Committee advances bill to move 2-1-1 into Department of Consumer Affairs amid funding shortfall

The Regulatory Review Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 697, which would move the state 2-1-1 referral system’s statutory home to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, after several United Way officials described operational and funding strains following Hurricane Helene.

Wanda Crotwell, a partner at the Southern Group and lobbyist for the United Way Association of South Carolina, told the committee that although United Way has operated the 2-1-1 line for years, the system’s statute was left without a clear agency home when the old Budget and Control Board was restructured. She said that gap left the program unable to qualify for FEMA disaster funds after Helene and that United Way paid to restore capacity, briefly redirecting calls to United Way of Louisiana while local systems were repaired. "Because we didn't have a current agency home, we weren't able to secure those [FEMA] funds for the state of South Carolina," she said.

Crotwell said the association has an associated budget request before Ways & Means for $1.2 million but that United Way’s annual cost to run the statewide system is about $1.5 million. She said the biggest recurring expense is staffing the call centers — a live person ready to answer referrals — and that the state will have to decide whether staffed call centers remain part of the program or whether the system shifts toward web- and text-based options.

Sarah Fawcett, president and CEO of United Way of the Midlands, described a client case in which 2-1-1 helped an older resident obtain emergency shelter and coordinated referrals to dental and vision clinics. Fawcett said roughly 300–400 calls per day come into the Midlands 2-1-1 center and that the annual report shows more than 440,000 requests for information statewide last year.

Dale Douthat, president and CEO of United Way of the Lowcountry and chairman of the United Way Association of South Carolina, urged support for the bill and for future funding. He cited statewide ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) statistics — "about 42% of households statewide are not self-sufficient," he said — and county examples showing the local scale of need.

Representatives of several local United Ways and the Department of Consumer Affairs (Carrie Labarker was present and indicated Consumer Affairs is not opposed) urged the committee to move the code section so the state can access disaster funds and stabilize the system’s administrative home.

Representative Mark Smith moved to advance SB697 to the full committee; the chair called for a vote by raised hands and announced the bill was adopted and moved forward.

The committee did not take a roll-call vote on SB697 during this session and did not decide budget appropriations; Ways & Means will still consider the $1.2 million request mentioned by witnesses. The bill will proceed to the next committee stage for further review.