Dear fellow South Carolinians,

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Heirs’ Property Legislation
I introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bill for the Department of Agriculture which passed the Senate by a vote of 90-1 today. The amendment would appropriate funds for the Secretary of Agriculture to implement the pilot project for USDA to provide loans to help resolve heirs’ property issues. 

Heirs’ property overwhelmingly affects African-American land ownership, and in turn, prevents many farmers and ranchers from obtaining farm numbers and subsequent access to a multitude of USDA programs. I am excited that our legislation took a step forward today, and am hopeful that this will positively impact heirs’ property owners across South Carolina and the nation. You can read more about my original Fair Access for Farmers and Ranchers Act, originally passed in the 2018 Farm Bill, here. You can also read more about our amendment here(link to press release).

CO Alerts Act
On Wednesday, I introduced my CO Alerts Act as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Bill. This comes on the heels of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) announcement that $5 million in grants are now available to housing authorities for the installation of Carbon Monoxide detectors.

This past January, two men died of Carbon Monoxide poisoning in a public housing complex in Columbia, South Carolina. Since then, I have worked diligently with HUD Secretary Ben Carson and a bipartisan group of my colleagues to prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again.

Even one preventable death in our public housing facilities is too many, and this important amendment will help put an end to the threat of Carbon Monoxide poisoning for families across the nation, especially as we go into the higher-risk winter season. You can read more about the amendment here.

RESPONSE Act
Also on Wednesday, I joined a group of Senate Republicans in introducing the Restoring, Enhancing, Strengthening, and Promoting Our Nation’s Safety Efforts (RESPONSE) Act, legislation containing provisions to reduce mass violence and make communities safer. Provisions include giving new tools to law enforcement, expanding resources for mental health treatment, and bolstering school safety for students and teachers.

South Carolina knows all too well the heartache and pain of mass shootings. Passing the RESPONSE Act would be another responsible step towards preventing mass shootings, giving new tools to law enforcement officers, and expanding mental health treatment. You can read more about the bill here.

SOAR Act
I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues late Wednesday to introduce legislation to permanently authorize the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act, and ensure that students and their families in the District of Columbia have continued choice and increased opportunity for their education through the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OPS).

Having grown up in neighborhoods that would have benefited from school choice, I know firsthand the amazing opportunities that can be opened for children when they’re afforded that opportunity. I have visited multiple schools in Washington that utilize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and know for a fact that parents and students see it as an absolute blessing. I look forward to permanently authorizing the SOAR Act and continuing to open doors for some of our most overlooked communities. You can read more about the SOAR Act here. 


Sincerely, 

Tim