South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 656 — Public Utility Property

Last action — Referred to Committee on Judiciary

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

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 06, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

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 58-5-70 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO MAKE CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS WHEN EVALUATING AN APPLICATION FOR A PUBLIC UTILITY TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY OR ASSETS USED TO PROVIDE WATER, SEWERAGE COLLECTION, OR SEWERAGE DISPOSAL OWNED BY A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, OR SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

63 added · 22 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill S 656 require the South Carolina Public Service Commission to consider the fair market value of property or assets when evaluating applications from public utilities seeking to acquire water or sewer facilities owned by local governments or special districts. The updated version mandates that two independent appraisals be submitted with the application, ensuring that both the selling and acquiring parties agree on the appraisers. This matters because it aims to promote transparency and fairness in the acquisition process, potentially protecting public entities from undervaluation of their assets.

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2025-2026 Bill 656 Text of Previous Version (May.
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06, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 656Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
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Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 58-5-70 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO MAKE CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS WHEN EVALUATING AN APPLICATION FOR A PUBLIC UTILITY TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY OR ASSETS USED TO PROVIDE WATER, SEWERAGE COLLECTION, OR SEWERAGE DISPOSAL OWNED BY A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, OR SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Chapter 5, Title 58 of the S.C.
Code is amended by adding:
      Section 58-5-70.
(A) In evaluating an application for a public utility to acquire property or assets used to provide water, sewerage collection, or sewerage disposal owned by a county, municipality, or special purpose district, the commission must consider the fair market value of the property or assets to be acquired, provided the requirements of this section are met.
    (B) Two appraisals provided by the public utility on the property or assets being acquired must be submitted with the application described in subsection (A).
These two appraisals must be conducted by two independent utility-valuation experts that are mutually selected by the public utility and the county, municipality, or special purpose district selling the property.
Each appraisal must be performed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
In addition, the Office of Regulatory Staff, in its discretion, may provide an appraisal to the commission.
    (C) In determining the fair market value for the property or assets used to provide water, sewerage collection, or sewerage disposal, the commission must consider the two independent appraisals described in subsection (B) as well as any appraisal provided by the Office of Regulatory Staff, if applicable.
The average of these appraisals, including any appraisal offered by the Office of Regulatory Staff, if performed, shall constitute the fair market value.
The commission shall not consider the original source of funding for any part of the tangible assets to determine the value of the property or assets.
    (D)(1) The commission shall promptly fix a date for the commencement of a public hearing.
This public hearing must be scheduled for no less than sixty days nor more than ninety days after receipt of the application.
       (2) The commission must complete the hearing and issue an order on the merits within one hundred eighty days following receipt of a complete application.
    (E) In the event a public utility acquires property or assets used to provide water, sewerage collection, or sewerage disposal owned by a county, municipality, or special purpose district, the purchase price or fair market value of the property or assets, whichever is less, shall become part of the rate base in the public utility's next general rate case, subject to a finding by the commission that the acquisition is in the public interest and that such costs are just and reasonable.
Reasonable transaction and closing costs, including the costs of any appraisals and engineering assessment borne by the public utility, shall be treated as capital costs that may be recovered by the acquiring public utility.
    (F) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the public utility or the county, municipality, or special purpose district from declining to proceed with an acquisition as described in this section.
  SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  2. Introduced and read first time

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.

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"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 environment energy
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Frequently asked questions

What does S 656 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 58-5-70 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION TO MAKE CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS WHEN EVALUATING AN APPLICATION FOR A PUBLIC UTILITY TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY OR ASSETS USED TO PROVIDE WATER, SEWERAGE COLLECTION, OR SEWERAGE DISPOSAL OWNED BY A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY, OR SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT.
Who sponsors S 656?
S 656 is sponsored by Senator Michael Johnson.
What is the current status of S 656?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced May 06, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 656?
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