South Carolina H 4674: Accommodations and hospitality tax expenditures

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4674 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4674

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 ADDING CHAPTER 
7 TO TITLE 55 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF ABANDONED OR DERELICT 
AIRCRAFT BY AIRPORT MANAGERS.

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

SECTION 1. Title 55 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

CHAPTER 7

Disposal of Abandoned and Derelict Aircraft

 Section 
55-7-10. This chapter shall not apply to unmanned 
aircraft, ultralight aircraft, or restoration of an aircraft where progress is 
being made toward restoration, or an experimental aircraft in which progress is 
being made toward building or restoration. Notwithstanding another provision of 
law to the contrary, as used in this chapter:

 (1) 
"Abandoned aircraft" means an aircraft located or stored on the premises of an 
airport in a wrecked, or partially dismantled condition for at least one 
hundred twenty days, and for which the owner or operator of the aircraft has 
not made during this period any required tie down, hangaring, or rent payments 
for the use of the premises. The term shall not include an aircraft being 
repaired by a person providing services pursuant to Section 29-15-100, or 
pursuant to a plan specified in Section 55-7-30.

 (2) 
"Aircraft" means any contrivance used or designated for navigation of or flight 
in the air. The term shall not include unmanned aircraft or ultralight 
aircraft.

 (3) 
"Derelict aircraft" means any aircraft that is located or stored on the 
premises of an airport for at least one hundred eighty days and, throughout 
this period the owner or operator has not maintained responsibility for the 
storage, upkeep, or maintenance of the aircraft.

 (4) 
"Person" means a natural person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, 
limited liability company, or a political subdivision.

 Section 
55-7-20. If an airport manager of a publicly owned or public-use airport 
determines an abandoned aircraft or a derelict aircraft is located on the 
premises of the airport, he or his designee may dispose of the aircraft in a 
manner provided in this chapter.

 Section 
55-7-30. (A) If an airport manager 
determines an abandoned aircraft or derelict aircraft is located on the 
premises of the airport and seeks to dispose of the aircraft, the airport 
manager or his designee must:

 (1) 
contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the name and 
address of the last registered owners and lienholders of the aircraft, and any 
other person that has a legal or equitable interest in the aircraft; and

 (2) 
serve the aircraft owner, lienholders, and any other person having a legal or 
equitable interest in the aircraft a written notice to the most recent address 
of the owner that is provided by the FAA. The notice shall state the aircraft 
has been determined to be abandoned or derelict and is subject to:

 (a) 
disposal and removal from the premises of the airport; and

 (b) 
the recovery, by the owner or operator of the airport, of any accrued and 
unpaid fees or charges incurred with respect to the aircraft while located on 
the premises of the airport.

 (B) The 
notice must include:

 (1) 
a description of the aircraft by FAA N-Number, manufacturer name, model 
designation, and serial number;

 (2) 
the facts supporting the determination that the aircraft is abandoned or 
derelict and is subject to disposal and removal from the premises of the 
airport;

 (3) 
the amount of accrued and unpaid fees or charges incurred with respect to the 
aircraft while located on the premises of the airport for which a lien is being 
asserted;

 (4) 
a statement that the owner may rebut the determination that the aircraft is 
abandoned or derelict if the owner produces reasonable documentation from a 
certified aviation professional such as an airframe and powerplant mechanic, 
repairman, repair station, or similarly licensed aviation maintenance 
professional to develop and submit a reasonable plan to actively repair the 
aircraft to both an airworthy and properly registered condition. The plan must 
be submitted to the airport manager within thirty days from receiving notice;

 (5) 
a statement that upon receipt of the notice, if a reasonable plan is not 
submitted within thirty days, the aircraft owner, lienholder, and any other 
person having a legal or equitable interest in the aircraft has an additional 
thirty days to:

 (a) 
remove the aircraft from the premises of the airport; and

 (b) 
pay any accrued and unpaid fees or charges identified under this section;

 (6) 
a statement that after thirty days, the airport's owner or operator may:

 (a) 
assert a lien for any accrued and unpaid fees