Electromagnetic Pulse

2025-2026 Bill 5542: Electromagnetic Pulse - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5542
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Landing
Document Path: LC-0362HA-HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on April 16, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Invitations and Memorial Resolutions
Summary: Electromagnetic Pulse
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

4/16/2026

House

Introduced (
House Journal-page 4
)

4/16/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Invitations and Memorial Resolutions
(
House Journal-page 4
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
04/16/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE
MODERN SOCIETY'S RELIANCE UPON THE ELECTRICAL GRID AND THE HARM SOUTH
CAROLINIANS COULD ENDURE IN THE EVENT OF AN EXTENDED DISRUPTION OF THE ELECTRICAL
GRID DUE TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE OR SOLAR STORM AND TO ENCOURAGE THE SOUTH
CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION TO CREATE A DETAILED PLAN WITHIN THEIR
CURRENT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN THAT INCLUDES BOTH STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO
HARDEN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE OR A SOLAR STORM,
AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES TO PROVIDE INDEPENDENCE FOR AN EXTENDED
PERIOD OF TIME SHOULD THE ELECTRICAL GRID BE INCAPACITATED, AND IN THE EVENT
THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION UPDATES ITS EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO INCLUDE FACTORS RELATED TO ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES OR SOLAR
STORMS, THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIVISION BE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE THE
UPDATED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN THIS STATE.

W
hereas, modern society
is reliant upon the electrical grid in a manner inconceivable a century ago, as
use of the electrical grid touches virtually every aspect of life, from
transportation, utilities, communication, employment, food preservation, and
safety, to critical life-saving and life-maintaining support in the form of
access to daily medications and machines necessary for many to survive; and

W
hereas, the citizens
of South Carolina have endured extended disruptions caused by power outages
from natural disasters; however, these disruptions could be minute on the scale
of what could result from power outages resulting from an electromagnetic
pulse, which may naturally occur through solar storms or may be intentionally
created by adversaries intending to wreak havoc on our society; and

W
hereas, the State has
a compelling interest in protecting its citizens, including planning and
preparing for known and unknown events that could restrict their ability to
access electricity, potentially devastating their livelihoods and their way of
life. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, recognize modern society's reliance upon the electrical
grid and the harm South Carolinians could endure in the event of an extended
disruption of the electrical grid due to an electromagnetic pulse or solar
storm and encourage the South Carolina Emergency Management Division to create
a detailed plan within their current emergency preparedness plan that includes
both steps to be taken to harden critical infrastructure from an
electromagnetic pulse or a solar storm, as well as alternative energy sources
to provide independence for an extended period of time should the electrical
grid be incapacitated.

B
e it further resolved
by the House of Representatives, that in the event the South Carolina Emergency
Management Division updates its emergency preparedness plan to include factors
related to electromagnetic pulses or solar storms, that the Emergency
Management Division be encouraged to provide the updated emergency preparedness
plan to all municipalities in this State.

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This web page was last updated on April 16, 2026 at 10:54 AM