Protecting Land & Water | Advocacy | Balanced Growth
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Legislative Updates 2025 - Week 5: February 10 - 14 | |
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Highlights:
- Upstate Forever's 2025 Advocacy Priorities
- New legislation to tackle land use issues
- Need good news? The SC Office of Resilience is thriving — listen to them talk about their work
- What to watch this week
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Welcome back — winter is never leaving!
The SC Energy Security Act (H.3309) has passed the House and is headed to the Senate, where Senators have been vocal about their concerns and will likely amend the bill to reflect the months of deliberation by the Senate Special Committee on Energy. While we wait for this process to play out, we’ll continue to advocate on our priorities for 2025.
Want to learn about what Upstate Forever is advocating for at the local, regional, and statewide level? Read our 2025 Advocacy Priorities.
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News from the Statehouse
New tools for land use planning
Lawmakers are looking at new ways to support local governments with tools to accommodate growth efficiently, economically, and sustainably. As discussed below, several of these bills aim to strengthen local county comprehensive planning efforts by equipping them with mechanisms to direct growth.
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The Concurrency Program bill (S.227) empowers local governments to adopt ordinances that ensure infrastructure keeps pace with new development. An alternative to traditional impact fees, concurrency programs can be structured so that the governing authority can condition development approval on the availability of public facilities, like schools and roads, and can require contributions to offset the development’s impacts. This bill will receive a hearing in a Senate Labor, Commerce, and Industry (LCI) Subcommittee this Wednesday.
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The Development Impact Fees Bill (H.3165) expands local governments’ ability to implement impact fees and aims to increase communication among cities and counties regarding growth. Under this bill, counties would be required to submit monthly reports to cities on residential development located within a mile of the city, and cities would be required to give notice to the county of proposed annexations prior to initiating the approval process. This bill is up for consideration in a House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (3M) Subcommittee this Wednesday.
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Transferrable Development Rights (S.264) is a bill we discussed in depth last year as another tool to help local governments accommodate growth in accordance with their Comprehensive Plan. This bill encourages local governments to voluntarily adopt Transferable Development Rights (TDR) programs that could be customized to fit local needs, such as protecting farmland and other environmentally sensitive areas, while guiding development where infrastructure already exists and where density is best absorbed. You can read about how these programs work here.
We look forward to having conversations on how to promote smart, balanced growth with a suite of state-backed tools that empower communities.
Need good news? The SC Office of Resilience is thriving — listen to them talk about their work
Speaking of balanced growth, the SC Office of Resilience (SCOR) spoke to lawmakers on the connection between intense land development and flooding during a legislative oversight hearing last week. SCOR takes a unique, non-regulatory approach to resilience planning by addressing both climate change and rapid land development as co-occurring drivers of flood risk. Rapid conversion of farmland and forests in the Upstate, for example, will likely exacerbate the impacts of more frequent and intense storms like Hurricane Helene. To that end, SCOR has partnered with state and federal agencies, conservation groups, and private partners to help protect over 12,000 acres. Their science-based approach to resilience planning is an invaluable asset to our state.
I encourage you to watch that hearing here.
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The Week Ahead
Wednesday, 2/19 at 9:00 am – a House 3M subcommittee will consider the bill we mentioned earlier (H.3165) regarding development impact fees and increased communication among cities and counties regarding growth. The subcommittee will also consider a bill (H.3215) that would give local planning entities a 45-day timeline to review and issue decisions on building permits, zoning changes and appeals, and other building related authorizations.
Wednesday, 2/19 at 10:00 am - the Senate Fish, Game, and Forestry Committee will take up the Conservation Education Act (S.165), a bill that would establish the SC Conservation Education Fund under the Department of Natural Resources for the purpose of connecting youth with nature.
Wednesday, 2/19 at 11:00 am – a Senate LCI subcommittee will consider the Concurrency bill (S.227) mentioned above as well as the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C-PACE) bill (S.256), which is a Senate bill we supported last year that did not make it past the House. This bill authorizes local governments to establish C-PACE programs, which help provide access to low-cost, long-term financing for energy and water efficiency, resilience, solar, EV charging, and battery storage for commercial, agricultural, industrial, and multifamily residential properties.
Remember, you can stream all of these hearings by visiting the Statehouse website, or the video archives page to watch later.
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Last Chance to register for the SC Conservation Coalition Lobby Day & Oyster Roast: February 25th, 2025!
Each week, we've been talking about the Annual Conservation Lobby Day and Oyster Roast and have encouraged you to reach out to learn more or sign up. It’s a great opportunity to meet lawmakers and fellow advocates, learn how to advocate directly for the issues you care about, and celebrate together with a few well-deserved oysters.
Want to talk to your lawmaker about an issue that matters to you? We’ll show you the ins and outs of the Statehouse, watch the legislative process play out in the gallery of the House and Senate, and talk to lawmakers one-on-one in the lobby. We’ll also provide materials and coach you on how to talk about the Coalition’s priorities.
Read here for highlights from our 2024 Conservation Lobby Day.
Want more time with your lawmaker to discuss an issue in depth? This year, we can help you schedule an office visit with your lawmaker, so contact me if you’re interested!
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Now that the session is in full swing, stay tuned for opportunities to get involved and learn more about the legislative issues that affect our daily lives. We’ll continue to keep you informed on their progress and ways to get involved throughout the legislative session!
Be well. Until next week...
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Megan Chase-Muller
State Policy Director
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Odds and Ends and Actions:
Did you receive this Update as a forward and want to sign up for it yourself? You can do so right here. The Legislative Update will hit your mailbox every week during session (January through May).
Did your senator or representative do something awesome this week? Tell them! Use this link to find out who represents you, and if you love a bill they are supporting, please let them know. You can also just use the link to tell them what is important to you.
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Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina. Over the past two decades, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special — our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and clean air. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor heritage, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Our vision is an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous Upstate that offers a high quality of life now and for future generations.
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