The South Carolina Senate has approved a new tax on boat owners to establish a “Waterways Protection Fund” that would support the cleanup and maintenance of the state’s waterways. If passed by the S.C. House of Representatives and signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster, boat owners would be assessed an additional $3 on their annual tax bill for this fund. The fund would be administered by the S.C. treasurer and kept separate from the state’s general fund. The legislation, S. 167, specifies that the funds can only be used by the state Department of Natural Resources for activities such as removing debris and abandoned vessels, as well as marking hazards that could endanger boaters.
The bill proposes distributing funds based on the number of tax-paying boat owners in each of the state’s four game-zones, with an expansion of zone one to include Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. The legislation would raise taxes on boat owners by approximately $700,000 annually, according to a report from the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office. The bill received bipartisan support in the Senate, with most Republicans and Democrats voting in favor.
The debate over the new waterways protection tax coincides with discussions on a separate bill to reduce property taxes on boats. Stay tuned for updates on both bills from FITSNews. Dylan Nolan, the director of special projects at FITSNews, will be covering the latest developments related to these legislative initiatives.
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