South Carolina H 3735: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE BOB JONES UNIVERSITY BRUINS WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM ON CAPTURING THE 2016 NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND TO COMMEND THESE ATHLETES ON A SPECTACULAR SEASON.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3735 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 15, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3735

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE 
"WAGE BOARD ACT"; AND BY ADDING SECTION 41-27-670 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE 
CREATION OF WAGE BOARDS BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND 
WORKFORCE, TO PROVIDE THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF WAGE BOARDS, AND TO PROVIDE 
RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR AND CERTAIN EMPLOYERS.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Wage Board Act."

SECTION 2. Article 5, Chapter 27, Title 41 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
41-27-670. (A) Upon the petition of 
fifty or more residents of the State, the Director of the Department of 
Employment and Workforce shall investigate any occupation to ascertain whether 
a substantial number of employees are receiving less than a fair wage.

 (B) 
If the director is of the opinion that a substantial number of employees in any 
occupation or occupations are receiving less than a fair wage, he shall appoint 
a wage board as provided in subsection (C) to report upon the establishment of 
minimum fair wage rates for employees in such occupation or occupations. 

 (C) 
With respect to an occupation for which a wage board is appointed, the wage 
board must be composed of nine members of whom three must be representatives of 
the employers in the occupation, three must be representatives of employees in 
the occupation, and three must be disinterested persons representing the 
public, one of whom shall be designated by the director as chairman. The 
director shall appoint the members of the wage board from nominations submitted 
by the employers and employees. Two-thirds of the members constitute a quorum 
and the recommendations or report of the wage board requires a vote of not less 
than a majority of all its members. The director shall make and establish rules 
and promulgate regulations governing the selection of a wage board and its mode 
of procedure not inconsistent with this section. The members of a wage board 
shall serve without pay but are entitled to mileage, subsistence, and per diem 
as authorized by law for members of boards, committees, and commissions.

 (D) A 
wage board may administer oaths and require by subpoena the attendance and 
testimony of witnesses, the production of all books, records, and other 
evidence relative to matters under investigation. A subpoena must be signed and 
issued by the chairman and must be served and have the same effect as if issued 
by the circuit court. A wage board may cause depositions of witnesses to be 
taken in the manner prescribed for civil actions in the circuit court.

 (E) 
The director promptly upon the organization of a wage board shall present to 
the board all evidence and information in his possession relating to the wages 
of employees in the occupations for which the wage board was appointed and all 
other information that the director considers relevant to the establishment of 
a minimum fair wage recommendation, and shall cause to be brought before the 
committee any witnesses whom the director considers material. A wage board may 
summon other witnesses or call upon the director to furnish additional 
information to aid it in its deliberations.

 (F) 
In establishing a minimum fair wage, the director and the wage board may:

 (1) 
not be bound by technical rules of evidence or procedure, but may consider all 
relevant circumstances affecting the value of the service or class of service 
rendered;

 (2) 
consider the wages paid in the State for work of like or comparable character 
by employers who voluntarily maintain minimum fair wage standards; and 

 (3) 
be guided by like considerations as would guide a court in a suit for the 
reasonable value of services rendered at the request of the employer without 
agreement as to the amount of wages to be paid.

 (G) 
The report of the wage board must recommend minimum fair wage rates on an 
hourly, daily, or weekly basis for the employees in the occupation or 
occupations for which the wage board was appointed. The wage board may 
recommend the establishment or modification of an overtime rate and recommend 
establishment or modification of the number of hours per week after which the 
overtime rate would apply. The board also may recommend permitted charges to 
the employees or allowances for board, lodging, apparel, or other facilities or 
services customarily furnished by the employer to the employee, and also may 
recommend allowances for other special conditions or circumstances, excluding 
gratuities, typical in a particular employer-employee relationship. A wage board 
may differenti