---
type: "Bill"
title: "Earn and Learn Act of 2023"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE \"EARN AND LEARN ACT OF 2023\", BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-80, RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS OF LICENSEES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR TO SEND INFORMATION REGARDING AN INVESTIGATION TO THE LICENSEE; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-90, RELATING TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A LICENSEE TO REQUEST CERTIFICATION OF AN INVESTIGATION FROM THE DIRECTOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-140, RELATING TO EFFECT OF PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS OF APPLICANTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE DENIAL OF A LICENSE BASED SOLELY OR IN PART ON A PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 40-1-77 SO AS TO PROVIDE A METHOD TO ALLOW A WORKER TO EARN A PAYCHECK WHILE FULFILLING APPLICABLE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "H 3605"
citation: "South Carolina H 3605 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Beach", "Blackwell", "Burns", "Carter", "Caskey", "Elliott", "Forrest", "G.M. Smith", "Kirby", "Ligon", "Long", "Magnuson", "May", "Oremus", "Pace", "Sandifer"]
version_count: 10
action_count: 30
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-01-11"
last_action: "2023-05-10"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a8a34c62-a05d-45fb-9647-212926bb7445"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3605&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "7e651d09b73346f5a54775387ece2171435423bce02e7be2c3dec698ed4b2d4b"
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 3605 (2023-2024) — Earn and Learn Act of 2023

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "EARN AND LEARN ACT OF 2023", BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-80, RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS OF LICENSEES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DIRECTOR TO SEND INFORMATION REGARDING AN INVESTIGATION TO THE LICENSEE; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-90, RELATING TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION PROCEEDINGS, SO AS TO ALLOW A LICENSEE TO REQUEST CERTIFICATION OF AN INVESTIGATION FROM THE DIRECTOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-140, RELATING TO EFFECT OF PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS OF APPLICANTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE DENIAL OF A LICENSE BASED SOLELY OR IN PART ON A PRIOR CRIMINAL CONVICTION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 40-1-77 SO AS TO PROVIDE A METHOD TO ALLOW A WORKER TO EARN A PAYCHECK WHILE FULFILLING APPLICABLE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS. - 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/sess125_2023-2024/bills/3605.htm)
2. **1/11/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230111.htm)
3. **1/27/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230127.htm)
4. **1/31/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230131.htm)
5. **1/31/2023-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230131a.htm)
6. **2/1/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230201.htm)
7. **3/7/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230307.htm)
8. **3/8/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230308.htm)
9. **4/13/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230413.htm)
10. **4/14/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3605_20230414.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **114–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **111–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Beach — primary (person)
- Blackwell — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- Carter — primary (person)
- Caskey — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- G.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Kirby — primary (person)
- Ligon — primary (person)
- Long — primary (person)
- Magnuson — primary (person)
- May — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Pace — primary (person)
- Sandifer — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-11** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-01-11** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-18** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Carter
- **2023-01-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kirby, Oremus
- **2023-01-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Magnuson, Pace, Long, Elliott, Burns, May, Beach
- **2023-01-26** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-01-27** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-01-31** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Forrest, Blackwell, B.Newton, Caskey, Ligon
- **2023-01-31** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-01-31** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-01-31** Roll call Yeas-114 Nays-0
- **2023-02-01** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-02-01** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-02-01** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-01** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-03-07** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-04-13** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2023-04-13** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-04-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-04-13** Roll call Ayes-39 Nays-0
- **2023-04-14** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-04-18** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-20** Debate adjourned
- **2023-04-26** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2023-04-26** Roll call Yeas-111 Nays-0
- **2023-05-02** Ratified R 21
- **2023-05-08** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-10** Effective date 05/08/23
- **2023-05-10** Act No. 13

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a8a34c62-a05d-45fb-9647-212926bb7445`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).