---
type: "Bill"
title: "Occupational Licensure Reform Act"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 TO CHAPTER 36, TITLE 40 SO AS TO ENACT THE \"OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPACT\" WHICH ENTERS SOUTH CAROLINA INTO A MULTISTATE OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE COMPACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECIPROCAL PRACTICE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AMONG THE STATES THAT ARE PARTIES TO THE COMPACT; TO AMEND SECTION 40-36-230, RELATING TO APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE AS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR APPLICATIONS MADE PURSUANT TO THE COMPACT; TO AMEND SECTION 40-36-250, RELATING TO APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE WITHOUT EXAMINATION AS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR APPLICATIONS MADE PURSUANT TO THE COMPACT; AND TO DESIGNATE THE EXISTING SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 36 AS ARTICLE 1, ENTITLED \"GENERAL PROVISIONS\". - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 3599"
citation: "South Carolina H 3599 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Brawley", "Carter", "Dabney", "Erickson", "Gilliard", "Govan", "Howard", "Jefferson", "King", "McGarry", "S. Williams"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-01-12"
last_action: "2022-05-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/47b5c2eb-aaf9-48e0-a69c-80e91258da32"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3599&session=124&summary=B"
source_hash: "1a972dba1465ae4fe4456b5e5bdc5abed3001bc8da2adb50bc4a9d2b51421f7f"
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 3599 (2021-2022) — Occupational Licensure Reform Act

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 TO CHAPTER 36, TITLE 40 SO AS TO ENACT THE "OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPACT" WHICH ENTERS SOUTH CAROLINA INTO A MULTISTATE OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE COMPACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECIPROCAL PRACTICE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AMONG THE STATES THAT ARE PARTIES TO THE COMPACT; TO AMEND SECTION 40-36-230, RELATING TO APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE AS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR APPLICATIONS MADE PURSUANT TO THE COMPACT; TO AMEND SECTION 40-36-250, RELATING TO APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE WITHOUT EXAMINATION AS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS OR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR APPLICATIONS MADE PURSUANT TO THE COMPACT; AND TO DESIGNATE THE EXISTING SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 36 AS ARTICLE 1, ENTITLED "GENERAL PROVISIONS". - 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/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3599.htm)
2. **1/12/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20210112.htm)
3. **2/17/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20220217.htm)
4. **2/22/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20220222.htm)
5. **2/23/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20220223.htm)
6. **2/24/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20220224.htm)
7. **5/4/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3599_20220504.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **103–3** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **44–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Brawley — primary (person)
- Carter — primary (person)
- Dabney — primary (person)
- Erickson — primary (person)
- Gilliard — primary (person)
- Govan — primary (person)
- Howard — primary (person)
- Jefferson — primary (person)
- King — primary (person)
- McGarry — primary (person)
- S. Williams — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-12** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGarry
- **2021-12-02** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Dabney
- **2021-12-06** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Brawley, Gilliard, King, Jefferson, Howard, S.Williams
- **2022-01-13** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Carter
- **2022-02-08** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Erickson
- **2022-02-17** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-22** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-02-22** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan
- **2022-02-23** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2022-02-23** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-02-23** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-3
- **2022-02-24** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-02-24** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-02-24** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-24** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-05-04** Committee report: Favorable Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-05-10** Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0
- **2022-05-11** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-05-12** Ratified R 203
- **2022-05-13** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-05-31** Effective date 05/13/22
- **2022-05-31** Act No. 158

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/47b5c2eb-aaf9-48e0-a69c-80e91258da32`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).