South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

H. 3345

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Toole
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ggs\22126zw19.docx

Introduced in the House on January 8, 2019
Currently residing in the House Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry

Summary: Public Utilities, easements

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  12/18/2018  House   Prefiled
  12/18/2018  House   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
    1/8/2019  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 205)
    1/8/2019  House   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        (House Journal-page 205)
   1/16/2019  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Forrest
   2/13/2019  House   Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Forrest

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/18/2018

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 58-1-70 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PUBLIC UTILITY THAT HOLDS AN EASEMENT OR RIGHT OF WAY, REGARDLESS OF THE MANNER BY WHICH IT WAS ACQUIRED, MAY USE THE EASEMENT OR RIGHT OF WAY ONLY TO ACCOMPLISH THE EASEMENT'S OR RIGHT OF WAY'S ORIGINAL INTENDED PURPOSE AND TO PERFORM NECESSARY INSPECTIONS OR MAINTENANCE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THAT PURPOSE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A PUBLIC UTILITY MAY NOT EXPAND, ADJUST, OR MODIFY ITS USE OF AN EXISTING EASEMENT OR RIGHT OF WAY TO CONFORM TO A FUTURE NEED UNLESS THE PROPERTY OWNER AGREES IN WRITING TO THE EXPANDED, ADJUSTED, OR MODIFIED USE, AND THE EXPANDED, ADJUSTED, OR MODIFIED USE CAUSES NO UNNECESSARY OR IRREPARABLE HARM TO THE PROPERTY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 1, Title 58 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 58-1-70.    (A)    Notwithstanding another provision of law, a public utility created or governed pursuant to the provisions of this title which holds an easement or right of way, regardless of the manner by which it was acquired, may use the easement or right of way only to accomplish the easement's or right of way's original intended purpose and to perform necessary inspections or maintenance directly related to that purpose.

(B)    A public utility described in subsection (A) may not expand, adjust, or modify its use of an existing easement or right of way to conform to a future need unless the:

(1)    property owner agrees in writing to the expanded, adjusted, or modified use; and

(2)    expanded, adjusted, or modified use causes no unnecessary or irreparable harm to the property."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----


This web page was last updated on September 11, 2019 at 10:15 AM