South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 166

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Shoopman
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ggs\22681zw11.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 11, 2011
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Employees giving testimony to General Assembly committees

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/1/2010  Senate  Prefiled
   12/1/2010  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   1/11/2011  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 80)
   1/11/2011  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 80)
    1/9/2012  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Campsen (ch), Cleary, Scott

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/1/2010

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 8-27-35 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN EMPLOYEE WHO GIVES TESTIMONY TO A STANDING COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF A STANDING COMMITTEE, STUDY COMMITTEE, OR JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS ENTITLED TO THE EMPLOYMENT PROTECTIONS OF CHAPTER 27, TITLE 8; AND TO AMEND SECTION 8-27-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DISMISSAL, SUSPENSION, DEMOTION, OR DECREASE IN COMPENSATION OF AN EMPLOYEE OF A PUBLIC BODY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PUBLIC BODY MAY TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE FOR CAUSES INDEPENDENT OF PROVIDING TESTIMONY AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 8-27-35.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 27, Title 8 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 8-27-35.    An employee who gives testimony in good faith alleging waste or wrongdoing to a standing committee, subcommittee of a standing committee, study committee, or a joint committee of the General Assembly is given the protections of this chapter. These protections are not extended to an employee who makes unfounded allegations or gives testimony not made in good faith."

SECTION    2.    Section 8-27-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 164 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 8-27-40.    Notwithstanding the filing of a report pursuant to this chapter, a public body may dismiss, suspend, demote, or decrease the compensation of an employee for causes independent of either the filing of a protected report as described in Section 8-27-20 or for giving testimony as described in Section 8-27-35."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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