South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

H 5283 — SC Utility Citizens Council

Last action — Scrivener's error corrected

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

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

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Stalled 18% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    3 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill establishes the South Carolina Utility Citizens Council as an independent advisory body for utility regulation.

This bill creates the South Carolina Utility Citizens Council to advise the Public Service Commission on utility matters. It outlines the Council's membership, responsibilities, and funding, ensuring it can participate in commission proceedings and access relevant information.

What this means for you
  • Consumers: This means consumers may receive better representation and advice regarding utility rates and services.

Summary

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 45 TO TITLE 58 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL TO SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BODY TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL'S MEMBERSHIP, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; TO PERMIT THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL TO HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL FROM REGULATED UTILITIES, ESTABLISH COST RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE FUNDING, AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION; TO REQUIRE THE SOUTH CAROLINA ENERGY JUSTICE COALITION TO PROVIDE STAFFING AND OTHER DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION UPON NOTICE OF A UTILITY RATE CASE OR MAJOR FILING, TO PERMIT THE COUNCIL TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS, AND TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO INCLUDE A SUMMARY OF THE COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMISSION'S RESPONSES IN COMMISSION ORDERS; AND TO REQUIRE THE COUNCIL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF, TO DEVELOP ENERGY AFFORDABILITY METRICS.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

4 added · 4 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of Bill H 5283 has clarified the language around penalties for utilities that fail to provide funding, streamlining the wording to improve understanding. This change is important because it helps ensure that the requirements are clear for both the utilities and the regulatory bodies overseeing them. By specifying the cost recovery processes and their administration, the bill aims to foster accountability and better financial practices among regulated utilities.

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2025-2026 Bill 5283 Text of Previous Version (Jun.
2025-2026 Bill 5283 Text of Previous Version (Feb.
04, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 5283Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
26, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 5283Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL FROM REGULATED UTILITIES, ESTABLISH COST RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE FUNDING, AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION;
TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL FROM REGULATED UTILITIES, ESTABLISH COST RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS, AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE FUNDING AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION;
----XX---- This web page was last updated on June 04, 2026 at 03:37 PM
----XX---- This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:20 AM
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Action History

  1. Scrivener's error corrected

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

  3. Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry

  4. Introduced and read first time

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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3 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 167 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (167)

167 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 167 →

"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 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 5283 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 45 TO TITLE 58 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL TO SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BODY TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO PROVIDE FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL'S MEMBERSHIP, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES; TO PERMIT THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL TO HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN INFORMATION SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE UTILITY CITIZENS COUNCIL FROM REGULATED UTILITIES, ESTABLISH COST RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE FUNDING, AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ADMINISTRATION; TO REQUIRE THE SOUTH CAROLINA ENERGY JUSTICE COALITION TO PROVIDE STAFFING AND OTHER DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION UPON NOTICE OF A UTILITY RATE CASE OR MAJOR FILING, TO PERMIT THE COUNCIL TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS, AND TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO INCLUDE A SUMMARY OF THE COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMISSION'S RESPONSES IN COMMISSION ORDERS; AND TO REQUIRE THE COUNCIL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF, TO DEVELOP ENERGY AFFORDABILITY METRICS.
Who sponsors H 5283?
H 5283 is sponsored by Representative Robert T. Reese, Representative Chandra E. Dillard, and Representative Wendell K. Jones.
What is the current status of H 5283?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 5283?
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