South Carolina S 575: Building codes

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 575 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 16, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 575

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
6-9-6 SO AS TO DEFINE "CLIMATOLOGICAL" AND OTHER TERMS RELATED TO BUILDING 
CODES; BY AMENDING SECTION 6-9-55, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT OF COUNCIL TO PROMULGATE 
REGULATIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT REGULATIONS BE CONSISTENT WITH THE 
PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 9, TITLE 6; BY AMENDING SECTION 6-9-63, RELATING TO THE 
SOUTH CAROLINA BUILDING CODES COUNCIL, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE COUNCIL TO GRANT 
MODIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 6-9-105; AND BY AMENDING 
SECTION 6-9-105, RELATING TO VARIATIONS BASED ON PHYSICAL OR CLIMATOLOGICAL 
CONDITIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A LOCAL MODIFICATION MUST BE GRANTED WHEN 
CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 9, Title 6 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 6-9-6. For purposes of this chapter:

 (1) 
"Climatological" means the susceptibility of specific unusual reoccurring 
weather or atmospheric conditions for a local jurisdiction, including 
hurricanes, tornadoes, damaging wind, lightning, or floods due to rainfall.

 (2) 
"Code" means any one or more of the building codes referenced in Section 6-9-50 
and adopted pursuant to Section 6-9-40, including any amendments or 
modifications codified as provided for in Section 1-23-90.

 (3) 
"Council" means the South Carolina Building Codes Council.

 (4) 
"Physical" means the natural stable and unstable characteristics and conditions 
of the land area within a local jurisdiction, including topography, geography, 
geology, water table, and seismic activity.

SECTION 2. Section 6-9-55(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
6-9-55. (A) The council shall 
promulgate as regulations, in accordance with the procedure and requirements 
contained in Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1, and 
consistent with the provision of this chapter, any provision of or 
amendment to any building code that would affect 
construction requirements for one-family or two-family dwellings. No building code provision that would otherwise become 
effective after the effective date of this section concerning construction 
requirements for one-family or two-family dwellings shall be enforced until the 
effective date of the regulations required to be promulgated by this section.

SECTION 3. Sections 6-9-63 (C) and (E) of the S.C. Code are 
amended to read:

 (C) The primary function of the council 
is to accept all requests for variation from the series of codes listed in this 
chapter and to determine which variations, if any, are justified by local 
conditions and can be enacted after a finding on the 
record that the modification provides a reasonable degree of public health, 
safety, and welfare. The council must grant local 
modifications to any of the codes pursuant to the provisions of Section 
6-9-105.

 (E) The 
council shall elect from its members a chairman and vice chairman. The council 
shall adopt promulgate regulations 
consistent with the provisions of this chapter. A 
meeting may be called by the chairman on his own initiative and must be called 
by him at the request of three or more members of the council. Each member must 
be notified by the chairman in writing of the time and place of the meeting at least 
seven days before the meeting. Nine members constitute a quorum. Each meeting 
is open to the public. An official decision of the council may be made only by 
a vote of at least two-thirds of those members in attendance at the meeting.

SECTION 4. Section 6-9-105 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
6-9-105. (A) If When a municipality or county contends that the codes 
authorized by this chapter do not meet its needs due to local physical or 
climatological conditions, the proposed variations and 
modifications must be submitted to the council it 
may submit a request for local modifications to the council with the proposed 
variations and modifications.

 (B) 
The council may issue an approval after a finding on the 
record that the variation or modification provides a reasonable standard of 
public health, safety, and welfare must review and 
grant local modifications to any of the codes at the request of a local 
jurisdiction, for application strictly within that jurisdiction, where the 
conditions of subsection (D) are met. The council 
must give deference to the findings of the local jurisdiction's governing body 
in its authorization and approval of the requests for local modifications. The 
council may deny a request where it finds on the record that the request is 
manifestly unreasonable or poses a clear and articulable risk to the