---
type: "Bill"
title: "Rural Emergency Hospitals"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-7-130, RELATING TO STATE HEALTH FACILITY LICENSURE ACT DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD TO THE DEFINITION OF \"HOSPITAL\" ALL HOSPITALS THAT CONVERT TO RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITALS. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 895"
citation: "South Carolina S 895 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alexander", "Hutto", "Verdin"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 17
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-02-04"
last_action: "2026-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0cdd7ab0-c20d-4341-8d09-36a01cf4f568"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=895&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "eb69bab3b255bb70706badb8fa68621dee3e4204282781fa942b160e7c4225ea"
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 S 895 (2025-2026) — Rural Emergency Hospitals

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-7-130, RELATING TO STATE HEALTH FACILITY LICENSURE ACT DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD TO THE DEFINITION OF "HOSPITAL" ALL HOSPITALS THAT CONVERT TO RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITALS. - 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/895.htm)
2. **02/04/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/895_20260204.htm)
3. **03/19/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/895_20260319.htm)
4. **04/21/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/895_20260421.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **108–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Alexander — primary (person)
- Hutto — primary (person)
- Verdin — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-02-04** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-02-04** Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-19** Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-25** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2026-03-26** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-31** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-03-31** Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-04-21** Recalled from Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
- **2026-04-23** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-04-23** Roll call Yeas-108 Nays-0
- **2026-04-23** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2026-04-24** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-14** Ratified R 162
- **2026-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-05** Effective date 05/18/26
- **2026-06-02** Act No. 181

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0cdd7ab0-c20d-4341-8d09-36a01cf4f568`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).