S*1011(Rat #0306, Act #0251 of 2008)  General Bill, By Jackson, Leatherman, 
Patterson, Ford, Hutto, Short, Fair, Matthews, Elliott, Setzler, Lourie, 
Campbell, Williams, Reese, Hayes and Anderson
 AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 20-7-25 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE JOINT CITIZENS AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON
 CHILDREN, TO PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP, POWERS, AND DUTIES, TO DIRECT THE
 COMMITTEE TO STUDY ISSUES RELATING TO CHILDREN AS IT MAY UNDERTAKE OR AS
 DIRECTED OR REQUESTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO REQUIRE THE COMMITTEE TO
 REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO PROVIDE THAT THE
 CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF LAW SHALL
 PROVIDE STAFFING FOR THE COMMITTEE, TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING MAY BE PROVIDED IN
 THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND FROM OTHER SOURCES, AND TO TERMINATE
 THE COMMITTEE DECEMBER 31, 2015, UNLESS REAUTHORIZED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
 - ratified title

   01/17/08  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   01/17/08  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-7
   01/29/08  Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Ritchie (ch), Rankin,
                     Lourie, Scott, Ceips
   03/26/08  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary SJ-13
   03/27/08  Senate Committee Amendment Adopted SJ-29
   03/27/08  Senate Read second time SJ-29
   04/01/08  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-8
   04/01/08  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-13
   04/01/08  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-13
   05/21/08  House  Committee report: Favorable Judiciary HJ-208
   05/28/08  House  Read second time HJ-26
   05/29/08  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-16
   05/29/08         Ratified R 306
   06/04/08         Signed By Governor
   06/10/08         Copies available
   06/10/08         Effective date 06/04/08
   06/13/08         Act No. 251

(A251, R306, S1011)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 20-7-25 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE JOINT CITIZENS AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, TO PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP, POWERS, AND DUTIES, TO DIRECT THE COMMITTEE TO STUDY ISSUES RELATING TO CHILDREN AS IT MAY UNDERTAKE OR AS DIRECTED OR REQUESTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO REQUIRE THE COMMITTEE TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO PROVIDE THAT THE CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF LAW SHALL PROVIDE STAFFING FOR THE COMMITTEE, TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING MAY BE PROVIDED IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND FROM OTHER SOURCES, AND TO TERMINATE THE COMMITTEE DECEMBER 31, 2015, UNLESS REAUTHORIZED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

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

Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children established

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 7, Title 20 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 20-7-25.    (A)    There is established the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children to be composed of three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore, and three members to be appointed by the Governor. The director of the Department of Juvenile Justice, the director of the Department of Social Services, the director of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, the superintendent of the Department of Education, and the director of the Department of Mental Health shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the committee. Members appointed by the Governor must not be employees of the State of South Carolina. Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The committee shall study issues relating to children as the committee may undertake or as may be requested or directed by the General Assembly. The committee may contract for all necessary legal research and support services, subject to funding as provided in subsection (E).

(B)    The committee shall become operative on July 1, 2008. The committee must submit an annual written report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House no later than the first of February, commencing in 2009. The report must detail the work of the committee, account for the committee's expenditures, and provide any findings and recommendations the committee develops relating to children's issues it has studied.

(C)    The staffing for the committee must be provided by the Children's Law Center of the University of South Carolina School of Law, subject to funding as provided in subsection (E).

(D)    The committee members are eligible for per diem and mileage as provided by law for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

(E)    The committee shall receive funding as may be provided in the annual general appropriations act or from any other source.

(F)    The committee shall terminate and shall cease to exist effective December 31, 2015, unless the General Assembly reauthorizes its continued existence beyond that date by legislation."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 29th day of May, 2008.

Approved the 4th day of June, 2008.