By Tim Smith – Greenville News, SC

COLUMBIA — The Senate today gave key approval to a bill that would give tax credits to those installing fire sprinkler systems.

Senators voted to give the bill final approval, and it now will go to the House for concurrence. Lawmakers are expected to adjourn for the year today.

The bill would give property owners a property tax credit equal to 25 percent of the cost of the sprinkler system and an additional 25 percent in state tax credits, if the law does not require the sprinklers to be installed.

The local government would have to agree to offer local tax credits before a property owner could also claim a state tax credit. The bill also requires that utilities charge actual costs for fees related to connecting the sprinkler systems.

Senators amended the bill Thursday with wording to try and protect small and rural water companies from having to build special water lines if they don’t currently have the capacity to provide lines for fire sprinkler service.

They also added a provision to allow churches to display live Christmas trees indoors.

The legislation was proposed following a series of fire tragedies involving South Carolinians, including a Greenville hotel fire that killed six, a Charleston furniture store fire that left nine firefighters dead and a beach house blaze last October that killed seven college students.

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