COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – A significant bill aimed at restructuring South Carolina’s fragmented public health system failed to pass at the State House last month. Despite strong bipartisan support, the bill stalled just short of final approval.
The bill, S.915, seeks to merge six state agencies into a new “Executive Office of Health and Policy.” This office would combine the Departments of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, Disabilities and Special Needs, Health and Human Services, Mental Health, and Aging, along with the new Department of Public Health, which will be created when the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) splits on July 1.
Governor Henry McMaster has been urging lawmakers to revive the bill when they return to Columbia. “We cannot wait another day,” McMaster told reporters on May 29. He has repeatedly called for the bill’s passage, emphasizing the urgency of restructuring the health system to improve services for South Carolinians.
The proposed new agency would be led by a Secretary of Health and Policy, appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate. The goal is to streamline services and enhance health outcomes. “Often people who need help go from one place to another and feel like they’re on a merry-go-round. They never get anywhere,” McMaster said.
The bill passed both legislative chambers but was halted on the last day of the session by the Freedom Caucus, which claimed its concerns were ignored. Now, the challenge is to bring the bill back for consideration this year.
When the General Assembly adjourns in May, it adopts a sine die resolution, listing the issues that can be addressed in special sessions. S.915 was not included in this resolution, meaning it cannot be taken up until the next session in January unless the resolution is amended.
McMaster and several lawmakers are pushing to amend the resolution during special sessions in June to include the restructuring bill. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, acknowledged the difficulty of this task. “Very candidly, it’s going to be a big lift,” Massey said.
Amending the resolution requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers. If it’s opened, other bills may also be added, potentially complicating the process. In the Senate, Republicans will likely need Democratic support to reach the necessary votes, which could lead to negotiations over other contentious issues, such as the hate crimes bill.
Massey noted that changing the sine die resolution is rare, having occurred only twice in his nearly two decades in the legislature, both times for significant state events. While he believes the health restructuring bill is important, he acknowledged it faces long odds for passage this year.
Lawmakers will have the opportunity to attempt to amend the resolution when they return to Columbia to elect the state’s next Supreme Court justice and at other special sessions later in the month.
