South Carolina H 3477: Maximum potential employment benefits

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3477 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 18, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3477

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter 
Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Amended

February 18, 2026

H. 3477

Introduced by Reps. Caskey, Bannister, G. M. 
Smith, B. Newton, Hewitt, Long, Wooten, C. Mitchell, Pope, W. Newton, Sessions, 
Neese, Weeks, Bowers, Moss, Hartz, Lawson, Rankin, Guest, Brittain, Lowe, 
Sanders, M. M. Smith, T. Moore, Ballentine, Martin, Ligon, Oremus, Pedalino, 
Calhoon, Davis, Taylor, Holman, Erickson, Brewer, Gatch, Yow, Haddon, Hixon, 
Hiott, Wickensimer, Jordan, Hardee and Chapman 

S. Printed 2/18/26--H.

Read the first time January 14, 2025

________ 

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 41-35-50, RELATING TO THE MAXIMUM UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS 
ALLOWED IN A BENEFIT YEAR, SO AS TO BASE THE DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 
ALLOWED ON SEASONALLY ADJUSTED STATEWIDE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, TO PROVIDE 
REQUIREMENTS FOR CALCULATING THE RATES, AND TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE SHALL PROMULGATE CERTAIN RELATED REGULATIONS; AND BY 
AMENDING SECTION 41-35-120, RELATING TO DISQUALIFICATION FOR BENEFITS.

 Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 41-35-50 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
41-35-50. The maximum potential benefits of any insured worker in a benefit 
year are the lesser of:

 (1) twenty times his weekly benefit 
amount;

 (2) one-third of his wages for insured 
work paid during his base period.

 If the resulting amount is 
not a multiple of one dollar, the amount must be reduced to the next lower 
multiple of one dollar, except that no insured worker may receive benefits in a 
benefit year unless,

 subsequent to the beginning of 
the next preceding benefit year during which he received benefits, he performed 
"insured work" as defined in Section 41-27-300 and earned wages in the employ 
of a single employer in an amount equal to not less than eight times the weekly 
benefit amount established for the individual in the preceding benefit year(A) The maximum number of weeks an individual is allowed to 
receive one hundred percent of his or her weekly benefit amount depends on the 
seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate that applies to the three-month 
reference period in which the effective date of the claim falls. One 
three-month reference period begins on January first, the second three-month 
reference period begins on April first, the third three-month reference period 
begins on July first, and the fourth three-month reference period begins on 
October first. For the reference period that begins January first, the average 
of the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for the State for the preceding 
months of August, September, and October apply. For the reference period that 
begins April first, the average of the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates 
for the State for the preceding months of

 November, December, and 
January apply. For the reference period that begins 
July first, the average of the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for the 
State for the preceding months of February, March, and April apply. For the 
reference period that begins October first, the average of the seasonally 
adjusted unemployment rates for the State for the preceding months of May, 
June, and July apply. The Department of Employment and Workforce must use the 
most recent seasonally adjusted unemployment rates determined by the U.S. 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 7

 Seasonally Adjusted 
 Unemployment Rate

 Number of Weeks

 8

 Less than or equal to 
 5.5% 

 12 weeks

 9

 Greater than 5.5% up to 
 6%

 13 weeks

 10

 Greater than 6% up to 
 6.5% 

 14 weeks

 11

 Greater than 6.5% up to 
 7%

 15 weeks

 12

 Greater than 7% up to 
 7.5%

 16 weeks

 13

 Greater than 7.5% up to 
 8%

 17 weeks

 14

 Greater than 8% up to 
 8.5%

 18 weeks

 15

 Greater than 8.5% up to 
 9%

 19 weeks

 16

 Greater than 9%

 20 weeks

 (B) The maximum total benefits paid to 
an individual in a benefit year equals the individual's weekly benefit amount 
allowed under Section 41-35-40 multiplied by the number of weeks allowed under 
subsection (A).

 (C) The department shall promulgate 
regulations to ensure compliance with job search requirements and to prevent 
fraud. These regulations may include verification of attendance at job 
interviews.

SECTION 2. Section 41-35-120 (2), (3), and (4) of the S.C. Code is 
amended to read:

 (2)(a) Discharge for misconduct connected 
with the employment. If the department finds that he has been discharged for 
misconduct connected with his most recent work prior to filing a reque