Bill
H 3951
South Carolina bill adds a property tax exemption cap after an assessable transfer of interest, limiting the exemption value to 110% of the current tax value for certain properties
Note up front: the materials supplied for H 3951 contain two different and apparently conflicting texts from two jurisdictions. One text is a Massachusetts measure (filed by Rep. Mike Connolly) amending rules around a municipal “demonstration project” (225 CMR 24.03 and section 84 of chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022). The other is a South Carolina statutory amendment titled the “Tenant Protection Act of 2025” that creates a property‑tax exemption after an assessable transfer of interest. Below is a clear, separate summary of each text, followed by procedural/timeline notes and a recommended next step (verification).
Purpose and intent
- Clarifies and overrides certain provisions of 225 CMR 24.03 and section 84 of chapter 179 (2022) to resolve contradictory terms affecting municipal participation in a state “demonstration project” related to municipal fossil‑fuel‑free building construction and renovation.
Key provisions
- Municipalities that previously withdrew their local approval (as defined in subsection (a) of section 84 of chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022) for participation in the demonstration project shall not be considered “prioritized communities” for purposes of the demonstration project.
- The Department of Energy Resources (DOER), notwithstanding subsection (c) of section 84, must admit to the demonstration project any municipality that:
- Received local approval, and
- Submitted a home‑rule petition to the General Court on the subject of section 84
- provided the petition was submitted prior to DOER’s initial promulgation of regulations under subsection (f) of section 84, and the municipality requests admission by its chief executive officer.
Who is affected
- Municipalities in Massachusetts that previously approved or withdrew approval for the referenced demonstration project.
- The Department of Energy Resources (DOER).
- Potentially prioritized community designations and municipal participation in state demonstration projects regarding fossil‑fuel‑free municipal construction/renovation.
Procedural note (from text)
- This appears drafted as a corrective/clarifying amendment to state administrative/regulatory implementation of the 2022 statute.
Purpose and intent
- Adds Section 12‑37‑3137 to South Carolina Code to limit how much assessed/property‑taxable value can increase following an assessable transfer of interest (ATI) for certain properties that will be taxed at a specified low assessment ratio (6% per Section 12‑43‑220(e) implied in the text).
Key provisions
- When a parcel that is subject to the assessment ratio in Section 12‑43‑220(c) or (e) and that is currently taxed undergoes an assessable transfer of interest after 2024, an exemption is allowed so that the exemption value does not exceed 110% of the property tax value. Calculation of property tax value is based on exemption value; the exemption applies when the ATI fair market value first applies.
- “Exemption value,” “property tax value,” and “ATI fair market value” are defined as in Section 12‑37‑3135.
- A taxpayer may elect this new exemption instead of the exemption under Section 12‑37‑3135. To elect it, the owner (or agent) must notify the county assessor before January 31 for the tax year the owner first claims the exemption. No subsequent notification is required so long as the property remains subject to the applicable assessment ratio.
- Effective upon governor’s approval and first applies to property tax years beginning after 2024.
Who is affected
- Property owners and buyers in South Carolina whose parcels will be taxed under the specified assessment ratios (including those eligible for the 6% assessment ratio referenced).
- County assessors and local tax administrators.
- Tenants are not directly granted protections in the text; the title “Tenant Protection Act” suggests an intended policy link (e.g., limiting tax‑driven rent increases), but the statutory change is strictly a property‑tax exemption mechanism.
Note: These procedural entries are inconsistent with the two different substantive texts and reflect multiple actions/committees. That inconsistency reinforces the need to verify the official bill version.
The packet for H 3951 appears to conflate two different measures from different jurisdictions. If you need an authoritative summary for legislative tracking, please confirm which jurisdiction and which bill text you want summarized (Massachusetts H‑3951 as filed by Rep. Connolly regarding 225 CMR 24.03, or the South Carolina “Tenant Protection Act of 2025” adding Section 12‑37‑3137). I can then produce a finalized, citation‑checked summary tailored to that single, verified text.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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