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S782 • 2026

Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

Active

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

Sponsor
Senator Massey
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Referred to Committee on Judiciary ( Senate Journal-page 51 )
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.

Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

What This Bill Does

  • Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

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. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Introduced and read first time ( Senate Journal-page 51 )

  2. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary ( Senate Journal-page 51 )

Official Summary Text

Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
2025-2026 Bill 782: Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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This Bill
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S. 782
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Massey
Document Path: SR-0462KM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Determination of Population Density for Municipal Incorporation
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 51
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 51
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/13/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
5-1-30
, RELATING TO PREREQUISITES TO THE ISSUANCE OF A CORPORATE
CERTIFICATE TO A PROPOSED MUNICIPALITY SO AS TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO
USE ANY RELIABLE AND VERIFIABLE INFORMATION BASED ON THE LATEST OFFICIAL UNITED
STATES CENSUS TO DETERMINE WHETHER A PROPOSED MUNICIPALITY HAS THE REQUISITE
POPULATION DENSITY FOR INCORPORATION.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
5-1-30
(A)(1) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
1) the area seeking to be incorporated
has a population density of at least three hundred persons a square mile
according to the latest official United States Census, except as provided in
subsections (B) through
(E)

(F)
;

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
5-1-30
of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

(
F) In determining whether the proposed
incorporated municipality has the requisite population density, the Secretary of
State may use any reliable and verifiable information based on the latest
official United States Census that assures the closest possible conformance
between the area proposed for incorporation and the data available, including:

(
a)
full census blocks;

(
b)
sub census blocks;

(
c)
special census areas identified by the U.S. Census Bureau regardless of
established census blocks or subblocks; or

(
d)
reapportionment data used to determine redistricting decisions following the
release of the decennial census figures.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 12:38 PM