21 February 2021
This week, the House Ways and Means Committee published the first version of the 2025-2026 budget, which includes a $1.5 million increase to state arts funding.
What’s New
The budget writing committee introduced the budget bill H.4025, in the Sou
th Carolina House of Representatives on Thursday, after concluding deliberations in committee meetings earlier this week.
The budget bill includes at total of $1.5 million in additional statewide arts funding to support South Carolina Arts Commission community-based grant opportunities.
Here’s the breakdown of the recommendations:
- $500,000 in recurring funds
- $1 million in non-recurring funds
- EIA Partnership funds for the SCAC remained level
See the full spreadsheet of funding recommendations here >>
As a refresher, the South Carolina Arts Commission’s total budget request included:
- $7 million General Fund increase
- $3.8 million EIA Partnership Fund increase
As always, we are pleased to see additional investments in the Creative Sector. These increases to Statewide arts funding will allow additional organizations and communities to access grant opportunities, and further strengthen the local impact of arts and culture.
What’s Next
The budget bill will be debated and voted on by the House (likely next week), before moving onto the Senate. The Senate Finance committee will submit their own version of the bill, with their own version of arts funding recommendations.
We’ll continue to update advocates on the status of arts funding, and notify you if any action is needed. Become a Free Member of the SCAA to receive updates directly to your inbox each month.
