A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 27-30-350 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION MUST BE OPEN; BY ADDING SECTION 27-30-360 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION MAY NOT PROHIBIT A PROPERTY OWNER FROM DISPLAYING CERTAIN POLITICAL SIGNS; BY ADDING SECTION 27-30-370 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION MAY NOT IMPLEMENT FINES FOR AN EXPIRED TAG ON PARKED VEHICLES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 27-1-60, RELATING TO THE RIGHTS OF HOMEOWNERS AND TENANTS TO FLY THE UNITED STATES FLAG, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT HOMEOWNERS AND TENANTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO FLY THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE FLAG.
H4006 would add several new protections and transparency requirements for homeowners associations (HOAs) in South Carolina. It requires HOA board meetings, including committee meetings where association business is discussed, to be open to members of record, with notice, minutes, access to agenda materials, the ability for members to record meetings, limited use of executive sessions, and a member-comment period at meetings. The bill also bars HOAs from restricting certain political signs during a defined election window, while still allowing reasonable limits on size, mounting, number of signs, and safety-related restrictions.
The bill further prohibits HOAs from fining owners for expired tags on parked vehicles, boats, trailers, or recreational vehicles. In addition, it amends the state flag statute to expressly protect the right of homeowners and tenants to display one portable, removable South Carolina state flag, alongside the existing protection for the U.S. flag, subject to respectful display requirements and other existing legal standards.
The bill would amend Title 27 of the South Carolina Code by creating new HOA governance rules in Chapter 30 and expanding the flag-display rights statute in Section 27-1-60. It would directly limit HOA authority over meeting procedures, political signage, and certain vehicle-related fines, while also clarifying that homeowners and tenants may display the South Carolina state flag notwithstanding restrictive covenants, leases, or HOA documents. The practical effect would be to reduce HOA discretion and increase member access, transparency, and expressive rights for property owners and tenants.
Based on the bill text alone and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes, the measure appears to reflect a pro-property-owner and pro-transparency policy approach toward HOAs. The bill’s structure suggests support for homeowner rights, political expression, and public access to association decision-making. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is provided in the materials, so the broader legislative sentiment cannot be measured from the available context.
The likely points of contention are the bill’s restrictions on HOA autonomy and enforcement powers. HOA boards and supporters of private covenant enforcement may object to mandatory open meetings, limits on executive-session use, member recording rights, and the prohibition on fines for expired tags. Another possible area of dispute is the political-sign provision, which balances homeowner speech rights against HOA aesthetic and safety rules, and could raise concerns about enforcement standards, neighborhood appearance, and the scope of permitted restrictions. The flag provision is less controversial in substance but still overrides private covenants and lease terms, which may be viewed as a further intrusion into HOA and landlord rulemaking.