Happy New Year!

It was a pleasure to see so many of our members and elected officials at last night’s Legislative Reception. Thank you for taking the time to join us and engage in meaningful conversations about the year ahead. We hope you enjoyed the event and had the opportunity to preview our 2026 Legislative Agenda. If you were unable to attend, we are pleased to share an overview below.

This week marks the start of the second year of a two-year legislative session, which means legislation can resume exactly where it left off last year. It is also an election year for every member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Candidate filing opens in March, followed by June primaries and the November general election. Additional elections of note include all South Carolina constitutional officers, the governor and the First Congressional District congressional seat.

So, what does this mean for the legislative session? We expect a few partisan issues to move forward prior to the March filing deadline. Once filing closes, legislators often turn their attention to delivering on commitments made to constituents as they prepare for June primaries. At times this environment creates opportunities for the business community and at other times it presents challenges. As always, outcomes will depend on the specific issue.

This year, our legislative agenda is centered on five priority areas, along with several evergreen issues that remain important to the business community year after year.

View the Full 2026 Legislative Agenda

Affordability and Accessibility of Dependent Care
Support expanding access to affordable dependent care so that families can fully participate in the workforce and employers can attract and retain talent. We specifically support the creation of a dedicated childcare fund and state tax credit legislation that mirrors recent federal expansions.

SCDOT Modernization
Streamline project delivery through NEPA assignment and P3 models, expand bridge funding to meet 10-year goals and advance modernization with fair, broad-based funding. Just as importantly, local governments must have a seat at the table in project prioritization and funding decisions to ensure investments reflect community needs and drive statewide economic growth.

Building Competitive Communities
Support policies that foster responsible growth through proactive planning, strategic infrastructure investment and workforce development. Building a skilled workforce is essential to sustaining South Carolina’s competitiveness and ensuring that growth benefits both employers and residents. Our economic future depends on keeping communities open to opportunity, not restricting it through moratoriums or punitive impact fees that shift the burden onto businesses and families.

Military
Support state laws and funding to penalize unauthorized drones, enhance counter-UAS capabilities and safeguard military installations and critical infrastructure while providing clear guidance for affected industries.

Housing
Modernize South Carolina’s Private Activity Bond system to meet housing demand, strengthen local economies and ensure long-term competitiveness and resilience.

Insurance
Support reforms that promote a fair and predictable insurance environment, including allowing insurers to exclude punitive damages from policies, clarifying settlement standards and accounting for contributory factors such as seatbelt use. Equitable allocation of fault in multi-party incidents and revisiting the construction statute of repose will provide greater certainty for businesses and long-term projects.

Collectively, these measures reduce claim costs, stabilize premiums and strengthen South Carolina’s insurance climate for both businesses and consumers.

We look forward to working alongside you throughout the legislative session to advance these priorities. Your engagement is critical to our success. If you have not yet signed up for Voter Voice, I encourage you to do so. This tool allows you to quickly and directly communicate with your elected officials when it matters most.

Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber’s advocacy efforts.