Senate committee advances LLR fee and code changes; elevator and amusement-ride fees among most discussed items

The Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry committee reported favorably on a package of Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation regulations that would adjust fee schedules and update several licensing and safety rules.

Senator (Edgefield), who presented the package, said the changes are a biannual recalibration of fees and regulations meant to keep multiple licensing boards self-sufficient and to align regulations with current practice. "They are concerned about where they are going to be in the next few years," the senator said, describing projected shortfalls in some boards and modest reductions for others.

Key items advanced by the committee include:

- Continuing education for code enforcement officers: A regulation (document 5306, Building Codes Council) would allow reimbursement for more than 12 continuing-education hours in a single year by permitting up to 24 hours in any two-year registration cycle. The change is intended to accommodate officers who complete more than 12 hours in one year and fewer in another.

- Biannual fee adjustments across boards: The package includes fee changes for the Board of Funeral Service, the Board of Medical Examiners, podiatry examiners, professional counselors and veterinary medical examiners. Some fees would increase (for example, funeral services and elevator/amusement inspections) while others would decrease where boards hold excessive reserves.

- Elevators and amusement rides: Presenters cited projected negative cash flow for the elevators and amusement-ride account—about $270,000 this year, $620,000 next year and more than $1 million thereafter under current projections. Proposed fee changes include doubling the return-turnover inspection fee from $75 to $150, raising annual operating certificate fees from $50 to $150, and increasing reinspections from $75 to $150. The committee asked the department to monitor revenues and revisit fees if collections grow larger than projected. A department representative explained that temporary "pop-up" amusement rides and festival rides are inspected annually when set up, must obtain an operating permit, and must maintain proof of insurance of at least $500,000.

- National code references and state adoption: Committee members asked the department to ensure regulatory references to the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) apply only to editions "that are adopted by South Carolina," to avoid unintentionally requiring compliance with national updates not adopted by the state.

- Coastal harbor pilots: A regulation revising the apprenticeship program and reporting requirements aligns day-to-day practice with the regulatory text; it clarifies which incidents require immediate reporting.

- Boxing, alarm system and registry fee fixes: The package corrected missing fees in boxing and registry sections and updated the biannual alarm system business-license fee from $85 to $200 in the example discussed.

- Real estate appraisers: The Appraisers Board regulation (document 5340) updates requirements to conform with a law enacted in 2024 and with overlapping federal standards.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized that directors and staff had consulted the affected professions and that the director would monitor revenue collections and staffing needs, particularly for elevator and amusement-ride inspections. After discussion the committee moved and approved favorable reports on the individual regulations by voice votes; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.