South Carolina H 4103: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING OF DR. LAURENS WARREN FORT, JR., OF CHESTER COUNTY AND TO EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS LARGE AND LOVING FAMILY AND HIS MANY FRIENDS.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4103 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 13, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4103

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

Committee Report

April 2, 2026

H. 4103

Introduced by Reps. B. J. Cox, B. Newton, 
Atkinson, Ballentine, Bauer, Collins, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, 
Govan, Guest, Guffey, Hager, Hardee, Herbkersman, Holman, Hosey, Howard, J. E. 
Johnson, Kilmartin, Kirby, Lawson, Magnuson, McCabe, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, Montgomery, 
J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Oremus, Rivers, Rose, Sanders, Schuessler, M. M. 
Smith, Taylor, White, Wooten, Bailey, Gilliam, Spann-Wilder, Calhoon, Wetmore, 
Bowers, Landing, Weeks, Hixon, Bernstein, Beach, Erickson, Vaughan, Chapman, 
Yow, Caskey, Bustos, Ligon, Wickensimer, McDaniel, Rankin, Waters, Lastinger, 
Grant and Brewer 

S. Printed 4/2/26--H. [SEC 
4/13/2026 4:07 PM]

Read the first time February 26, 2025

________

The committee on House Labor, 
Commerce and Industry

To whom was referred a Bill (H. 4103) to amend 
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 40-37-35 so as to provide the 
State Board of Examiners in Optometry may issue restricted volunteer member, 
etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered 
the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

 Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by 
striking Section 40-37-35(E)(1) and inserting:

 (E)(1) An optometrist who holds a restricted 
volunteer license issued pursuant to this section is subject to the provisions 
of this chapter and regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter except as 
otherwise provided in this section; however, they may 
obtain certifications as required by this chapter.

Amend the bill 
further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 40-37-10(A) and inserting:

 (A) There is created the South Carolina Board of 
Examiners in Optometry, which consists of seven members. Five members must be 
licensed optometrists appointed by the Governor upon nomination by all licensed 
optometrists in this State through an election conducted by the board. The licensed optometrists eligible for election 
must be in good standing with the South Carolina Board of Examiners in 
Optometry, must actively be engaged in the delivery of clinical care to 
patients in South Carolina, must possess proof of proficiency to engage 
in the full scope of practice of optometry as determined by the board, and must have been engaged in the practice of 
optometry for at least five years. The Governor may reject any or 
all of those nominated upon satisfactory showing of the unfitness of those 
rejected. If the Governor declines to appoint any of the nominees submitted, 
additional nominees must be submitted in the same manner as the initial 
nominees. Vacancies must be filled in the manner of the original appointment 
for the unexpired portion of the term. Two members of the board must be 
members of the general public who do not derive their income or support from 
any optical or opticalophthalmic-related business and who are not related to 
an optometrist or a person engaged in an opticalophthalmic-related business. The members from the general 
public may be nominated by any individual, group, or association and must be 
appointed by the Governor in accordance with Chapter 1 of ,Title 40.

Amend the bill 
further, SECTION 3, by striking Section 40-37-20(3)(c), (d), and (e) and 
inserting:

 (c) prescribing or using 
diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceutical agents delivered by topical and oral route means of administration;any route of administration; and

 (d) performing 
ophthalmic surgery, as authorized in this section; and

 (e)(d) performing in-office diagnostic testing or ordering appropriate 
diagnostic lab or imaging tests for conditions that may cause ocular 
abnormalities.

Amend the bill 
further, SECTION 3, by striking Section 40-37-20(4), (5), (6), and (7) and 
inserting:

 (4) "Ophthalmic surgery" 
means a procedure upon the human eye and adjacent and associated structures in 
which in vivo tissue is injected, cut, burned, frozen, sutured, epilated, 
vaporized, coagulated, or photodisrupted by the use of surgical instrumentation 
such as, but not limited to, a scalpel, cryoprobe, laser, electric cautery, or 
ionizing radiation. Surgical procedures not involving the eye and its adjacent 
and associated structures are not part of the practice of optometry. The 
practice of optometry includes the correction and relief of ocular 
abnormalities by ophthalmic surgical procedures, subject to the exclusions 
below. The following procedures are excluded from the scope of practice of 
optometry, except for the preoperative and postoperative care in connection 
with these procedures:

 (a) retinal laser 
procedu