State Bill of the Month – June 2026: South Carolina H. 3021

Introduced by state Rep. Jeff Bradley (R), South Carolina’s H. 3021 enacts the “Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act,” subjecting agency rulemaking to legislative review through the Small Business Regulatory Review Committee, which will identify and eliminate redundant regulation. This bill would ensure that South Carolina’s lawmakers reclaim authority over heavy-handed rules with major economic impacts to their constituents.

The legislation is designed to rein in the plethora of confusing and unnecessary regulations facing small businesses. State regulators will finally face accountability for imposing burdensome rules, and the bill even allows citizens to challenge regulations in court.

This legislation is timely—while South Carolina ranks 18^th in CNBC’s “Top States for Business” in 2025, it falls behind in “Business Friendliness” and “Cost of Doing Business,” ranking 28^th for both spots. One likely contributor is the “78,676 restrictions” contained in the South Carolina Code of State Regulations (SCCSR) that would take “6.5 weeks to read.” For reference, the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations contains half the restrictions. South Carolina’s businesses are overburdened with regulation, and small businesses take the brunt of it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that “69% of small businesses say they spend more per employee to comply with regulations than larger competitors.” Overspending on compliance reduces innovation, investment, and employee paychecks, and raises prices on products and services.

The South Carolina Policy Council points out that the bill will “review and repeal… outdated licensing laws and zoning restrictions” that have been infamous for plaguing South Carolina’s businesses for years.

Removing these burdensome regulations will not only reduce costs for businesses and taxpayers, but will also encourage businesses to hire new employees and reduce barriers to entry for new businesses attempting to enter South Carolina’s economy. These beneficial changes increase the tax base, allowing lower rates across the board for state taxpayers.

As of late June, it has passed the State House and awaits the signature of Governor McMaster.

South Carolina already ranks in the upper half of pro-business states thanks to its strong workforce, economic diversity, and innovation—but H. 3021 is an essential step toward creating a more business-friendly environment that ensures the state remains competitive on a national scale.

It is for these reasons that TPA is pleased to make South Carolina’s H. 3021, as introduced by Rep. Jeff Bradley, its Bill of the Month for June 2026.