---
type: "Bill"
title: "ESG"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE \"ESG PENSION PROTECTION ACT\" BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-10, RELATING TO RETIREMENT SYSTEM FUNDS DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD A DEFINITION OF \"PECUNIARY FACTOR\"; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-30, RELATING TO DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS BY THE COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PROXY VOTING DECISIONS MUST BE BASED ON PECUNIARY FACTORS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-50, RELATING TO INVESTMENT AND MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS BY TRUSTEES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMISSION MAY ONLY CONSIDER PECUNIARY FACTORS IN MAKING CERTAIN INVESTMENT DECISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-320, RELATING TO ANNUAL INVESTMENT PLANS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN MEETINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-330, RELATING TO STATEMENT OF ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS AND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 9-16-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BRING AN ACTION TO ENFORCE CERTAIN PROVISIONS. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "H 3690"
citation: "South Carolina H 3690 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "B.J. Cox", "Bannister", "Blackwell", "Bradley", "Brewer", "Burns", "Bustos", "Carter", "Caskey", "Chumley", "Davis", "Elliott", "Erickson", "Forrest", "G.M. Smith", "Gilliam", "Guffey", "Haddon", "Hager", "Hardee", "Hartnett", "Hewitt", "Hiott", "Hixon", "J.E. Johnson", "Jordan", "Kilmartin", "Landing", "Lawson", "Leber", "Ligon", "Long", "M.M. Smith", "Magnuson", "McCravy", "Mitchell", "Moss", "Neese", "Nutt", "Oremus", "Pope", "Robbins", "Sandifer", "Sessions", "Taylor", "Thayer", "Vaughan", "W. Newton", "West", "Whitmire", "Willis", "Wooten", "Yow"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 28
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-01-12"
last_action: "2024-02-09"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ba0293e6-4461-4034-8d1f-3208d226cd75"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3690&session=125&summary=B"
source_hash: "f16bb3e109fb92cec6732cd33428450f949821dae68e59501e09b419a9a85fdb"
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 3690 (2023-2024) — ESG

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "ESG PENSION PROTECTION ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-10, RELATING TO RETIREMENT SYSTEM FUNDS DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD A DEFINITION OF "PECUNIARY FACTOR"; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-30, RELATING TO DELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS BY THE COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT PROXY VOTING DECISIONS MUST BE BASED ON PECUNIARY FACTORS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-50, RELATING TO INVESTMENT AND MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS BY TRUSTEES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMISSION MAY ONLY CONSIDER PECUNIARY FACTORS IN MAKING CERTAIN INVESTMENT DECISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-320, RELATING TO ANNUAL INVESTMENT PLANS, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN MEETINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-16-330, RELATING TO STATEMENT OF ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS AND INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 9-16-110 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BRING AN ACTION TO ENFORCE CERTAIN 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/sess125_2023-2024/bills/3690.htm)
2. **01/12/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230112.htm)
3. **03/30/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230330.htm)
4. **04/03/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230403.htm)
5. **04/05/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230405.htm)
6. **05/04/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230504.htm)
7. **05/08/2023** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/3690_20230508.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **103–5** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- B.J. Cox — primary (person)
- Bannister — primary (person)
- Blackwell — primary (person)
- Bradley — primary (person)
- Brewer — primary (person)
- Burns — primary (person)
- Bustos — primary (person)
- Carter — primary (person)
- Caskey — primary (person)
- Chumley — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Erickson — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- G.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Gilliam — primary (person)
- Guffey — primary (person)
- Haddon — primary (person)
- Hager — primary (person)
- Hardee — primary (person)
- Hartnett — primary (person)
- Hewitt — primary (person)
- Hiott — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- J.E. Johnson — primary (person)
- Jordan — primary (person)
- Kilmartin — primary (person)
- Landing — primary (person)
- Lawson — primary (person)
- Leber — primary (person)
- Ligon — primary (person)
- Long — primary (person)
- M.M. Smith — primary (person)
- Magnuson — primary (person)
- McCravy — primary (person)
- Mitchell — primary (person)
- Moss — primary (person)
- Neese — primary (person)
- Nutt — primary (person)
- Oremus — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Robbins — primary (person)
- Sandifer — primary (person)
- Sessions — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Thayer — primary (person)
- Vaughan — primary (person)
- W. Newton — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)
- Whitmire — primary (person)
- Willis — primary (person)
- Wooten — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-01-12** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-18** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Robbins
- **2023-01-19** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kilmartin, M.M.Smith
- **2023-03-08** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: B.Newton, Hewitt
- **2023-03-28** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Leber, Pope
- **2023-03-29** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Blackwell, Caskey
- **2023-03-30** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-03** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2023-04-04** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Landing
- **2023-04-04** Requests for debate-Rep(s). Hiott, Taylor, Carter, B Newton, Guffey, McCravy, Guest, BL Cox, Pace, Magnuson, Harris, Hixon, Oremus, Blackwell, Henegan, Williams, Beach, Cromer, Anderson, Kirby, Hosey, Hewitt, King, Bernstein, Bauer, Robbins, Garvin, White, S Jones, Moss, Mitchell, Sandifer, Whitmire, May, McCabe, Vaughan, BJ Cox, Elliott
- **2023-04-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2023-04-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2023-04-05** Roll call Yeas-103 Nays-5
- **2023-04-06** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2023-04-06** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2023-04-06** Referred to Committee on Finance `referral-committee`
- **2023-05-03** Committee report: Favorable Finance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-05-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2024-01-11** Special order, set for January 11. 2024
- **2024-01-16** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2024-01-16** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2024-01-17** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-01-17** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2024-01-30** Ratified R 104
- **2024-02-05** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2024-02-09** Effective date 02/05/24
- **2024-02-09** Act No. 103

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ba0293e6-4461-4034-8d1f-3208d226cd75`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).