A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 8-7-90, RELATING TO LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES IN NATIONAL GUARD OR RESERVE MILITARY FORCES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN STATE EMPLOYEES RECEIVE THIRTY DAYS OF PAID MILITARY LEAVE EACH YEAR.
Summary
H3740 amends South Carolina law governing military leave for state and local public officers and employees who are members of the National Guard or reserve components. The bill increases the annual paid leave entitlement from 15 regularly scheduled workdays to 30 regularly scheduled workdays for qualifying service members when they are absent for training or other authorized military duties. It also preserves the existing rule that certain weekends and state holidays do not count toward the leave total unless they are normally scheduled workdays for the employee.
The bill further provides that a full-time state employee who serves on active duty in a combat zone and has exhausted all available military leave may receive up to 30 additional days of military leave in a year. The measure keeps the current emergency-service leave provision and clarifies that the term "in any one year" may mean either a calendar year or, where applicable, the fiscal year used by the relevant military component. The act would take effect upon approval by the Governor.
Impact
If enacted, H3740 would amend Section 8-7-90 of the South Carolina Code of Laws to expand paid military leave benefits for state officers and employees, political subdivision employees, and school district employees who serve in the National Guard or reserve forces. The main legal change is doubling the standard paid leave entitlement from 15 to 30 workdays per year, while also adding an extra 30-day benefit for certain full-time state employees on combat-zone active duty after other military leave is exhausted. This would increase payroll obligations for affected public employers and strengthen job-protected paid leave rights for eligible service members.
Sentiment
The available bill information suggests generally favorable treatment of the measure, with the caption and text reflecting support for service members and military readiness. No committee transcripts or recorded votes are provided, so there is no documented opposition or amendment debate in the supplied materials. The bill’s findings language emphasizes liberal construction to encourage participation in National Guard and reserve service, indicating a pro-military policy intent.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or votes. Based on the bill text alone, the most likely areas of debate would be the cost to state and local employers from doubling paid leave and the scope of the added combat-zone leave for full-time state employees. Any concerns would likely come from public employers or budget-focused lawmakers, while support would likely come from veterans’ advocates, military families, and members of the National Guard and reserves.