South Carolina House Bill 4544

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Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 5)
Status: Engrossed on March 26 2026 - 50% progression
Action: 2026-05-12 - Read second time
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Amend The South Carolina Code Of Laws By Amending Section 15-32-220, Relating To Noneconomic Damages Limit And Exceptions, So As To Provide Guidelines For Intent To Harm, Felony Convictions, And Influence Of Alcohol And Other Drugs; By Amending Section 15-78-30, Relating To Definitions For Purposes Of The Tort Claims Act, So As To Revise The Meaning Of "occurrence"; By Amending Section 15-78-120, Relating To Limitation On Liability, So As To Provide Circumstances Under Which The Limitations Must Be Increased Or Decreased; And By Amending Section 33-56-180, Relating To Limited Liability Of Charitable Organizations, So As To Make Conforming Changes.

Medical malpractice

Rep. Wallace Jordan [R]	Rep. Weston Newton [R]	Rep. Marvin Smith [R]	Rep. Brandon Cox [R]
Rep. Sylleste Davis [R]

2026-03-25 - House - House: Passage Of Bill (Y: 116 N: 0 NV: 5 Abs: 3) [PASS]
2026-03-25 - House - House: Waive Rule 5.15 Printing (Y: 94 N: 19 NV: 8 Abs: 3) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-05-12	Senate	Read second time
2026-04-22	Senate	Recalled from Committee on Judiciary
2026-03-26	Senate	Referred to Committee on Judiciary
2026-03-26	Senate	Introduced and read first time
2026-03-26	House	Read third time and sent to Senate
2026-03-25	House	Roll call Yeas-116 Nays-0
2026-03-25	House	Read second time
2026-03-25	House	Amended
2026-03-25		Scrivener's error corrected
2026-03-24	House	Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
2026-03-03	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith, B.L.Cox, Davis
2025-05-08	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary
2025-05-08	House	Introduced and read first time

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
15	32	220	(n/a)	See Bill Text
15	78	120	(n/a)	See Bill Text
15	78	30	(n/a)	See Bill Text
33	56	180	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4544&session=126&summary=B
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4544_20250508.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4544_20260324.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4544_20260325.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4544_20260325A.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4544_20260422.htm
Supplement	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/H4544%202025-05-08%20introduced.pdf
Roll Call	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/votehistory.php?KEY=27048
Roll Call	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/votehistory.php?KEY=27049