Hotlist: May 18, 2026
The legislative session has officially come to a close! Well, sort of…
While lawmakers are expected to return for a special session on congressional redistricting, the regular legislative session has come to a close after a turbulent final stretch shaped by redistricting debates.
Before the gavel fell on Thursday, we saw the final passage of the SC Protected Lands Act (H.5069)! Although it came down to the wire in the final days of the session, we are thrilled to see this ambitious statewide goal of protecting an additional 7 million acres of land and water now heading to the Governor’s desk.
The fate of the sweeping regulatory reform bill (H.3021) and data center provisions in the budget are headed to a conference committee where representatives from both chambers will make the final call on both bills in the coming weeks. Many other bills didn’t cross the finish line and will have to wait another year.
While the 2025-2026 session has required major defensive efforts, it has also laid the groundwork for a stronger long-term vision focused on responsible growth, ambitious land and water conservation efforts, and a cleaner energy future.
I’m thankful the chaos of the regular legislative session is over, but even more grateful for passionate supporters like you who help us ensure conservation of South Carolina’s air, land, and water is a priority at the Statehouse every legislative session.
Dive in to see where the major issues we’ve been tracking this year stand.
Updates
A statewide vision for land & water protection
The SC Protected Lands Act (H.5069) crossed the finish line just in time and was officially sent to the Governor’s desk the day before session ended. This is a major win for land and water protection in the state. Never before has there been an official goal for land and water protection in South Carolina, and it is an ambitious one.
Once the Governor signs the bill, South Carolina will have a codified goal to protect 7 million acres by 2050, over a third of the state, and will require annual reports from state agencies on progress toward that goal. As they say, “what’s measured is managed.” This goal will help us advocate for increased conservation funding and innovative land and water protection policies in future legislative sessions and will serve as guiding policy for our state, even as we transition to a new Governor and new legislators come to the Statehouse after election season.
This bill serves as a reminder that conservation is a bipartisan tradition in South Carolina, receiving robust support from a majority of the General Assembly. As South Carolinians, we have a duty to protect and steward the incomparable natural resources that make this state so special, and with an official benchmark in place, we can work together to achieve that goal and ensure our children and their children can enjoy the South Carolina we know and love today.
Sustainable growth policies will wait another year
SC Prosper & Preserve policies, Transferable Development Rights (S.288 & H.4146) and Concurrent Infrastructure Requirements (S.227 & H.4050), did not pass the finish line this year. This is a disappointing outcome, and CVSC worked up to the last possible moment to push these bills across. But we must remember that changing the status quo is rarely quick work, and that although the bills didn’t pass, meaningful progress was made in elevating the conversation around sustainable growth at the Statehouse.
The impacts of South Carolina’s rapid growth and SC Prosper & Preserve policies have been widely covered in the media, supported by prominent members of the General Assembly, and were even mentioned in the Gubernatorial debates. Advocates like you sent hundreds of emails, texts, and phone calls to our legislators; you showed up to testify at committee hearings; and together we made responsible growth a key talking point at the Statehouse this session.
With your help, we moved policies that few understood or knew about two short years ago to the Senate floor and have completely changed the conversation about growth in South Carolina. This is no small feat. And this conversation is not going away; nearly 90,000 people will move here by this time next year, local governments will continue to struggle with the impacts of this growth, and there will still be an urgent need for statewide solutions.
Our work together this year has laid a strong foundation for progress in the 2027-2028 legislative session, with local governments pushing for new growth management strategies in the meantime. CVSC will continue this fight for responsible growth that preserves our quality of life, and we look forward to fighting alongside you.
Defending against offshore drilling
Both chambers demonstrated overwhelming bipartisan support for protecting South Carolina’s coast this year by rejecting harmful budget provisos that would have opened the door to offshore drilling. Senator Lee Bright and Representative Stephen Frank introduced proposals in their respective chambers to remove longstanding protections safeguarding the South Carolina coast from offshore drilling. Legislators in both chambers decisively rejected these efforts, underscoring the strong commitment to preserving our coast for future generations.
