Home » Hotlist: April 13, 2026

Hotlist: April 13, 2026

We’re back to full steam ahead at the Statehouse after a quieter week. 

Last week, the House was out on furlough and the Senate focused its attention on committee work, developing its version of the state budget in the Finance Committee, a data center bill hearing, and other committee hearings. 

Looking ahead, this could be a breakthrough week at the Statehouse with both chambers expected to consider key priority bills. The Senate is expected to take up Senator Davis’ Concurrent Infrastructure Requirements Bill (S.227), a tool that can help local governments better manage growth and development responsibly. In the House, potential floor votes include the SC Protected Lands Act (H.5069), establishing a statewide benchmark for land conservation, and building code legislation (H.5216) aimed at improving the energy efficiency of new commercial construction.

Here’s what you need to know for the week ahead:

Updates

The concurrency debate: responsible growth or ‘business as usual’ 

This is a pivotal week for Concurrent Infrastructure Requirements (S.227) as it heads to vote on the Senate floor. If you’ve experienced worsening traffic, rising property taxes, or the rapid loss of natural landscapes, you’ve seen firsthand why this legislation matters. The bill takes a straightforward approach, ensuring that ‘growth pays for growth,’ by providing local governments better tools to manage development responsibly.

After advancing through committee with strong support from concerned residents, local officials, and lawmakers, and backed by polling from Governor Henry McMaster showing clear voter demand for action, the bill is up for vote in the Senate. This is a key opportunity to support continued growth in South Carolina without sacrificing the places and quality of life that define our state.

Now is the time to speak up. Ask your senator to stand with their constituents and support S.227 by sending a quick message through our Action Center.

Conservation priorities on the House floor: A crucial benchmark for land & water protection & energy conservation building codes 

While action on conservation priorities has been focused on the Senate the past couple of weeks, now it’s the House’s turn, with pending floor votes on two important conservation issues likely this week. 

As mentioned last week, Representative Travis Moore’s bill, The Protected Lands & Conservation Coordination Act (H.5069) moved quickly through the committee process and now sits poised for a floor vote. The bill makes ambitious land and water protection goals official state policy and requires annual reports from our state’s land protection agencies on progress toward that goal. Now is the time to ask your representative to support land and water protection, visit our Action Center below.

Representative Chapman’s energy conservation code legislation (H.5216) is also up for a vote on the House calendar. The legislation allows for the modernization of energy code standards for commercial and other public buildings, which are currently ‘locked’ into 2009 standards by law. CVSC and partners will be working with House lawmakers to urge swift passage of this common sense reform to reduce energy waste through more energy-efficient buildings. 

Delay may sink data center reforms

Last week, a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee heard testimony from major tech companies on Senator Rankin’s Data Center Siting Act (S.902), but took no action. Despite hours of deliberation in both the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee and the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee on a competing proposal (S.867), none of the bills have advanced out of the subcommittee process. As a result, the window for meaningful data center reform is rapidly closing.

This delay comes as neighboring states move ahead. Lawmakers in Florida have sent data center reforms (SB 484) to Governor Ron DeSantis, while regulators in Georgia and North Carolina either established or are advancing protections through their Public Service Commissions.

While the legislative session is not over, time is running out. Lawmakers must act swiftly to enact reforms that protect electric customers, local communities, and our environment. Urge your lawmakers to take action now by sending them a message through our Action Center below!

Action Center

Here’s a round-up of current actions you can take to help us advance conservation policy during this legislative session. If you’ve already taken these actions, thank you! We’ll add more actions and provide updates as progress unfolds.

Events

Join CVSC and the SCETNetwork for a special Drive Electric Earth Month webinar, featuring Coltura and a live overview of tools to calculate cost savings from switching to an electric vehicle.

Celebrate Earth Day with the City of Columbia, CVSC, and local partners at the Soda City Market this Saturday! Visit our table at the intersection of Main and Washington Streets to learn about environmental advocacy in South Carolina and personally thank your legislators for prioritizing land and water conservation at the Statehouse.

In the News

The Legislative Hotlist is a weekly update from CVSC’s Senior Vice President of Policy & Government Relations, John Brooker. Sign up for emails to get the Hotlist delivered directly to your inbox!

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