---
type: "Bill"
title: "Bioenergy; Forest Products"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 48-23-185 SO AS TO DEFINE \"BIOMASS\" AND OTHER RELEVANT TERMS; TO REQUIRE THAT ENERGY PRODUCED FROM CERTAIN SOURCES BE CONSIDERED CARBON NEUTRAL AND FROM OTHER SOURCES CARBON NEGATIVE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "H 3967"
citation: "South Carolina H 3967 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bannister", "Brewer", "Duncan", "Forrest", "Haddon", "Herbkersman", "Hixon", "Ligon", "Sanders"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 18
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2025-02-12"
last_action: "2026-04-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/844f31e6-72e3-4e19-b812-89232f69d167"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3967&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "0f1e96b8269065bc646c8e2d0e25e94287ba5f084e9d40cacd1e81853c23c9ca"
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 3967 (2025-2026) — Bioenergy; Forest Products

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 48-23-185 SO AS TO DEFINE "BIOMASS" AND OTHER RELEVANT TERMS; TO REQUIRE THAT ENERGY PRODUCED FROM CERTAIN SOURCES BE CONSIDERED CARBON NEUTRAL AND FROM OTHER SOURCES CARBON NEGATIVE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. - 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/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3967.htm)
2. **02/12/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3967_20250212.htm)
3. **03/19/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3967_20260319.htm)
4. **04/29/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3967_20250429.htm)
5. **04/30/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3967_20250430.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **43–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **111–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bannister — primary (person)
- Brewer — primary (person)
- Duncan — primary (person)
- Forrest — primary (person)
- Haddon — primary (person)
- Herbkersman — primary (person)
- Hixon — primary (person)
- Ligon — primary (person)
- Sanders — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-02-12** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-02-12** Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-19** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Duncan, Sanders
- **2025-04-29** Committee report: Favorable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-30** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2025-04-30** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-04-30** Roll call Yeas-111 Nays-0
- **2025-05-01** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-05-01** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-05-01** Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-19** Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-25** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-25** Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0
- **2026-03-26** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-04-01** Ratified R 125
- **2026-04-06** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-23** Effective date 04/06/26
- **2026-04-23** Act No. 117

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/844f31e6-72e3-4e19-b812-89232f69d167`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).