---
type: "Bill"
title: "Veterans Affairs"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 1-30-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; BY ADDING SECTION 1-30-130 SO AS TO ENUMERATE THE ASSETS, RIGHTS, AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE FORMER DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO AMEND CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS, SO AS TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, REDESIGNATE THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO ESTABLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNOR SHALL APPOINT A SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE, AND TO ENUMERATE THE SECRETARY'S POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF \"VETERAN\" FOR PURPOSES OF APPOINTING COUNTY VETERANS' AFFAIRS OFFICERS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A COUNTY VETERANS' AFFAIRS OFFICER IS AN AT-WILL EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO MAY BE REMOVED FOR CAUSE AT ANY TIME BY THE DEPARTMENT SECRETARY, A MAJORITY OF THE SENATORS REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, AND A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE COUNTY; TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE CHAPTER; TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA MILITARY BASE TASK FORCE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE'S COMPOSITION, POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; AND TO PROVIDE COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO THE REDESIGNATION OF THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "H 3438"
citation: "South Carolina H 3438 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Cox", "Caskey", "Cobb-Hunter", "Davis", "Hixon", "Huggins", "Mace", "McCravy", "Pitts", "Taylor", "W. Cox"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 32
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2018-12-18"
last_action: "2019-05-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3aa768e2-056b-4544-9408-c6cc40d82fa8"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3438&session=123&summary=B"
source_hash: "7c15bd68137bbd9a24413675deb299f7dcb59fbcd61896a811129a98a3ed424f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3438 (2019-2020) — Veterans Affairs

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 1-30-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; BY ADDING SECTION 1-30-130 SO AS TO ENUMERATE THE ASSETS, RIGHTS, AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE FORMER DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS TRANSFERRED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO AMEND CHAPTER 11, TITLE 25, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS, SO AS TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, REDESIGNATE THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO ESTABLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNOR SHALL APPOINT A SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE, AND TO ENUMERATE THE SECRETARY'S POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS; TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF "VETERAN" FOR PURPOSES OF APPOINTING COUNTY VETERANS' AFFAIRS OFFICERS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A COUNTY VETERANS' AFFAIRS OFFICER IS AN AT-WILL EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO MAY BE REMOVED FOR CAUSE AT ANY TIME BY THE DEPARTMENT SECRETARY, A MAJORITY OF THE SENATORS REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, AND A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE COUNTY; TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE CHAPTER; TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA MILITARY BASE TASK FORCE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE'S COMPOSITION, POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; AND TO PROVIDE COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO THE REDESIGNATION OF THE DIVISION OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/3438.htm)
2. **12/18/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20181218.htm)
3. **2/21/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190221.htm)
4. **2/27/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190227.htm)
5. **2/28/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190228.htm)
6. **3/13/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190313.htm)
7. **3/14/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190314.htm)
8. **3/20/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190320.htm)
9. **3/21/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/3438_20190321.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **105–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **81–29** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Cox — primary (person)
- Caskey — primary (person)
- Cobb-Hunter — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- Huggins — primary (person)
- Mace — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Pitts — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- W. Cox — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-12-18** Prefiled `filing`
- **2018-12-18** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-01-08** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-01-08** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-01-16** Recalled from Committee on Judiciary
- **2019-01-16** Committed to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-07** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cobb-Hunter
- **2019-02-20** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon
- **2019-02-21** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.Cox, Taylor, Davis
- **2019-02-21** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-02-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey
- **2019-02-27** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Mace
- **2019-02-27** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2019-02-27** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2019-02-27** Roll call Yeas-105 Nays-0
- **2019-02-28** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-02-28** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-02-28** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-02-28** Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-13** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Family and Veterans' Services `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-14** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-03-20** Committee Amendment Amended and Adopted `amendment-amendment, amendment-passage`
- **2019-03-20** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2019-03-20** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2019-03-21** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-03-21** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-04-03** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2019-04-03** Roll call Yeas-81 Nays-29
- **2019-04-25** Ratified R 39
- **2019-04-26** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-03** Effective date 07/01/19
- **2019-05-06** Act No. 26

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3aa768e2-056b-4544-9408-c6cc40d82fa8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).