[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6310827,"mediaKeyId","2398239-2bf671b277ea7ebaae25529cffbd466f","parentId",2398239,"title","Committee advances bill shifting workforce coordination from Commerce to DEW, adds staff and reporting changes","audioSeconds",3595,"startMs",720,"endMs",3596105,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398239-2bf671b277ea7ebaae25529cffbd466f&start=0&end=3596","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398239-2bf671b277ea7ebaae25529cffbd466f/thumbnail_720.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6310827/South-Carolina/Committee-advances-bill-shifting-workforce-coordination-from-Commerce-to-DEW-adds-staff-and-reporting-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310827-2943ae32b30f7cb02a47919914d62d99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771125673&Signature=JfGa84IlVN3km4Px97kC2mAHr7YOr21fNO0fQGOtpjFDMDrNYjHI8kicNyabE3AIHrMy83Lgn8Yd2KfR-7dUBc4S~gQHN0nb2O1oSvMVI5-jM-rZJZSm4vdS65dVaAcUU8yP5~UuDiJ~M5UdrAH-FWHAuw1xhdAm72PQqJy0hxV0MI6s5LAj5Z3xwD2ylaH2gbkXuO7EOW6eGP-RYLd5LA8s4dhDIZFSeWDgpoNcgCeRlN6XbHKpEZnL0eIMZSkHN-Xt7O2sIVrQpm0kuGRXmYk8w4lFJUAFsrp3pVmlqTdBbt6ptae6gh3nRIhOjCKB7eT5MWg4Q8KkidAXWwdIRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Labor, Commerce and Industry","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","The Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee on Oct. 12 reported H 37 26 favorably as amended, a bill that transfers the state workforce coordinating council and several workforce programs from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Employment and Workforce and creates a new Office of Statewide Workforce Development.

Senator from Edgefield, the bill’s presenter before the committee, said the measure \"is shifting the coordinating council for workforce development from the Department of Commerce to DEW\" and described the change as intended to let Commerce focus on industry recruitment while DEW focuses on workforce training and coordination.

Committee members said the bill aims to align state agencies, higher education, K-12 and industry so schools and adults better understand career opportunities and training pathways. The measure would transfer existing regional workforce advisors and other personnel from Commerce to DEW, create a new statewide office to provide guidance and oversight, and require new data tools such as career-pathway dashboards and a benefits-cliff calculator.

The bill prompted detailed questions about scale and cost. Todd Timmons, interim chief of staff at DEW, told the committee DEW requested 35 additional staff positions to implement the bill’s requirements: 20 staff to build and maintain digital tools and related functions and 15 staff to place \"boots on the ground\" in regions outside the Columbia office to execute outreach and make services actionable. Timmons said roughly 13 existing positions (the 12 regional workforce advisors plus one statewide supervisor) would transfer from Commerce to DEW and that other transferred staff would assume new roles under DEW.

Mark Hendrick of the Department of Commerce confirmed the state currently has 12 regional workforce advisors who cover rural and urban counties and said Commerce supports aligning those roles under DEW.

Several senators pressed on rural implementation and long‑term oversight. The senator from Richland and the senator from Oconee warned that the bill’s model can look urban‑centric and that rural counties will require more intensive, in‑person engagement and coordination with local technical colleges, high schools and principals. The senator from Dorchester and others asked who would oversee and sustain the program; a committee witness said acting director Floyd has prioritized implementation and that an annual report to the legislature is required by the bill.

The committee also debated a reporting requirement in the bill to collect two additional data points from employers on quarterly reports: the SOC code for employees and number of hours worked, to permit calculation of hourly wages and better measurement of credential returns. Committee members raised concerns that lowering the employer threshold to 10 employees would impose additional burdens on small businesses. The committee adopted an amendment, moved by the senator from Oconee and seconded by the senator from Lexington, to remove the requirement that notice/reporting be electronic for businesses with 10 or fewer employees; the amendment was approved by voice vote and incorporated into the measure.

