South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

H 4579 — Balcony Solar Panels

Last action — Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry

  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 December 16, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Prognosis

Stalled 14% · 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.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 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.

Summary

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-1-65 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A DEED, RESTRICTION, COVENANT, OR A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DOCUMENT MUST NOT PROHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF A BALCONY SOLAR PANEL; AND BY ADDING SECTION 58-41-60 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM RESTRICTING THE INSTALLATION OF BALCONY SOLAR PANELS.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

32 added · 10 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill H 4579 now includes provisions that explicitly prevent homeowners associations and certain legal documents from prohibiting the installation of balcony solar panels. This change is significant as it promotes the use of solar energy by ensuring that residents can adopt environmentally friendly practices without facing restrictions from their associations or property agreements. Additionally, the bill clarifies that while associations can require reasonable design accommodations, they cannot outright ban the installation of these solar panels, helping to balance individual rights with community aesthetics.

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2025-2026 Bill 4579 Text of Previous Version (Dec.
17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 4579Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-1-65 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A DEED, RESTRICTION, COVENANT, OR A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DOCUMENT MUST NOT PROHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF A BALCONY SOLAR PANEL;
AND BY ADDING SECTION 58-41-60 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM RESTRICTING THE INSTALLATION OF BALCONY SOLAR PANELS.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Chapter 1, Title 27 of the S.C.
Code is amended by adding:
      Section 27-1-65.
(A) A restrictive covenant, declaration, rule, contractual provision, or other provision concerning the installation and utilization of a balcony solar panel found in a deed, contract, lease, rental agreement, or the governing documents of a homeowners association must not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the installation and utilization of a balcony solar panel.
    (B) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a homeowners association from requiring reasonable design accommodations to ensure that a balcony solar panel is installed in a manner that is consistent with the aesthetic requirements applicable to all homeowners association members.
  SECTION 2.  Chapter 41, Title 58 of the S.C.
Code is amended by adding:
      Section 58-41-60.  The State, or any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision thereof, may not prohibit or restrict the installation of balcony solar panels.
  SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on December 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
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Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry

  2. Introduced and read first time

  3. Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry

  4. Prefiled

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 169 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (169)

169 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 169 →

"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

environment 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 4579 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-1-65 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A DEED, RESTRICTION, COVENANT, OR A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DOCUMENT MUST NOT PROHIBIT THE INSTALLATION OF A BALCONY SOLAR PANEL; AND BY ADDING SECTION 58-41-60 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE STATE FROM RESTRICTING THE INSTALLATION OF BALCONY SOLAR PANELS.
Who sponsors H 4579?
H 4579 is sponsored by Representative James Mikell "Mike" Burns.
What is the current status of H 4579?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced December 16, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track H 4579?
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