South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

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Bill 889

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


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

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 9, TITLE 6, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO BUILDING AND FIRE CODES, SO AS TO ADD SECTION 6-9-67 TO PROVIDE THAT NATURAL CUT TREES SHALL NOT BE PROHIBITED FROM BEING ALLOWED IN PLACES OF WORSHIP.

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

SECTION    1.    Chapter 9, Title 6 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 6-9-67.    (A)    For purposes of this section, 'places of worship' mean new or existing buildings that are included within the Group A occupancies as contained in either the International Fire Code or the most recently adopted nationally recognized fire code.

(B)    Neither the Fire Marshal nor a governing body of a county or municipality shall enforce that portion of either the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code that prohibits natural cut trees from being located in places of worship which do not fall within the exceptions provided for structures that have approved automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code.

(C)    This section does not affect the authority of the Fire Marshal or a governing body of a county or a municipality to enforce the other provisions of the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code that pertain to decorative vegetation in new and existing buildings."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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