Honor Our First Responders Act

2025-2026 Bill 850: Honor Our First Responders Act - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 850
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Elliott, Zell, Turner, Verdin, Rice, Stubbs and Kimbrell
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3907, 5139
Document Path: SR-0102CEM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 28, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Finance
Summary: Honor Our First Responders Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/28/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 4
)

1/28/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Finance
(
Senate Journal-page 4
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/28/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT
THE "HONOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ACT"; AND BY ADDING SECTION
1-11-735
SO AS TO
PROVIDE STATE-FUNDED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THE SURVIVING SPOUSES AND
DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF FIRST RESPONDERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY; TO DEFINE
ELIGIBLE FIRST RESPONDERS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR ADMINISTRATION, FUNDING, AND
OPTIONAL CONTINUATION OF COVERAGE.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
This act may be cited as the "Honor Our First Responders Act".

S
ECTION 2.
C
hapter 11, Title 1 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
1-11-735
.
(
A) For the purposes of
this section:

(
1)
"Law enforcement officer" means a sworn and certified individual employed by or
serving under a state, county, or municipal law-enforcement agency who is
authorized to enforce the criminal laws of this State, make arrests, conduct
investigations, or maintain public safety.

(
2)
"Firefighter" means an individual certified, recognized, or authorized to
perform fire suppression, rescue, or hazardous-materials response while serving
with a career, volunteer, combination, or special-purpose fire department.

(
3)
"Emergency medical services personnel" means an individual licensed or
certified pursuant to the laws of this State as an emergency medical
technician, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic, or equivalent,
who provides prehospital emergency medical care as part of a governmental,
fire-based, hospital-based, or volunteer emergency medical services agency.

(
4)
"First responder" means a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency
medical services personnel, whether serving in a full-time, part-time, reserve,
paid-on-call, or volunteer capacity, who is authorized or recognized by a
governmental entity or recognized emergency services organization.

(
5)
"Line-of-duty death" means the death of a first responder that occurs as a
direct and proximate result of performing official duties, including emergency
response, law-enforcement activity, fire suppression, rescue operations,
emergency medical care, required training, authorized off-duty intervention, or
travel directly related to such duties. The term does not include a death
resulting from criminal activity or gross misconduct by the first responder.

(
B) The
surviving spouse and dependent children of a first responder who suffers a
line-of-duty death are entitled to continued health-insurance coverage under
the State Health Plan.

(
C) Health-insurance
coverage provided pursuant to this section must continue for a period of three
years from the date of the first responder's death.

(
D) The
State shall assume full responsibility for all premium costs associated with
coverage provided pursuant to this section. No premium, contribution, or
cost-sharing obligation may be imposed upon:

(
1)
the surviving spouse or dependent children;

(
2)
the employing law-enforcement, fire, or emergency medical services agency; or

(
3)
a political subdivision of the State.

(
E)
Coverage provided pursuant to this section must:

(
1)
be provided under the same health-insurance plan and subject to the same terms
and conditions in effect at the time of the first responder's death;

(
2)
be equivalent in scope and benefits to coverage provided to active State Health
Plan members and their dependents; and

(
3)
be provided without lapse, waiting period, or involuntary termination during
the prescribed coverage period.

(
F) The
Public Employee Benefit Authority shall administer this section and shall
enroll eligible surviving spouses and dependent children upon receipt of
documentation verifying a line-of-duty death.

(
G) The
General Assembly shall appropriate funds annually to the Public Employee
Benefit Authority sufficient to cover all costs associated with providing
coverage pursuant to this section.

(
H) Upon
expiration of the three-year coverage period provided pursuant to subsection
(C), a surviving spouse who was eligible for coverage under this section may
elect to continue health-insurance coverage under the State Health Plan at the
same premium rate applicable to non-active participants in the State Health
Plan who are former employees or eligible dependents, without any State
subsidy, and subject to the terms and conditions established by the Public
Employee Benefit Authority. Continuation coverage must:

(
1)
be offered without evidence of insurability;

(
2)
be substantially equivalent in scope and benefits to coverage offered to
similarly situated participants in the State Health Plan;

(
3)
require the surviving spouse to pay the full premium cost at the applicable
group rate, including any administrative fees permitted by law; and

(
4)
be administered by the Public Employee Benefit Authority in a manner consistent
with existing continuation or retiree coverage options.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 28, 2026 at 1:52 PM