIGIBILITY FOR SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS ATTENDING OUT-OF-STATE HIGH SCHOOLS. The Senate subsequently overrode the veto as well, allowing the bill to become law.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3059, a bill relating to GIVING FALSE INFORMATION OR IDENTIFICATION TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. This bill provides that it is unlawful for a person to knowingly make a false complaint to law enforcement officers concerning the alleged commission of a crime by another, or for a person to knowingly give false information to a rescue squad or fire department concerning the

alleged occurrence of a health emergency or fire. The bill further provides that it is unlawful for a person to misrepresent his identification to a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop or for the purpose of avoiding criminal charges.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3478, this bill pertains to WAGE WITHHOLDING FOR THE COLLECTION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS. Under this bill, the family court may order wage withholding upon finding that a person, who is not required to pay through wage withholding or the family court, is, or has been, in arrears in an amount equal to three or more month's support obligation.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3853, which relates to SAFETY EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS ON A PROJECTING LOAD THAT EXTENDS TO THE REAR FOUR FEET OR MORE. This bill requires commercial vehicles transporting unprocessed forest products to be equipped with certain amber strobe lights as close as practical to the end of the projecting load. The bill includes provisions for the use of a red light or lantern, in the event the strobe light becomes temporarily inoperable. Utility companies when responding to an emergency are exempt from these provisions.