SC Conservation Bank

2025-2026 Bill 4765: SC Conservation Bank - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4765
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. T. Moore and C. Mitchell
Document Path: LC-0234HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Ways and Means
Summary: SC Conservation Bank
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 107
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 107
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION
48-59-30
, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO
AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "ELIGIBLE TRUST FUND RECIPIENT"; BY AMENDING
SECTION
48-59-40
, RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSERVATION BANK BOARD, SO AS
TO ADD THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER OF THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE; AND BY
AMENDING SECTION
48-59-100
, RELATING TO PUBLIC ACCESS REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO
REQUIRE FEE SIMPLE INTEREST ACQUIRED WITH TRUST FUNDS TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC
ACCESS USE AS APPROVED BY THE BOARD BUT NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC ACCESS FOR GRANTS TO
FUND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PRIVATE LANDS.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
48-59-30
(4) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
4) "Eligible trust fund recipient"
means:

(
a)
the following state agencies, which own and manage land for the land's natural
resource, historical, and outdoor recreation values:

(
i)
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources,

(
ii)
South Carolina Forestry Commission, and

(
iii)
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

(
b)
a municipality of this State and any agency, commission, or instrumentality of
such a municipality;

(
c)
a county of this State and any agency, commission, or instrumentality of such
county; or

(
d)
a not-for-profit charitable corporation or trust authorized to do business in
this State whose principal activity is the acquisition and management of
interests in land for conservation or historic preservation purposes
and which
that
has tax-exempt
status as a public charity under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
and that certifies liquid assets of at least one hundred
thousand dollars or is accredited by the Land Trust Alliance
.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
48-59-40
(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
A) There is established the South
Carolina Conservation Bank. The bank is governed by a
seventeen
eighteen
-member board selected as follows:

(
1)
the Chairman of the Board for the Department of Natural Resources, the Chairman
of the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Commissioner of Agriculture, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation,
and

the Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and
Tourism,
and the Chief Resilience Officer of the South
Carolina Office of Resilience,
or their designees, all of whom shall
serve ex officio and without voting privileges;

(
2)
three members appointed by the Governor from the State at large;

(
3)
four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one each
from the Third, Fourth, and Sixth Congressional Districts and one member from
the State at large; and

(
4)
four members appointed by the President of the Senate, one each from the First,
Second, Fifth, and Seventh Congressional Districts.

S
ECTION 3.
S
ection
48-59-100
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
48-59-100
. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an
easement
acquisition of a fee simple
interest
acquired in whole or in part with trust funds must provide for
public access consistent with the uses
permitted by the
terms of the easement
approved by the board
.
No public access shall be required for grants that fund the
acquisition of conservation easements on private lands.

S
ECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM