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A253, R270, H4877
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Delleney, Pitts, Lucas, Bannister and Whipper
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ms\7207ahb16.docx
Introduced in the House on February 10, 2016
Introduced in the Senate on March 17, 2016
Passed by the General Assembly on June 2, 2016
Governor's Action: June 7, 2016, Signed
Summary: Family court judges
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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2/10/2016 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 46)
2/10/2016 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
(House Journal-page 46)
3/10/2016 House Committee report: Favorable Judiciary
(House Journal-page 30)
3/15/2016 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Whipper
3/16/2016 House Read second time (House Journal-page 62)
3/16/2016 House Roll call Yeas-112 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 63)
3/17/2016 House Read third time and sent to Senate
(House Journal-page 18)
3/17/2016 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 15)
3/17/2016 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
(Senate Journal-page 15)
3/18/2016 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Campsen (ch), Malloy, Massey
4/20/2016 Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary
(Senate Journal-page 9)
5/11/2016 Senate Second Reading Failed (Senate Journal-page 53)
5/11/2016 Senate Roll call Ayes-6 Nays-35 (Senate Journal-page 53)
5/17/2016 Senate Reconsider vote whereby read second time
(Senate Journal-page 46)
5/26/2016 Senate Second Reading Failed (Senate Journal-page 22)
5/26/2016 Senate Roll call Ayes-15 Nays-24 (Senate Journal-page 22)
6/1/2016 Senate Reconsidered (Senate Journal-page 49)
6/1/2016 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 49)
6/1/2016 Senate Roll call Ayes-21 Nays-18 (Senate Journal-page 49)
6/2/2016 Senate Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 50)
6/2/2016 Ratified R 270
6/7/2016 Signed By Governor
6/14/2016 Effective date 06/07/16
6/14/2016 Act No. 253
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
(A253, R270, H4877)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-40, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT JUDGES ELECTED FROM EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, SO AS TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL FAMILY COURT JUDGES WHO SHALL BE AT LARGE AND MUST BE ELECTED WITHOUT REGARD TO THEIR COUNTY OR CIRCUIT OF RESIDENCE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Family Court judges, two additional at-large judgeships created
SECTION 1. Section 63-3-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 241 of 2012, is further amended to read:
"Section 63-3-40. (A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:
First Circuit Three Judges
Second Circuit Two Judges
Third Circuit Three Judges
Fourth Circuit Three Judges
Fifth Circuit Four Judges
Sixth Circuit Two Judges
Seventh Circuit Three Judges
Eighth Circuit Three Judges
Ninth Circuit Six Judges
Tenth Circuit Three Judges
Eleventh Circuit Three Judges
Twelfth Circuit Three Judges
Thirteenth Circuit Six Judges
Fourteenth Circuit Three Judges
Fifteenth Circuit Three Judges
Sixteenth Circuit Two Judges
(B) In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit: fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties, at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges.
(C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge.
(D) In addition to the judges authorized by this section, there must be eight additional family court judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 8, respectively."
Judicial Merit Selection Commission to begin screening
SECTION 2. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall begin the process of nominating candidates for the judicial offices authorized by the provisions of SECTION 1, and the General Assembly then shall elect these judges from the nominees of the commission.
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 2nd day of June, 2016.
Approved the 7th day of June, 2016.
This web page was last updated on June 28, 2016 at 5:07 PM