---
type: "Bill"
title: "Watercraft Laws"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-21-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO WATERCRAFT LAWS AND ORDINANCES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO WATERCRAFT OR WATER DEVICES USED OR HELD FOR USE ON THE WATERS OF THIS STATE AND TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 3865"
citation: "South Carolina H 3865 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Anderson", "Bennett", "Bradley", "Bustos", "Cogswell", "Erickson", "Hewitt", "Stavrinakis", "Wetmore"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 22
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-02-10"
last_action: "2021-06-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f7060ac4-54c1-45a6-b513-9d8485be139e"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3865&session=124&summary=B"
source_hash: "5a33d62caaac2514900a18dd2103314561b73521bcb828c1025705ab4c4b2310"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 3865 (2021-2022) — Watercraft Laws

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-21-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO WATERCRAFT LAWS AND ORDINANCES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO WATERCRAFT OR WATER DEVICES USED OR HELD FOR USE ON THE WATERS OF THIS STATE AND TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/3865.htm)
2. **2/10/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210210.htm)
3. **3/11/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210311.htm)
4. **3/16/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210316.htm)
5. **5/5/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210505.htm)
6. **5/6/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210506.htm)
7. **5/6/2021-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210506a.htm)
8. **5/7/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/3865_20210507.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **107–4** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **109–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Anderson — primary (person)
- Bennett — primary (person)
- Bradley — primary (person)
- Bustos — primary (person)
- Cogswell — primary (person)
- Erickson — primary (person)
- Hewitt — primary (person)
- Stavrinakis — primary (person)
- Wetmore — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-02-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-10** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-03** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Erickson, Bradley
- **2021-03-11** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-16** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-03-16** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2021-03-16** Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-4
- **2021-03-17** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-03-17** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-03-17** Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-05** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Fish, Game and Forestry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-06** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-06** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-11** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-11** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0
- **2021-05-12** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-12** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2021-05-12** Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-0
- **2021-05-13** Ratified R 93
- **2021-05-17** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-01** Effective date 07/01/21
- **2021-06-01** Act No. 77

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f7060ac4-54c1-45a6-b513-9d8485be139e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).