---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local Government"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 6-1-2020 SO AS TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DESIGNATE AMBULANCE SERVICE AS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA; TO REQUIRE THAT EACH COUNTY GOVERNING BODY ENSURES THAT AT LEAST ONE LICENSED AMBULANCE SERVICE IS OPERATING WITHIN THE COUNTY; AND TO DEFINE RELEVANT TERMS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 4601"
citation: "South Carolina H 4601 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Atkinson", "Bennett", "Bustos", "G.R. Smith", "Gagnon", "Hayes", "M.M. Smith", "Matthews", "McGarry", "V.S. Moss", "W. Cox"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 24
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-11-17"
last_action: "2022-05-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bfd7bb55-9bed-411e-9158-33f377e6976d"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4601&session=124&summary=B"
source_hash: "d99ba5dde3abe9dc1a387aeb7bd02fe2283ecace5ba61f865ec4fbf819b100cd"
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 4601 (2021-2022) — Local Government

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 6-1-2020 SO AS TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DESIGNATE AMBULANCE SERVICE AS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA; TO REQUIRE THAT EACH COUNTY GOVERNING BODY ENSURES THAT AT LEAST ONE LICENSED AMBULANCE SERVICE IS OPERATING WITHIN THE COUNTY; AND TO DEFINE RELEVANT TERMS. - 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/4601.htm)
2. **11/17/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4601_20211117.htm)
3. **3/9/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4601_20220309.htm)
4. **4/20/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4601_20220420.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **107–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Atkinson — primary (person)
- Bennett — primary (person)
- Bustos — primary (person)
- G.R. Smith — primary (person)
- Gagnon — primary (person)
- Hayes — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Matthews — primary (person)
- McGarry — primary (person)
- V.S. Moss — primary (person)
- W. Cox — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-11-17** Prefiled `filing`
- **2021-11-17** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2022-01-11** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-01-11** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-16** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Atkinson, Hayes
- **2022-02-17** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: M.M.Smith
- **2022-03-02** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: V.S.Moss
- **2022-03-09** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-03-10** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Matthews
- **2022-03-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-03-10** Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-0
- **2022-03-10** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2022-03-11** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-03-15** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-03-15** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-30** Referred to Subcommittee: Hutto (ch), Malloy, Senn, Adams, Garrett
- **2022-04-20** Committee report: Favorable Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-03** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-05-03** Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0
- **2022-05-04** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-05-12** Ratified R 217
- **2022-05-13** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-05-31** Effective date 05/13/22
- **2022-05-31** Act No. 164

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bfd7bb55-9bed-411e-9158-33f377e6976d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).