South Carolina 126th General Assembly Status: Introduced

H 5164 — AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-255 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR FIRE AND BUILDING CODE EXCEPTIONS FOR PLACEMENT OF HOSPITAL BEDS IN HALLWAYS, CORRIDORS, OR OTHER MEANS OF EGRESS DURING JUSTIFIED EMERGENCIES. - RATIFIED TITLE

Last action — Debate adjourned

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced February 11, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Vetoed by Governor Henry McMaster (Republican) on May 19, 2026.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows hospitals to place beds in hallways during emergencies.

This bill amends South Carolina laws to permit hospitals to place hospital beds in non-traditional areas like hallways during emergencies. This provides flexibility for hospitals to manage patient care during justified emergencies.

What this means for you
  • Workers: Healthcare workers may face changes in patient management protocols during emergencies.
  • Healthcare: Hospitals may have more flexibility in managing patient care during emergencies.

Summary

Hospitals

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Debate adjourned

  2. Vetoed by Governor

  3. Ratified R 259

  4. Ordered enrolled for ratification (House Journal-page 74)

  5. Senate recedes from i amendment

  6. Roll call Yeas-1 Nays-114 (House Journal-page 50)

  7. Non-concurrence in Senate amendment (House Journal-page 50)

  8. Read third time and returned to House with amendments

  9. Roll call Ayes-46 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 34)

  10. Read second time (Senate Journal-page 34)

  11. Amended (Senate Journal-page 34)

  12. Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs (Senate Journal-page 50)

  13. Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs (Senate Journal-page 20)

  14. Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 20)

  15. Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 228)

  16. Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 46)

  17. Read second time (House Journal-page 45)

  18. Amended (House Journal-page 45)

  19. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henderson-Myers

  20. Committee report: Favorable with amendment Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 4)

  21. Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 43)

  22. Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 43)

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 166 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (166)

166 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 166 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety healthcare
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does H 5164 do?
Hospitals
Who sponsors H 5164?
H 5164 is sponsored by Representative G. Murrell Smith, Jr., Representative Bruce W. Bannister, Representative Lee Hewitt, and Henderson-Myers, Rosalyn D..
What is the current status of H 5164?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced February 11, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 5164?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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