South Carolina Senate Bill S0693

South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/13/26

Caption

Certificate of Need

Summary

S. 693 amends South Carolina’s certificate of need law to add veteran nursing homes to the list of facilities exempt from certificate of need review. Under current law, certain hospitals and other government-related facilities are already exempt; this bill would extend that exemption to veteran nursing homes owned and operated by the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The practical effect is to allow the state to build, expand, or otherwise develop veteran nursing homes without going through the certificate of need process, which is designed to regulate major health care facility projects. The bill takes effect upon gubernatorial approval and would directly affect the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and any state planning or licensing processes tied to long-term care facility development.

Impact

The bill would amend Section 44-7-170(B) of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which governs certificate of need exemptions, by adding a new exemption for veteran nursing homes owned and operated by the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs. This would remove those facilities from the scope of the state’s certificate of need requirements, reducing regulatory review for construction or expansion projects involving veteran nursing homes.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears straightforward and likely noncontroversial. The proposal is framed as a targeted exemption for veterans’ long-term care facilities, suggesting a generally supportive policy posture toward improving or expediting services for veterans.

Contention

No specific objections, amendments, or recorded opposition are provided in the available context. The only likely point of policy tension is the broader issue of certificate of need exemptions: supporters may view the change as a necessary administrative streamlining for veteran care, while critics of certificate of need exemptions in general could argue that it further weakens state oversight of health care facility growth.