These proposals serve as an important reminder that protecting South Carolina’s natural heritage requires continued vigilance. This year’s outcome is both a meaningful victory for our coast and a testament to the voices of advocates, communities, and lawmakers who remain committed to defending the places that make South Carolina special.
Data center measures still in play in state budget
While broader data center legislation to enact guardrails for electric customers and environmental protection stalled this session, three provisos remain in the Senate version of the state budget, which is now headed to a conference committee for resolution in the coming weeks.
These provisos would provide transparency and accountability for data center water use and state fiscal incentives. While provisos are temporary in nature and these measures are far short of the crucial guardrails needed, they allow our state to have basic transparency on data center water use (see recent story out of Georgia) and fiscal incentives. Not only is transparency good public policy, but it provides crucial information to inform legislation in the future.
The conference committee is composed of three House members (Reps. Bannister, Hiott, and Hayes) and three Senate members (Sen. Peeler, Hutto, and Davis) who will decide differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget, including these three data center measures. Senator Davis indicated on the Senate floor that he would fight to retain the Senate’s data center provisos.
The conference committee hasn’t been scheduled, but will likely take place in the coming weeks or early summer. CVSC and partners will meet with conferees and interested legislators in the interim to explain why it’s crucial that these data center provisos survive the conference committee process.
Commercial energy efficiency stalled
While the House passed the Commercial Energy Conservation Code Bill (H.5216), which allows outdated commercial energy codes (stuck at 2009 levels) to be modernized for greater energy efficiency in non-residential buildings, it unfortunately stalled in the Senate this year.
We believe this is a positive, low-lift step toward advancing energy efficiency in our commercial and public buildings, and we look forward to having conversations next year with lawmakers on this common-sense measure.
In a wild turn of events, C-PACE (S.256), which was voted down in the Senate earlier this year, was added as an amendment to S.420, a bill dealing with political subdivision investments, in the House. Despite the fact that the amendment was ruled out of order, it indicates promising prospects for C-PACE next session.
Defending fundamental regulatory safeguards
The Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act (H.3021) has been one of the most significant pieces of legislation monitored by CVSC and our partners throughout this session. While the bill’s goal of reducing unnecessary or outdated regulations is worthwhile, earlier versions raised serious concerns about the potential impact on longstanding safeguards that protect South Carolina’s environment, public health, and safety.
We are grateful that Senator Chip Campsen and his colleagues in the Senate listened to concerns raised by the environmental community, businesses, and stakeholders from across South Carolina’s economy, and worked diligently to improve the legislation while preserving its core intent.
Last week, the House considered the Senate’s revised version of the bill and adopted additional amendments that renewed concerns among environmental and other stakeholder groups. In an exceptionally close vote, the Senate rejected the House amendments, sending the bill to a conference committee for further negotiation over summer.
As the process continues, CVSC and our partners will remain actively engaged with conferees to advocate for a final version of the bill that advances thoughtful regulatory reform without undermining the fundamental protections South Carolinians rely on every day. Stay tuned as this important conversation continues.
2027: A blank slate
As you may already know, South Carolina operates on a two-year legislative cycle, meaning bills introduced in the first year of session remain active into the second. Looking ahead, 2027 will mark the beginning of a new two-year session and provide a fresh opportunity to advance meaningful conservation policy with a long runway for progress.
We look forward to continuing this work alongside legislators, advocates, community leaders, and partners across the state to chart a forward-looking path for protecting South Carolina’s air, land, and water while improving quality of life for all South Carolinians.
At the heart of this work is a simple but critical truth: our health, economic prosperity, and long-term resilience are deeply connected to the health of our environment and natural systems. As we prepare for the next session, we remain committed to elevating this understanding in Columbia and advancing practical, durable conservation solutions that will benefit South Carolina for generations to come.
Events
2026 Legislative Debrief Webinar | Thursday, June 4 at 12:00 pm
The 2025-2026 Legislative Session has come to a close. Join John Brooker, senior vice president of policy and government relations, and Zach Bjur, land and water policy director, as we reflect on the incredible progress made at the Statehouse in 2026 and what lies ahead for our work.
In the News
New $5B Canadys natural gas plant receives approval from SC regulators | The State
Concerned citizens share concerns about proposed Canadys gas plant in SC | Bluffton Today
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!