Lexington County employers may soon have to make some changes in their business.

Several new bills are pending in the state legislature that would impact South Carolina employers, says the National Law Review.

The ones to watch are:

• Ban the Box: House Bill 3463 would prohibit employment applications from including questions related to convictions of a crime, unless the crime directly relates to the position sought.

This bill would also provide other requirements designed to give applicants with criminal histories a better opportunity to be hired.

• Minimum Wage: House Bill 3395 proposes a minimum wage rate that would gradually increase over a three-year period to $12.00 per hour in 2022.

House Bill 3217 proposes a minimum wage hike to $10.10 per hour in 2022. The South Carolina minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour.

• Credit History: House Bill 3326 proposes to make it unlawful to refuse to hire an individual based on the applicant’s credit history or credit report. There would be some exceptions, likely for positions in banks and other jobs in which credit history may be job-related.

• Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation: House Bill 3239 proposes to make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This bill proposes these changes be made to the State Human Affairs Commission’s policy, which currently mirrors federal law on discrimination.

If passed, this expansion would make South Carolina one of the first Southern states to adopt such protections.