South Carolina S 204: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE UPON THE UNTIMELY PASSING OF JACOB HALL, AND TO EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 204 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 15, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 204

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 27-13-30, RELATING TO THE LIMITATION ON ALIEN LAND OWNERSHIP, SO AS TO 
PROVIDE THAT CORPORATIONS CONTROLLED BY A FOREIGN ADVERSARY CANNOT ACQUIRE AN INTEREST 
IN REAL PROPERTY IN THIS STATE; TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; AND TO REDUCE THE 
AMOUNT OF REAL PROPERTY THAT AN ALIEN OR CORPORATION MAY ACQUIRE AN INTEREST IN 
FROM FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES TO ONE THOUSAND ACRES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 
15-35-190 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IN A CIVIL ACTION INITIATED BY A PARTY 
CONTROLLED BY A FOREIGN ADVERSARY, THE PARTY ADVERSE TO THE PARTY CONTROLLED BY 
A FOREIGN ADVERSARY IS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN HIS FAVOR IF THAT PARTY 
SHOWS TO THE COURT THAT THE PARTY CONTROLLED BY A FOREIGN ADVERSARY IS ENGAGED 
IN AN ABUSE OF PROCESS.

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

SECTION 1. Section 27-13-30 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
27-13-30. (A) For the purposes of this section:

 (1) "Alien" means a person who is not a 
citizen of the United States.

 (2) "Corporation controlled by a 
foreign adversary" means a legal entity engaged in commerce that:

 (a) is wholly owned by a foreign 
adversary;

 (b) has a foreign adversary as a 
dominant shareholder, directly or indirectly;

 (c) is wholly owned by a citizen of a 
foreign adversary; or

 (d) has one or a number of citizens of 
a foreign adversary whose cumulative ownership is as a dominant shareholder.

 (3) "Foreign adversary" means any 
foreign government or nongovernment person determined by the United States 
Secretary of Commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious 
instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the 
United States or the security and safety of United States citizens.

 (4) "Dominant shareholder" means the 
single owner of ten percent or more of a legal entity engaged in commerce's 
stock, securities, or other indicia of ownership; or multiple owners of twenty 
percent or more of a legal entity engaged in commerce's stock, securities, or 
other indicia of ownership.

 (5) "Interest" means any estate, 
remainder, or reversion, or portion of the estate, remainder, or reversion, or 
an option pursuant to which one party has a right to acquire, receive, access, 
enjoy, or control legal or equitable title to real property.

 (B) Subject to the provisions contained 
in subsection (C), noNo alien or corporation 
controlled by aliens, either in his or its own right or as trustee, cestui que 
trust or agent, shall own or control within the limits of this State more than 
five hundred thousand acres of land. Nothing in this section 
subsection shall apply to lands owned or 
controlled by any such person or corporation nor to lands mortgaged to such a 
person or corporation on March 9, 1896, nor shall this section apply to lands 
conveyed by an alien to a corporation controlled by such alien.

 (C) A citizen of a foreign adversary or 
a corporation controlled by a foreign adversary may not acquire any interest in 
real property within the limits of this State. The provisions of this 
subsection do not apply to businesses and industries operating within the 
limits of the State on December 31, 2022, if the land or real property is 
acquired for expansion purposes and the expansion is approved by the Secretary 
of Commerce and the Governor. The provisions of this subsection also do not 
apply to businesses that on or before March 23, 2025, have received commitments 
or proposals from the Department of Commerce related to discretionary state 
incentives, and such businesses shall be eligible to acquire land or real 
property to establish operations or later expand in the State with the approval 
of the Secretary of Commerce and the Governor.

 (D) The provisions of subsection (C) do 
not apply to a citizen of a foreign adversary who:

 (1) also is a citizen of the United 
States; or

 (2) resides in the United States; and

 (a) has been granted lawful permanent 
resident status by the United States government; and

 (b) acquires no more than five acres 
for residential use.

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 35, Title 15 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
15-35-190. (A) For the purposes of 
this section:

 (1) 
"Party controlled by a foreign adversary" means a legal entity engaged in 
litigation that:

 (a) 
is wholly owned by a foreign adversary;

 (b) 
is wholly owned by a citizen of a foreign adversary;

 (c) 
is subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary;

 (d) 
has a foreign adversary as a dominant shareholder, directly or indirectly; or

 (e) 
has one or a number of ci