Marine Recovery Insurance

2025-2026 Bill 3771: Marine Recovery Insurance - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 3771
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Hartnett, Erickson, M.M. Smith, Wetmore, Bradley, Stavrinakis, Hewitt, Hager, Lawson, Teeple, Schuessler, Brewer, Herbkersman, Landing, Bustos, Spann-Wilder, Kirby, Gilliard and Rivers
Document Path: LC-0121CM25.docx
Introduced in the House on January 16, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on April 16, 2026
Last Amended on April 15, 2026

Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Fish, Game and Forestry
Summary: Marine Recovery Insurance
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/16/2025

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 719
)

1/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Labor, Commerce and Industry
(
House Journal-page 719
)

3/31/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Kirby

4/2/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Labor, Commerce and Industry
(
House Journal-page 18
)

4/13/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

4/14/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor:
Gilliard, Rivers

4/15/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 41
)

4/15/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 41
)

4/15/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-115 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 43
)

4/16/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

4/16/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 13
)

4/16/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 4
)

4/16/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Fish, Game and Forestry
(
Senate Journal-page 4
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/16/2025
04/02/2026
04/13/2026
04/15/2026
04/16/2026

Amended

April 15, 2026

H. 3771

Introduced by Reps. Hartnett, Erickson, M. M.
Smith, Wetmore, Bradley, Stavrinakis, Hewitt, Hager, Lawson, Teeple, Scheussler,
Brewer, Herbkersman, Landing, Bustos, Spann-Wilder, Kirby, Gilliard and Rivers

S. Printed 4/15/26--H. [SEC
4/16/2026 11:00 AM]

Read the first time January 16, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
50-23-37
SO AS TO REQUIRE OWNERS OF CERTAIN BOATS ANCHORED IN THE WATERS OF
THIS STATE TO MAINTAIN MARINE RECOVERY INSURANCE ON THEIR BOATS, AND TO PROVIDE
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.

Amend Title To Conform

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

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 1, Chapter 23, Title 50 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
50-23-37
.
(
A) An owner of a
watercraft that is anchored in the coastal waters of this State more than
fourteen days must obtain a marine survey on his watercraft indicating the
watercraft is seaworthy and functions as intended.

(
B) To
obtain a marine survey, the watercraft owner must use a licensed surveyor to
inspect the following:

(
1)
all sailboats must have a complete set of working sails and, if the sailboat
includes an inboard or outboard motor, mechanical propulsion capable of moving
the watercraft;

(
2)
motorboats must have working propulsion mechanisms capable of moving the
watercraft;

(
3)
all liveaboard watercraft must have a marine toilet system that meets United
States Coast Guard standards or receipts that reflect a monthly pump out.
Unpowered structures may not be used as liveaboards unless docked at a marina;

(
4)
watercraft must be free of hull leaks and must have the ability to be closed up
and secured when the owner is not on board;

(
5)
all watercraft must have a working bilge pump, charged battery for powering the
bilge pump, and solar or equivalent power source for recharging the battery;
and

(
6)
all watercraft must have working anchor lights.

(
C)
The marine survey must be completed within twenty-one days of any watercraft
being anchored in the coastal waters of this State. The survey is effective for
a period two years.

(
D)
Upon the successful completion of the marine survey, the surveyor shall issue
two 3 ½ x 3 ½ inch watercraft stickers to the owner of the watercraft. The
sticker must be displayed on the watercraft adjacent to the annual state
registration sticker. Declared vessels must display the sticker where a state
registration sticker would normally be displayed on the hull of the vessel. The
sticker must include:

(
1)
the expiring year in one inch font;

(
2)
the name of the survey company;

(
3)
the date of the survey; and

(
4)
the boat registration number.

(
E) A
person who violates this provision is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not
more than thirty days. Each day of non-compliance is considered to be a
separate offense. After twenty-one days of noncompliance with this section, a
watercraft is deemed abandoned pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 21, of Title 50.

(
F)
The department may grant exemptions from the requirements of this section.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on April 16, 2026 at 11:01 AM