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House passes bill limiting public eviction records after heated floor debate
Summary
After hours of debate about tenant protections and housing market impacts, the South Carolina House adopted House Bill H4270 on third reading. Supporters said it offers a path for people to move on from past evictions; critics warned it could raise rents and squeeze small landlords.
Representative Jordan Pace opened a lengthy floor debate on House Bill H4270, arguing the bill’s removal of certain eviction records from the public record would have unintended economic effects on the state’s affordable rental market. Pace, who asked that the bill be sent to the LCI committee for further study, said the change would reduce information available to small landlords and ‘‘increase risk for those small time landlords,’’ leading to higher rents and larger security deposits.
Pace urged his colleagues to consider the practical eviction process and the costs landlords shoulder: filing fees, attorney fees, judicial backlog and continuances. ‘‘If we contract the affordable housing market, prices will go up,’’ Pace said, warning that some small landlords would likely exit the rental market rather than shoulder the increased risk.
Members pressed Pace on how the bill would interact with HUD and Section 8 housing; Pace said federally assisted housing follows contract terms with HUD and that his concern focused on privately held small landlords who make up a significant share of the affordable housing supply. Representative Gilliard asked whether the proposal would affect public housing residents; Pace said those programs operate under different rules and repeated that his primary concern was the private market.
Other members shared personal experience and testimony about evictions. Miss Landon, speaking later in the debate, framed the bill as a corrective measure, noting that other financial records (for example, bankruptcy records) are expunged on set timelines and proposing that eviction records be removable after five years if a tenant has not been evicted in that period. ‘‘We’re simply saying instead of a lifetime sentence … eviction can be removed after five years,’’ she said.
The House considered a procedural motion related to recommitting the bill to the Legislative Council Initiative (LCI). That motion to table the commitment was decided by roll call and failed to keep the bill out of immediate consideration; the tabling motion passed 80–22. After further floor discussion, the chamber voted on third reading and H4270 was adopted.
The vote on final passage was announced from the floor as favoring the bill; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. Supporters described the measure as offering second chances and reducing lifelong barriers for people who have experienced eviction. Opponents stressed potential market-side consequences and urged further committee review.
The next procedural step will depend on the bill's remaining process (engrossment and transmission to the Senate or gubernatorial action). The House adjourned shortly after the vote.
