H 3447  General Bill, By Lucas, McGarry, Robinson, Burns, Long, Forrest, Caskey, 
G.M.Smith and West
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 14-3-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE SUPREME COURT, SO AS TO INCREASE THE
 COMPOSITION OF THE COURT FROM FIVE TO SEVEN UPON RATIFICATION OF A
 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO DO THE SAME.

   12/16/20  House  Prefiled
   12/16/20  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/12/21  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 195)
   01/12/21  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 195)
   01/13/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Caskey,
                     G.M.Smith, West

TO AMEND SECTION 14-3-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE SUPREME COURT, SO AS TO INCREASE THE COMPOSITION OF THE COURT FROM FIVE TO SEVEN UPON RATIFICATION OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO DO THE SAME.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 14-3-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 14-3-10.    The Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and four six associate justices, who shall be elected by a joint viva voce vote of the General Assembly for a term of ten years and shall continue in office until their successors are elected and qualified. They shall be so classified that one of them shall go out of office every two years. The successors of the Chief Justice and associate justices shall each be elected at the session of the General Assembly next preceding the expiration of their respective terms. The time for the commencement of their terms of office shall be the first day of August after their election."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon ratification of an amendment to Section 2, Article V of the Constitution of this State increasing the members of the Supreme Court from five to seven.