South Carolina 126th General Assembly Status: Introduced

H 5282 — A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "UTILITY BILLING ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2026" BY ADDING CHAPTER 44 TO TITLE 58 SO AS TO PROHIBIT A UTILITY FROM CHANGING BILLING OR PAYMENT PRACTICES WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO PERMIT TEMPORARY APPROVAL PROCESSES IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY; TO REQUIRE UTILITIES TO SUBMIT QUARTERLY REPORTS TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF; TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, IN COORDINATION WITH THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF, TO ENGAGE AN AUDITOR TO EXAMINE PRESCRIBED BILLING ISSUES; TO REQUIRE A UTILITY TO PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS FOR BILLING OR PAYMENT CHANGES; TO ESTABLISH CONDITIONS AND PROHIBITIONS IN CERTAIN RENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES; TO REQUIRE ELECTRIC, GAS, AND WATER UTILITIES TO IMPLEMENT CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR RURAL ENERGY-BURDENED HOUSEHOLDS, TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO PUBLISH A RURAL ENERGY BURDEN REPORT, AND TO CONSIDER METRICS IN ALL RATE PROCEEDINGS; TO PERMIT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO IMPOSE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES FOR VIOLATIONS, FOR A CUSTOMER TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COMMISSION, AND TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO PROMULGATE RELATED REGULATIONS.

Last action — Scrivener's error corrected

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill requires utilities to get approval for billing changes and establishes consumer protections.

The legislation mandates that utilities cannot change their billing practices without public service commission approval. It also introduces consumer protections for households facing energy burdens, requiring regular reports and notice of changes.

What this means for you
  • Families: Families, especially those in rural areas, will benefit from protections against high energy costs.
  • Consumers: Consumers will receive written notice before any changes to their billing practices occur.

Summary

Utility Billing Accountability and Consumer Protection Act

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Scrivener's error corrected

  2. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Scott

  3. Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Dillard, Jones

  4. Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry (House Journal-page 13)

  5. Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 13)

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 166 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (166)

166 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 166 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety housing energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does H 5282 do?
Utility Billing Accountability and Consumer Protection Act
Who sponsors H 5282?
H 5282 is sponsored by Representative Keishan M. Scott, Representative Wendell K. Jones, Representative Chandra E. Dillard, and Representative Robert T. Reese.
What is the current status of H 5282?
This bill has been introduced in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 5282?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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