South Carolina H 3929: Councilman Samuel L. Hart 90th Birthday

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3929 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 30, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3929

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Committee Report

April 30, 2025

H. 3929

Introduced 
by Reps. King and J. L. Johnson 

S. Printed 4/30/25--H.

Read the first time February 6, 2025

________

The committee on House Judiciary

To whom was referred a Bill (H. 3929) to amend 
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 24-3-990 so as to provide the 
Department of Corrections may maintain canteens at all prisons or institutions, 
etc., respectfully

Report:

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

W. NEWTON for Committee.

statement of estimated fiscal impact

Explanation of Fiscal Impact

State Expenditure

This bill provides that Corrections may 
maintain canteens at all prisons or institutions under its jurisdiction. These 
canteens will offer to incarcerated persons the sale of such items as 
toiletries, snacks, notions, and other sundries. Corrections must provide 
staffing for each canteen and must limit prices to no more than a 20 percent 
markup over what is paid to the vendor of the commodities to be sold. Currently, 
the revenue that is generated by the canteen division is kept by Corrections in 
a separate earmarked fund. The bill also requires each prison or institution 
with a canteen to prepare an annual statement of operations. In addition, the 
bill requires the LAC to conduct a biennial audit of canteen operations.

Corrections and the LAC report this bill 
will have no expenditure impact because any increase in workload will be 
managed with existing staff and appropriations.

State 
Revenue

Corrections reports that it currently operates 
21 canteens across facilities statewide. The markup on the commodities sold at 
the canteens is 45 percent. The revenue from the canteens must cover all 
operating costs, as the canteen program is completely a revenue-funded 
enterprise. This bill caps the markup at a maximum of 20 percent, which would 
result in an estimated revenue loss of $921,000 annually for Corrections. Per 
Proviso 65.1 of the FY 2024-25 appropriations act, the canteen program must be 
treated as an enterprise fund within the agency and cannot be subsidized by 
state-appropriated funds.

Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director

Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office

_______

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
24-3-990 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MAY MAINTAIN CANTEENS 
AT ALL PRISONS OR INSTITUTIONS UNDER ITS JURISDICTION THAT MUST BE SUBJECT TO AUDITS 
BIENNIALLY.

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

SECTION 1. Article 9, Chapter 3, Title 24 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
24-3-990. (A) The department may 
maintain a canteen at all active prisons or institutions under its jurisdiction 
for the sale to incarcerated persons of toilet articles, candy, notions, and 
other sundries, and shall provide the necessary facilities, equipment, 
personnel, and merchandise for the canteen. The director shall specify what 
commodities shall be sold in the canteen. The sale prices of the articles 
offered for sale shall not exceed a twenty percent mark-up above the amount 
paid to the vendors.

 (B) 
The department shall undertake to insure against damage or loss of canteen and 
handicraft materials, supplies, and equipment owned by the department.

 (C) 
The canteen operations at any prison or institution referred to in this section 
shall be audited biennially by the Legislative Audit Council, and at the end of 
each intervening fiscal year, each prison or institution shall prepare a 
statement of operations. At least one copy of any audit report or statement of 
operations shall be posted at the canteen and at least one copy shall be 
available to incarcerated persons at the library of each prison or institution.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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