South Carolina General Assembly
125th Session, 2023-2024

Bill 3118


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 Section 27-1-80 so as to PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN COMPANIES OWNED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY MAY NOT OWN, LEASE, POSSESS, OR EXERCISE ANY CONTROL OVER ANY LAND OR REAL ESTATE LOCATED WITHIN FIFTY MILES OF A STATE OR FEDERAL MILITARY BASE OR INSTALLATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF INSTALLING OR ERECTING CERTAIN TOWERS.

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

SECTION 1.Chapter 1, Title 27 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Section 27-1-80.(A)Any company or development owned or controlled by a company that is owned, in whole or in part, by, or is a subsidiary of, a company that is owned by the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party or whose principal place of business is located within the People's Republic of China may not own, lease, possess, or exercise any control over any land or real estate located within fifty miles of a state or federal military base or installation for the purpose of installing or erecting any type of telecommunications or broadcasting tower. Any telecommunications or broadcasting equipment in place before January 1, 2023, must be replaced with equipment made in the United States and installed by a company located in the United States. All telecommunications and broadcasting equipment may be inspected at anytime without notice for monitoring, jamming, or interception equipment which must be removed if found.

(B)For purposes of this section:

(1)"Chinese Communist Party" includes all agencies, institutions, and instrumentalities of the Chinese Communist Party.

(2)"Company" or "development" means a sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, trust, venture, group, subgroup, or any other entity or organization, its subsidiary or affiliate that exists for profit making purposes or to otherwise secure economic advantage.

(3)"Military base" includes, but is not limited to, Fort Jackson, Shaw Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Joint Base Charleston, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, and the United States Coast Guard Stations at Charleston and Georgetown. The term also shall include any base, camp, post, facility, station, yard, range, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the United States Secretary of Defense, the secretary of a military department, or the Governor or Adjutant General of South Carolina.

(4)"People's Republic of China" includes all agencies, institutions, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions of the People's Republic of China.

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

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This web page was last updated on December 09, 2022 at 02:48 PM