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H5526 • 2026

Data Center Moratorium

Data Center Moratorium

Active

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

Sponsor
Rep. J.L. Johnson Companion/Similar bill(s): 5286
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means ( House Journal-page 18 )
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. 2026-04-14 House

    Introduced and read first time ( House Journal-page 18 )

  2. 2026-04-14 House

    Referred to Committee on Ways and Means ( House Journal-page 18 )

Official Summary Text

Data Center Moratorium

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
2025-2026 Bill 5526: 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. 5526
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. J.L. Johnson
Companion/Similar bill(s): 5286
Document Path: LC-0375HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on April 14, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Ways and Means
Summary: Data Center Moratorium
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

4/14/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 18
)

4/14/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 18
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
04/14/2026

A joint Resolution

TO PROHIBIT GOVERNMENTAL
ENTITIES OF THIS STATE, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
FROM ACCEPTING OR TAKING ANY ACTION ON PERMITS OR APPLICATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS
UNTIL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHES A COMPREHENSIVE OVERSIGHT AND APPROVAL
PROCESS FOR NEW DATA CENTERS IN THIS STATE, AND TO DEFINE "DATA CENTER."

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

S
ECTION 1. As
of the effective date of this joint resolution, no governmental entity of this
State, county, municipality, or a political subdivision thereof, shall accept
any application or permit for a data center, nor take action on any permit or
application for a data center which has not received final approval, until the
General Assembly establishes a comprehensive oversight and approval process for
new data centers in this State. For purposes of this section, "data center"
means a facility, campus of facilities, or array of interconnected facilities
in this State used by an entity or other business enterprise to operate,
manage, or maintain a computer, group of computers, or other organized assembly
of hardware and software for the primary purpose of storing, retrieving, or
transmitting data and that has a peak demand of five megawatts or greater.

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

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This web page was last updated on April 14, 2026 at 12:50 PM