---
type: "Bill"
title: "Certificate of Need"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-7-170, RELATING TO CERTIFICATE OF NEED EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT VETERANS' HOMES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS DO NOT REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF NEED. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "H 4799"
citation: "South Carolina H 4799 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B.L. Cox", "C. Mitchell", "Caskey", "Gilliard", "Govan", "Lastinger", "Lawson", "M.M. Smith", "Pope", "Waters", "Williams"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 24
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-12-16"
last_action: "2026-05-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5cc93657-20c7-42f2-9bb6-4585ab7eec92"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4799&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "5d5fd5c1dea61610450e90a4adc92d717efbe5181583036f158320ecabd8bea8"
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 4799 (2025-2026) — Certificate of Need

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-7-170, RELATING TO CERTIFICATE OF NEED EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT VETERANS' HOMES OWNED OR OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' AFFAIRS DO NOT REQUIRE A CERTIFICATE OF NEED. - 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/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4799.htm)
2. **03/25/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4799_20260325.htm)
3. **03/26/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4799_20260326.htm)
4. **03/31/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4799_20260331.htm)
5. **04/30/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4799_20260430.htm)
6. **12/17/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/4799_20251217.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **105–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **46–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- B.L. Cox — primary (person)
- C. Mitchell — primary (person)
- Caskey — primary (person)
- Gilliard — primary (person)
- Govan — primary (person)
- Lastinger — primary (person)
- Lawson — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Waters — primary (person)
- Williams — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-12-16** Prefiled `filing`
- **2025-12-16** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-13** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-13** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-20** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan
- **2026-03-25** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger
- **2026-03-25** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-26** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey, M.M.Smith, Williams, Gilliard, Waters
- **2026-03-26** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-26** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-26** Roll call Yeas-105 Nays-0
- **2026-03-26** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2026-03-27** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-31** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-03-31** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-03-31** Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-30** Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-05** Roll call Ayes-46 Nays-0
- **2026-05-06** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-14** Ratified R 203
- **2026-05-15** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-26** Effective date 05/15/26
- **2026-05-26** Act No. 153

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5cc93657-20c7-42f2-9bb6-4585ab7eec92`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).