Litter, balloons

2025-2026 Bill 3047: Litter, balloons - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 3047
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Moss, Haddon and Bauer
Document Path: LC-0006AHB25.docx
Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on April 28, 2026
Last Amended on April 22, 2026

Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Litter, balloons
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/5/2024

House

Prefiled

12/5/2024

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/14/2025

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 79
)

1/14/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 79
)

3/3/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Haddon

4/15/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 39
)

4/22/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bauer

4/22/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 22
)

4/22/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 22
)

4/22/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-92 Nays-17 (
House Journal-page 25
)

4/23/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 16
)

4/28/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 8
)

4/28/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 8
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/05/2024
04/15/2026
04/22/2026

Amended

April 22, 2026

H. 3047

Introduced
by Reps. Moss, Haddon and Bauer

S. Printed 4/22/26--H.

Read the first time January 14, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
16-11-705
SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF INTENTIONALLY RELEASING, ORGANIZING
THE RELEASE OF, OR INTENTIONALLY CAUSING THE RELEASE OF BALLOONS INFLATED WITH
GAS THAT IS LIGHTER THAN AIR, AND TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION
16-11-700
, RELATING TO THE DUMPING OF LITTER ON PRIVATE OR PUBLIC PROPERTY,
EXCEPTIONS, AND PENALTIES, SO AS TO INCLUDE BALLOONS IN THE LITTER STATUTE; AND
BY AMENDING SECTION
16-11-710
, RELATING TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF A CASH BOND IN
LIEU OF AN IMMEDIATE COURT APPEARANCE IN LITTER CONTROL PROSECUTIONS, SO AS TO
INCLUDE A VIOLATION OF THE BALLOON STATUTE WHEN A CASH BOND IS ALLOWED.

Amend Title To Conform

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 7, Chapter 11, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
16-11-705
.
(
A) It is unlawful for a
person to intentionally release, organize the release of, or intentionally
cause to be released balloons inflated with a gas that is lighter than air with
the following exceptions:

(
1)
balloons released by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to
a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes;

(
2)
hot air balloons recovered after launching; or

(
3)
balloons released indoors.

(
B) A
violation of this section is subject to a civil fine of up to fifty dollars.
The court, instead of payment of the monetary fine imposed for a violation of
this section, may direct the substitution of additional litter-gathering labor
or other form of community service. However, a person seventeen years of age or
younger may not be charged with a violation of this section.

(
C)
For purposes of this section, "person" means an individual, group of
individuals, or organization.

S
ECTION 2. During
the first one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this act, law
enforcement officers shall only issue warnings for violations of this section.

S
ECTION 3. The
repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or
civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or
liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any
penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law,
unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the
effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be
taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of
sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding,
criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act,
and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities
as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

S
ECTION 4. This act takes effect on July 1,
2027.

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This web page was last updated on April 22, 2026 at 7:14 PM