SC Legislation Tracker

Keep tabs oN Bills impacting the Upstate

Below are the primary bills Upstate Forever is tracking during the 2026 Legislative Session. Because this is the second year of a two-year session, any bills not passed this year must be re-filed for the 2027-28 Session. For action alerts and more information about our legislative work, sign up for our Legislative Update email list and follow us on social media.

 

2026:

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H. 3409: Conservation Easement Tax Credit Increase

Status: Active

Overview: This bill proposes to update South Carolina’s conservation tax credit for individuals who place their property under a conservation easement. This bill would increase the credit from up to $250/acre to $1000/acre and raise the annual cap an individual may claim from $52,500 to $105,000. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

H. 4102: Signs at NPDES Outfalls

Status: Active

Overview: This bill would require signage at certain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) outfalls to inform the public about who holds the discharge permit, permit numbers, contact information, and how to report suspected violations to DES. It’s a simple idea with real potential to improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and reduce pollution in our waterways over time. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

S. 256: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE)

Status: Failed

Overview: This bill would enable local governments in South Carolina to establish Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs by ordinance. C-PACE is a voluntary, market-driven financing tool already adopted in 37 other states to unlock private investment in high-impact projects like rooftop solar, energy efficiency, battery storage, water conservation, and flood resilience. It allows property owners to repay project costs over time through a property tax assessment, making capital for clean energy and resilience upgrades more affordable and accessible. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

H. 3183: Young Farmer Loan Program

Status: Active

Overview: This bill will create the Young Farmer Loan Program within the SC Conservation Bank. The program would offer no-interest loans up to $500,000 to eligible farmers ages 18-40 to purchase farmland, conditioned on placing the land under a conservation easement. The bill intends to promote long-term farm viability while permanently protecting agricultural land. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

S. 784: Energy Consumer Protections 

Status: Active

Overview: This bill would implement stronger energy efficiency standards, require a public comment period for energy infrastructure permit applications, and mandate notices to affected landowners when a utility plans projects that involve eminent domain, specifying notice methods and community meeting requirements. It also establishes consumer safeguards for data centers and requires them to report surface and groundwater usage to the Department of Environmental Services (DES), annually. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

S. 724: Commercial Data Center Water Usage Reporting

Status: Active

Overview: This bill would require data centers that consume three million gallons of water or more monthly to report their usage annually to the Department of Environmental Services (DES), including surface, groundwater, or any other sources. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

H. 3021: The SC Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act 

Status: Active

Overview: This bill would establish automatic expiration and periodic review of state regulations, require agencies to reduce the total number of state regulations by 25%, and impose new constraints on agency rulemaking authority. Upstate Forever is monitoring this bill closely to ensure it does not significantly weaken critical protections for the environment and public health.

 

S. 867: Data Center Development Act

Status: Active

Overview: Establishes the Data Center Development Office within the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) to serve as the point of contact for data center operations looking to locate in the state. The bill creates a tiered permitting system that classifies data centers based on their electrical load, includes operational and water efficiency standards, annual water use reporting requirements, and consumer safeguards to ensure that data centers bear the cost of energy infrastructure upgrades. Upstate Forever is monitoring this bill. 

 

S. 902: Data Center Siting Act

Status: Active 

Overview: This bill contains similar provisions as S. 867, however, it does not create the Data Center Development Office within SCDES. Instead, data center operators would be required to obtain a certificate from the Public Service Commission (PSC) before beginning operations in SC, similar to proceedings under the Utility Facility Siting and Environmental Protection Act. Upstate Forever is monitoring this bill.

 

H. 4583: Data Center Responsibility Act

Status: Active

Overview: This bill requires data centers to operate with complete energy independence (not receiving any power from or being interconnected to any public power grid), and backup generators must be part of the on-site energy system. They must also operate using a closed-loop water system, may not receive any taxpayer-funded incentives, and must employ a minimum of (1) full-time, on-site employee for every 1,000 square feet of facility floor space. Upstate Forever is monitoring this bill. 

 

H. 5215:  SC Ratepayer Protection and Large Load Customer Infrastructure Accountability Act

Status: Active

Overview: This bill establishes contract requirements for large load customers, prevents cost shifting to residential customers, provides PSC guidance on reviewing contracts and rates, and requires annual water reporting and public hearings before permits are issued. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

S. 888: Senate Resolution 

Status: Active

Overview: This Senate Resolution recognizes the importance of voluntary conservation easements and honors the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucus. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

H. 5180: Income Tax Deduction

Status: Active

Overview: This bill would allow a tax deduction for farmers who sell or lease their farmland to a beginning farmer or enter into a crop-share agreement with an existing farmer. It has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. Upstate Forever supports this bill. 

 

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For more information, contact UF State Policy Director Michael Coleman at mcoleman@upstateforever.org.