# South Carolina H 4476: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 80 TO TITLE 39 ENTITLED "SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION" SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND PURPOSE. South Carolina H 4476, AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 80 TO TITLE 39 ENTITLED "SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION" SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND PURPOSE., is a 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by J. Todd Rutherford (Democrat); status signed, last action 2026-06-05 (Effective date 05/19/26) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H4476-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: South Carolina H 4476 - State: South Carolina - Session: 126th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 80 TO TITLE 39 ENTITLED "SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION" SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA-BAHAMAS TRADE COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND PURPOSE. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-05-01 - Last action: 2026-06-05, Effective date 05/19/26 - Sponsor: J. Todd Rutherford (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 4 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (239 yes, 25 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary Trade commissions ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New South Carolina–Bahamas Trade Commission: benefit, low. Effective May 19, 2026, the law creates the South Carolina–Bahamas Trade Commission. It works to grow trade and investment with The Bahamas. It also promotes business and college exchanges and joint policy steps. The commission must send its first report within one year of its first meeting, then e… - Who serves on the trade commission: benefit, low. The commission has 15 members. The Speaker appoints 4; at least 2 must be House members. The Senate President appoints 4; at least 2 must be Senate members. The Governor appoints 7: the Commerce Secretary or designee; the Agriculture Commissioner or designee; two higher‑ed reps; two Bahamian‑Americ… - Commission members unpaid; basic meeting rules: mixed, low. Commission members serve without pay. They can be repaid for expenses only if the commission has funds. The Governor chooses the chair or co‑chairs. The chair may set up subcommittees and pick their chairs. A majority of members is needed to do business. - Commission funded by private gifts, no general fund: mixed, low. The commission can raise money by asking for donations and holding events. It can accept gifts, grants, and bequests. No state general fund money can support its operations or administration. All funds go to the State Treasurer and are routed to the Department of Commerce for commission use. Spendi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: J. Todd Rutherford (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Justin T. Bamberg (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: William G. "Bill" Herbkersman (Republican), House - Cosponsor: JA Moore (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (Democrat), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-05-14 | House | (SC-Bahamas Trade Commission)Concur in Senate Amendments | pass | 108 | 1 | | | 2026-05-12 | Senate | (SC-Bahamas Trade Commission)2nd Reading | pass | 43 | 3 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | (SC-Bahamas Trade Commission)Passage of Bill | pass | 88 | 21 | | ## Actions (22) - 2026-06-05: Effective date 05/19/26 (legislature) - 2026-06-03: Act No. 236 (legislature) - 2026-05-19: Signed By Governor (Governor) - 2026-05-15: Ratified R 249 (legislature) - 2026-05-14: Roll call Yeas-108 Nays-1 (House) - 2026-05-14: Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (House) - 2026-05-13: Read third time and returned to House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-05-12: Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-3 (Senate) - 2026-05-12: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-05-12: Amended (Senate) - 2026-05-05: Recalled from Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (Senate) - 2026-04-28: Introduced and read first time (Senate) - 2026-04-24: Read third time and sent to Senate (House) - 2026-04-23: Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House) - 2026-04-23: Roll call Yeas-88 Nays-21 (House) - 2026-04-23: Read second time (House) - 2026-04-23: Amended (House) - 2026-04-23: Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Rivers (House) - 2026-04-22: Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry (House) - 2025-05-01: Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (House) - 2025-05-01: Introduced and read first time (House) ## Bill text - Introduced: [HTML](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4476.htm) ## Related bills - S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO INSTEAD ENFORCE AE STANDARDS IN GEORGETOWN COUNTY'S FLOOD DAMA… (became law) - S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATIO… (signed) - H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO CLARIFY THE METHOD BY WHICH PERSONS FILE TO BECOME A CANDI… (signed) - S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, RELATING TO DETERMINATION OF RATES OF TUITION AND FEES, DESIGNATED AS RE… (signed) - S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RECEIVE A MONTHLY LEGISLATIVE EXPENSE ALLOWANCE OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; TO PROVID… (signed) - H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING AS PROVIDED FOR IN CHAPTER 3, TITLE 61 TO MAY 1, 2026. (signed) ## Sources - [Introduced (HTML)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4476.htm) ## Related - [S 0623: AN ACT TO EXEMPT GEORGETOWN COUNTY FROM CERTAIN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND TO AL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0623-2025-2026) - [S 0586: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 172 OF 1995, RELATING TO THE KERSHAW COUNTY TRANSPORTATION…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0586-2025-2026) - [H 5653: AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 843 OF 1952, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE LEE COUNTY BOARD O…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5653-2025-2026) - [S 1062: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDU…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S1062-2025-2026) - [S 0779: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-S0779-2025-2026) - [H 5261: A JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING ALCOHOL SERVER TRAINING…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H5261-2025-2026) - [South Carolina bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/south-carolina/bills) - [South Carolina state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/south-carolina) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/SC-H4476-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).