South Carolina H 3658: Department of Consumer Affairs

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3658 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 05, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3658

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 32-7-20, RELATING TO PRENEED FUNERAL CONTRACTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE 
INCLUSION IN SUCH CONTRACTS OF THE TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND WEBSITE FOR 
THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND A STATEMENT THAT QUESTIONS OR 
COMPLAINTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE DEPARTMENT; BY AMENDING SECTION 37-2-305, 
RELATING TO CERTAIN CREDITORS FILING AND POSTING MAXIMUM RATE SCHEDULES, SO AS 
TO REQUIRE SUCH FILINGS TO INCLUDE THIS SAME LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 
37-2-307, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE SALES CONTRACTS CLOSING FEES, SO AS TO 
REQUIRE DEALERS TO INCLUDE SUCH LANGUAGE IN A NOTICE TO CONSUMERS; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 37-3-305, RELATING TO CERTAIN CREDITORS FILING AND POSTING MAXIMUM RATE 
SCHEDULES, SO AS TO REQUIRE SUCH FILINGS TO INCLUDE THIS LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 37-6-202, RELATING TO NOTIFICATION FILING REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO 
CERTAIN CONSUMER CREDIT TRANSACTIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE SUCH FILINGS TO INCLUDE 
THIS LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 37-6-204, RELATING TO NOTIFICATION FILING 
REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONS MAKING CONSUMER RENTAL-PURCHASE TRANSACTIONS, SO AS TO 
REQUIRE SUCH FILINGS TO INCLUDE THIS LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 37-11-35, 
RELATING TO CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS, SO 
AS TO REQUIRE THE INCLUSION OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE IN THESE AGREEMENTS; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 37-16-50, RELATING TO CONTRACTS FOR PREPAID LEGAL SERVICES, SO 
AS TO REQUIRE THE INCLUSION OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 37-17-52, 
RELATING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED TO APPLICANTS BY A DISCOUNT MEDICAL PLAN 
ORGANIZATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE INCLUSION OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 39-61-110, RELATING TO REQUIREMENTS OF SERVICE CONTRACTS, SO AS TO 
INCLUDE SIMILAR LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-39-80, RELATING TO PAWN 
TICKETS AND THE CONTENT REQUIREMENTS THEREOF, SO AS TO INCLUDE SIMILAR 
LANGUAGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 44-79-30, RELATING TO CREDIT CONTRACT 
REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO INCLUDE SIMILAR LANGUAGE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 
59-102-100, RELATING TO AGENCY CONTRACTS FOR STUDENT ATHLETES, SO AS TO INCLUDE 
SIMILAR LANGUAGE.

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

SECTION 1. Section 32-7-20(G) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (G) All contracts must contain the name 
and Funeral Service License Number of the provider and seller, the toll-free telephone number and the website for the 
Department of Consumer Affairs, and a statement that questions or complaints 
may be directed to the department.

SECTION 2. Section 37-2-305(1) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (1) Every creditor (Section 
37-1-301(13)), intending to impose a credit service charge in excess of 
eighteen percent per annum other than an assignee of a credit obligation, 
making consumer credit sales (Section 37-2-104) in this State on or before the 
effective date of this section, and in the case of a creditor not making 
consumer credit sales in this State on that date, on or before the date the 
creditor begins to make such credit sales in this State, shall file a rate 
schedule with the Department of Consumer Affairs and, except as otherwise 
provided in this section, post in one conspicuous place in every place of 
business in this State, if any, in which offers to make consumer credit sales 
are extended, a maximum rate schedule issued by the department which contains 
the items set forth in subsections (2), (3), and (4).

 (a) 
A creditor that has seller credit cards or similar arrangements (Section 
37-1-301(26)) is not required to post a copy of the required rate schedule in 
any place of business which is authorized to honor such transactions; provided 
that the creditor shall include a conspicuous statement of the maximum rate it 
intends to charge for these transactions in the initial disclosure statement 
required to be provided the debtor by the Federal Truth-In-Lending Act and 
notifies the debtor of any change in the maximum rate on or before the 
effective date of the change.

 (b) 
[Reserved]A creditor filing a 
maximum rate schedule shall provide each consumer with a notice that includes 
the toll-free telephone number and website for the Department of Consumer 
Affairs and a statement that questions or complaints may be directed to the 
department.

SECTION 3. Section 37-2-307(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (B)(1) Every dealer charging closing fees 
in a motor vehicle sale or lease transaction shall:

 (a) pay a filing fee of ten 
dollars to the department each time the dealer provides notice of a new closing 
fee amount to the department. The department shal