After discussion and reservation of members’ concerns about scale and budget, the committee voted to report the bill favorably as amended.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the amendment to remove the electronic filing requirement for businesses with 10 or fewer employees (motion by senator from Oconee; second by senator from Lexington; amendment adopted). The committee then voted to report H 37 26 favorably as amended.

The committee’s debate made clear lingering questions for floor consideration and implementation oversight: how DEW will staff and sustain the new functions over time, how the initiative will be prioritized in rural counties, and how the state will fund and maintain the data tools the bill requires.

Ending: The measure moves forward from committee with the amendment in place; committee members said they expect continued scrutiny by finance and other committees as the program and its budget requests are considered.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee -- L.C.I. Special Subcommittee 02/12/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee on Oct. 12 reported H 37 26 favorably as amended, a bill that transfers the state workforce coordinating council and related programs from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Employment and Workforce and creates a new Office of Statewide Workforce Development.","taxTitle","Labor, Commerce and Industry, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",17642,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6310822,"Committee adopts amendment to revise funeral service code; fines capped and cremation definition updated",354,3405125,3760014,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398239-2bf671b277ea7ebaae25529cffbd466f&start=3405&end=3760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398239-2bf671b277ea7ebaae25529cffbd466f/thumbnail_3405125.jpg","/articles/6310822/South-Carolina/Committee-adopts-amendment-to-revise-funeral-service-code-fines-capped-and-cremation-definition-updated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310822-9d7e3b5044b45fa99bbaa9f40a9bb835/orig.mp4?Expires=1771125673&Signature=STiCt9k2czsyIOqCz3J8sNW0BDih673~zS34AESPR0E6SsGZWmYj5kF4K~1OId8rx8SBC~VnYIz32t7Nl2UceElmYTsjzW8DUHR0i-RxZJI4G~etg9EHx5qkl9ueM5l~zutWL6zKX34Zmr0LW85U9FkSa3NEa9uhV0VbefwNjYfZYDtWydbgV3FKA~R7D0nUI6CgayJBuOs7QFsew0DGVbpf2dDaDSxTUcbQaUdAqXH20zjl2~i8eZe026ALHa9eFGsgarid0uNd81CvQtz8CXjrd5QJs~p3fsGZqTF3SYT1vqXemYxuz7-D80nM133Uj3k~s~EKO4EjBTr6jGPAOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee adopted a subcommittee amendment and reported favorably a bill to update the state Board of Funeral Service code. Committee staff summarized the amendment as the product of agreement among the Board, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), Consumer Affairs and stakeholders.

Rebecca, committee staff, told the panel the amendment makes several changes: it clarifies that applicants denied licensure and licensees with suspended or revoked licenses may not participate in a board-licensed business until licensed or restored; it caps fines for willful violations at $25,000; it ties felony‑related licensing restrictions to conduct \"directly related to the duties, responsibilities, or fitness of the occupation\" consistent with recently enacted second‑chance language (identified in committee as bill 3605); and it amends the definition of cremation to include alkaline hydrolysis.

The amendment removed a provision requiring LLR to provide a separate investigator and instead retained one additional inspector role (the summary says the board will add another inspector; the amendment specifies inspectors who are dual license holders—licensed embalmers and funeral directors). The amendment also restored the use of the term \"apprentice\" throughout the chapter and reduced a proposed 100‑mile radius for funeral managers to 50 miles.

Senator Gambrell and others complimented the subcommittee and stakeholders for reaching agreement on the changes. The committee adopted the subcommittee amendment by voice vote and then reported the bill favorably as amended.

Ending: With stakeholder agreement and the amendment adopted, the bill was reported favorably and will move forward from committee for further consideration.","A committee-approved subcommittee amendment to the funeral services bill narrows the manager radius to 50 miles, caps fines at $25,000, removes a separate investigator requirement and adds alkaline hydrolysis to the definition of cremation.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee advances bill shifting workforce coordination from Commerce to DEW, adds staff and reporting changes

Committee adopts amendment to revise funeral service code; fines capped and cremation definition updated