Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 8 in its entirety and inserting:
/ SECTION 8. Chapter 3, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 7-3-70. Effective November 1, 2012, the Office of Precinct Demographics is established as a division of the State Election Commission. The chairman of the commission and the executive director of the Budget and Control Board shall determine the employees, authorized appropriations, and assets and liabilities to be transferred to the Office of Precinct Demographics. The Office Precinct Demographics shall:
(1) review existing precinct boundaries and maps for accuracy and develop and rewrite descriptions of precincts for submission to the legislative process;
(2) consult with members of the General Assembly or their designees on matters related to precinct construction or discrepancies that may exist or occur in precinct boundary development in the counties they represent;
(3) develop a system for originating and maintaining precinct maps and related data for the State;
(4) represent the General Assembly at public meetings, meetings with members of the General Assembly, and meetings with other state, county, or local governmental entities on matters related to precincts;
(5) assist the appropriate county officials in the drawing of maps and writing of descriptions or precincts preliminary to these maps and descriptions being filed in this office for submission to the United States Department of Justice;
(6) coordinate with the Census Bureau in the use of precinct boundaries in constructing census boundaries and the identification of effective uses of precinct and census information for planning purposes; and
(7) serve as a focal point for verifying official precinct information for the counties of South Carolina." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.