Bill > S0264

This bill amends South Carolina law to protect certain agricultural properties from involuntary municipal annexation by requiring the express written consent of the property owner. Specifically, the bill prevents municipalities from annexing real properties that have farm buildings or agricultural structures currently exempt from taxation (under Section 12-37-220(B)(14)), properties assessed under a specific agricultural assessment method (Section 12-43-220(d)), or any adjacent properties under the same ownership. The legislation ensures that farmers and agricultural landowners have complete control over whether their property becomes part of a municipality, protecting them from being annexed without their explicit permission. The bill adds provisions to both the tax code (Title 12) and municipal governance code (Title 5) to create consistent legal protection across different sections of South Carolina law. The new law will take effect immediately upon receiving the Governor's approval, providing immediate protection for agricultural property owners against unwanted municipal annexation.