South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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Bill 4487


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Indicates New Matter


(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 2-1-190 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTION TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IF THAT PERSON HAS SERVED CONSECUTIVELY IN THE PRECEDING SIX TERMS IN THE SAME BODY, TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTION TO THE SENATE IF THAT PERSON HAS SERVED CONSECUTIVELY IN THE PRECEDING THREE TERMS IN THE SAME BODY, AND TO PROVIDE THAT A TERM SERVED FOR WHICH THE ELECTION WAS HELD BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2016, MAY NOT BE COUNTED AS A TERM SERVED; AND BY ADDING SECTION 2-1-200 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MUST BE PAID A SALARY EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE SALARY PAID TO PERMANENT STATE EMPLOYEES.

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

SECTION    1.    A.    Chapter 1, Title 2 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 2-1-190.    (A)    For purposes of this section, 'service in office for more than one half of a term' is considered service for a term.

(B)    A person is not eligible for election to the House of Representatives if that person has served consecutively in the six terms immediately preceding the election in the same body, regardless of the district represented.

(C)    A person is not eligible for election to the Senate if that person has served consecutively in the three terms immediately preceding the election in the same body, regardless of the district represented.

(D)    For purposes of the number of terms served in the General Assembly, a term served for which the election was held before January 1, 2016, may not be counted as a term served."

B.    This SECTION takes effect upon ratification of an amendment to Section 7, Article III of the Constitution of this State authorizing the General Assembly to provide term limitations for its members by statute.

SECTION    2.    Chapter 1, Title 2 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 2-1-200.    (A)    Beginning with the first session of the General Assembly convening after January 1, 2017, each member of the General Assembly must be paid an annual salary equal to the average salary paid to permanent state employees, in full-time equivalent positions, as determined by the Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources, based on salaries on December 31, 2016. The salary must be paid to each member of the General Assembly for each year of the session so long as the member is otherwise eligible to receive a salary. The Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources, must recalculate the salary every two years thereafter before the first session of the incoming General Assembly, mutatis mutandis, and the recalculated salary applies for the applicable session.

(B)    State constitutional limitations on salary increases continue to apply. For purposes of this section, 'salary' means the base compensation for duties performed and includes any per diem or compensation paid pursuant to Article III of the Constitution of this State, but does not include any mileage, travel allowances, or in-district expense allowances."

SECTION    3.    Except where provided otherwise, this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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