Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.3363 Ratification Number:428 Act Number:393 Introducing Body:House Subject:Relating to the prohibition against certain public officials contracting with school districts or acquiring a pecuniary interest in school district matters
(A393, R428, H3363)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-69-260, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST CERTAIN PUBLIC OFFICIALS CONTRACTING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ACQUIRING A PECUNIARY INTEREST IN SCHOOL DISTRICT MATTERS, SO AS TO DELETE PROVISIONS PROHIBITING A SCHOOL TRUSTEE FROM CONTRACTING WITH OR BEING PECUNIARILY INTERESTED IN ANY CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WHICH HE IS TRUSTEE AND TO AUTHORIZE A COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER, A SCHOOL TRUSTEE, OR A BUSINESS WITH WHICH HE IS ASSOCIATED TO PROVIDE SERVICES OR SELL PRODUCTS TO THE DISTRICT OF WHICH HE IS A BOARD MEMBER OR TRUSTEE SO LONG AS THESE TRANSACTIONS ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE ETHICAL PROVISIONS OF LAW.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Penalty
SECTION 1. Section 59-69-260 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-69-260. It is unlawful for any county treasurer, county auditor, member of a county board of education, or school trustee to buy, discount, or share, directly or indirectly, or be in any way interested in any teacher's pay certificate or other order on a school fund, except those as are payable to him for his own services. If any of the above officers violate the provisions of this section, he is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars to be used for school purposes in his county or must be imprisoned not less than three months nor more than twelve months, or both. He shall also forfeit the amount of the claim or of his interest in the claim.
The provisions of this section do not prohibit a county board of education member, a school trustee, or a business with which he is associated from providing services or selling products to the district of which he is a board member or trustee as long as all these transactions are in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 13 of Title 8."
Time effective
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.