University Campus Events Zoning

2025-2026 Bill 5015: University Campus Events Zoning - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5015
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Hartnett, Brewer and Teeple
Companion/Similar bill(s): 832
Document Path: LC-0500SA26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 27, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Education and Public Works
Summary: University Campus Events Zoning
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/27/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 3
)

1/27/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Education and Public Works
(
House Journal-page 3
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/27/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS
BY AMENDING SECTION
53-1-20
, RELATING TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES EXEMPT
FROM THE PROHIBITION ON SUNDAY PUBLIC SPORTS, SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS PERTAINING
TO CAMPUS EVENTS AND LAND USE APPROVAL, TO PROVIDE THAT NO COUNTY OR
MUNICIPALITY MAY PROHIBIT, RESTRICT, CONDITION, DELAY, OR REQUIRE LAND USE
APPROVAL FOR EVENTS HELD ON THE CAMPUS OF A STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTION OF
HIGHER LEARNING BASED ON ZONING ORDINANCES OR LAND USE CLASSIFICATIONS, AND TO
CLARIFY THE APPLICATION OF GENERALLY APPLICABLE SAFETY LAWS.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
53-1-20
of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:

S
ection
53-1-20
.
(
A) As used in this section:

(
1) "Campus" means real property owned,
leased, or otherwise controlled by a state-supported institution of higher
learning, including stadiums, arenas, athletic facilities, performance venues, and
associated grounds and parking areas, whether the property is located within or
outside municipal boundaries.

(
2) "Event" means a concert,
performance, commencement, lecture, exhibition, festival, ceremony, athletic
contest, or similar gathering, whether hosted solely by the institution or in
partnership with a third party, provided the event is approved by the governing
board of the institution.

(
3) "Land use approval" means any
approval, permit, determination, exception, variance, or authorization required
because of the use of land or a land use classification under a local
ordinance, including approvals administered by a zoning administrator, planning
department, board of zoning appeals, or similar body.

(
B)
Notwithstanding
any provision of law to the contrary, college and university campuses shall be
exempt from the provisions of Section
53-1-10
.

(
C) No county or municipality may
prohibit, restrict, condition, delay, or require a land use approval for an
event held on the campus of a state-supported institution of higher learning
based on any zoning ordinance, zoning district, overlay district, land use
classification, or other land use regulation, including, but not limited to,
any requirement for a special exception, conditional use approval, variance,
zoning permit, certificate of zoning compliance, zoning determination, site
plan approval, development plan approval, or similar land use approval,
provided that the event is approved by the governing board of the institution.

(
D) Nothing in this section may be
construed to limit a county's or municipality's authority to apply and enforce
generally applicable building, fire, life safety, health, and traffic laws and
regulations, provided that such requirements are applied in a content-neutral
manner and are not imposed as a substitute for, or pretext to accomplish, a
prohibited zoning or land use restriction under subsection (C).

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 27, 2026 at 10:14 AM