South Carolina S 367: Abandoned Vessels, Derelict Vessels, and Sunken Vessels

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 367 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 29, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 367

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Committee Report

April 29, 2025

S. 367

Introduced 
by Senator Campsen 

S. Printed 4/29/25--H.

Read the first time April 3, 2025

________

The committee on House 
Agriculture, Natural Res. and Environmental Affairs

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 367) to 
amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 50-21-200 so as to 
provide that abandoned vessels, derelict vessels, and sunken vessels are 
declared to, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully 
considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

WILLIAM HIXON for 
Committee.

_______

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING 
SECTION 50-21-200 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ABANDONED VESSELS, DERELICT VESSELS, 
AND SUNKEN VESSELS ARE DECLARED TO BE PUBLIC NUISANCES; BY ADDING SECTION 
50-21-210 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS RELATED TO ABANDONED AND DERELICT VESSELS; BY 
ADDING SECTION 50-21-220 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE PENALTIES FOR A PERSON THAT 
CAUSES OR ALLOWS A VESSEL TO BECOME AN ABANDONED VESSEL OR A DERELICT VESSEL 
AND THE PENALTIES FOR INTENTIONALLY OR RECKLESSLY CAUSING A VESSEL TO SINK; BY 
ADDING SECTION 50-21-230 SO AS TO EXTEND THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF CERTAIN 
MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENFORCING THE ARTICLE; BY ADDING SECTION 
50-21-240 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE PROCEDURE FOR DECLARING CERTAIN VESSELS 
ABANDONED OR DERELICT; BY ADDING SECTION 50-21-250 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECEIPT 
OF BONA FIDE PLANS OF REMOVAL FOR CERTAIN VESSELS; BY ADDING SECTION 50-21-260 
SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO REMOVES AND DISPOSES OF AN ABANDONED VESSEL 
OR A DERELICT VESSEL MAY COMMENCE A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST A RESPONSIBLE PARTY; 
BY ADDING SECTION 50-21-270 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE PROCEDURE FOR THE REMOVAL OF 
VESSELS THAT HAVE SUNK; BY ADDING SECTION 50-21-280 SO AS TO ALLOW FOR THE 
IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN VESSELS DETERMINED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT 
NAVIGATIONAL HAZARD OR A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD; BY ADDING SECTION 
50-21-290 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A WEBSITE AND 
APPLICATION FOR THE REPORTING OF CERTAIN VESSELS; BY REPEALING SECTION 
50-21-190 RELATING TO ABANDONED WATERCRAFT; BY REPEALING SECTION 50-23-205 RELATING 
TO THE SEIZURE OF CERTAIN WATERCRAFT; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 50-21-10(1) 
RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF ABANDON.

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

SECTION 
1. Chapter 21, Title 50 of the S.C. Code is amended 
by adding:

Article 2

Abandoned Vessels, Derelict Vessels, and Sunken Vessels

 Section 
50-21-200. Abandoned vessels, derelict vessels, and sunken vessels are declared 
to be public nuisances that must be abated as provided in this article.

 Section 
50-21-210. (A) For the purposes of 
this article:

 (1) 
"Abandoned vessel" means a vessel that:

 (a) is wrecked or junked;

 (b) does not have a visible 
identifier; and

 (c) remains on the waters of the 
State, or on public property adjacent thereto, for at least ten consecutive 
days from the day an abandoned vessel notice is posted on the vessel.

 (2) 
"Derelict vessel" means a vessel that:

 (a) is wrecked or junked;

 (b) has a visible identifier; and

 (c) remains on the waters of the 
State, or on public property adjacent thereto, for at least twenty-one 
consecutive days from the day a derelict vessel notice is posted on the vessel.

 (3) 
"Junked" means substantially stripped of vessel components, or spaces on the 
vessel that are designed to be enclosed are open to the elements.

 (4) 
"Registered owner" means a person listed as the owner on a state's vessel 
registration records or on a United States Coast Guard certificate of 
documentation.

 (5) 
"Responsible party" means a person who has the rights to the possession and use 
of a vessel.

 (6) 
"Visible identifier" means:

 (a) a hull identification number;

 (b) a vessel registration number of 
this State or another state; or

 (c) a vessel name and home port.

 (7) 
"Wrecked" means listing due to water intake or hull damage, or aground and 
cannot be extracted without mechanical assistance.

 Section 
50-21-220. (A) It is unlawful for a 
person to cause or allow a vessel to become an abandoned vessel or a derelict 
vessel. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, 
upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, imprisoned 
for not more than sixty days, or both. In addition, the person is liable for 
all costs arising from the removal and disposal of the vessel from the waters 
of the State, or public property adjacent thereto.

 (B) 
It is unlawful for a person to intentionally or recklessly cause a vessel to 
sink on the waters