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H5286 • 2026

Data Center Moratorium

Data Center Moratorium

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Reps. Long, T. Moore, Yow, C. Mitchell, Martin, Edgerton, Chumley, Magnuson, Lawson, Frank, Huff, Crawford, Chapman, Atkinson, Sanders, Burns, Bailey, Guest and Hardee Companion/Similar bill(s): 5526
Last action
2026-03-31
Official status
Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliam
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Data Center Moratorium

Data Center Moratorium

What This Bill Does

  • Data Center Moratorium

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-31 House

    Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliam

  2. 2026-03-05 House

    Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Hager

  3. 2026-02-26 House

    Introduced and read first time ( House Journal-page 15 )

  4. 2026-02-26 House

    Referred to Committee on Ways and Means ( House Journal-page 15 )

Official Summary Text

Data Center Moratorium

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
2025-2026 Bill 5286: Data Center Moratorium - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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This Bill
in Microsoft Word Format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
H. 5286
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Long, T. Moore, Yow, C. Mitchell, Martin, Edgerton, Chumley, Magnuson, Lawson, Frank, Huff, Crawford, Chapman, Atkinson, Sanders, Burns, Bailey, Guest and Hardee
Companion/Similar bill(s): 5526
Document Path: LC-0324HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Data Center Moratorium
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/26/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 15
)

2/26/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 15
)

3/5/2026

House

Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Hager

3/31/2026

House

Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Gilliam

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/26/2026

A joint Resolution

TO PROHIBIT GOVERNMENTAL
ENTITIES OF THIS STATE, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
FROM GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL FOR APPLICATIONS OR PERMITS FOR, OR INCENTIVES OR
OTHER REQUESTS RELATED TO, NEW DATA CENTERS UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2028, AND TO DEFINE
"DATA CENTER."

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

S
ECTION 1. No
governmental entity of this State, county, municipality, or a political
subdivision thereof, shall grant final approval for any applications or permits
for, or incentives or other requests related to, a new data center until
January 1, 2028. This includes, but is not limited to, rezoning, special
exceptions, special use permits, building permits, site plans, plan of
development for siting, economic incentives, fee in lieu of taxes, or any other
form of incentive. For purposes of this section, "data center" means a facility
whose primary services are the storage, management, and processing of digital
data and is used to house (i) computer and network systems, including
associated components such as servers, network equipment and appliances,
telecommunications, and data storage systems; (ii) systems for monitoring and
managing infrastructure performance; (iii) equipment used for the
transformation, transmission, distribution, or management of at least one
megawatt of capacity of electrical power and cooling, including substations,
uninterruptible power supply systems, all electrical plant equipment, and
associated air handlers; (iv) internet-related equipment and services; (v) data
communications connections; (vi) environmental controls; (vii) fire protection
systems; and (viii) security systems and services.

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

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This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:21 AM