H*4319(Rat #0261, Act #0262 of 2006)  General Bill, By Harrell, Clark, Bailey, 
Hinson, Altman, Vaughn, Battle, Cotty, Whipper, Taylor, Kirsh, Coates, Toole, 
Ballentine, Vick, Littlejohn, Sandifer, Mahaffey, Hardwick, Walker, R. Brown, 
Haley, McLeod, Ceips and Weeks

Similar(S 951, H 3910)
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 10-1-161, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF ON THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, SO
 AS TO PROVIDE WHEN FLAGS ATOP THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING MUST BE FLOWN AT
 HALF-STAFF, PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNOR MAY ORDER FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF WHEN
 AN ACT OF CONGRESS OR A PRESIDENTIAL ORDER IS ISSUED ORDERING FLAGS ON FEDERAL
 BUILDINGS BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF, AND PROVIDE HOW THE FLAGS MUST BE RAISED AND
 LOWERED WHEN FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF. - ratified title

   11/16/05  House  Prefiled
   11/16/05  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/10/06  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-29
   01/10/06  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-29
   01/11/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Walker
   01/12/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: R.Brown
   01/17/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Haley
   01/24/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McLeod
   01/31/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ceips
   02/01/06  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary HJ-8
   02/02/06  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Weeks
   02/02/06  House  Amended HJ-24
   02/02/06  House  Read second time HJ-26
   02/02/06  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-26
   02/03/06  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-2
   02/06/06         Scrivener's error corrected
   02/07/06  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-11
   02/07/06  Senate Referred to Committee on Finance SJ-11
   03/15/06  Senate Committee report: Favorable Finance SJ-19
   03/16/06  Senate Read second time SJ-11
   03/21/06  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-14
   03/23/06         Ratified R 261
   03/29/06         Signed By Governor
   03/31/06         Copies available
   03/31/06         Effective date 03/29/06
   05/09/06         Act No. 262

(A262, R261, H4319)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 10-1-161, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF ON THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, SO AS TO PROVIDE WHEN FLAGS ATOP THE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING MUST BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF, PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNOR MAY ORDER FLAGS FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF WHEN AN ACT OF CONGRESS OR A PRESIDENTIAL ORDER IS ISSUED ORDERING FLAGS ON FEDERAL BUILDINGS BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF, AND PROVIDE HOW THE FLAGS MUST BE RAISED AND LOWERED WHEN FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF.

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

Flags flown at half-staff, condition, manner

SECTION    1.    Section 10-1-161 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 207 of 2004, is further amended to read:

"Section 10-1-161.    (A)    On Memorial Day the flags, which are flown atop the State Capitol Building, must be displayed at half-staff until noon, then raised to the top of the staff.

(B)    To honor and pay tribute to the following public officials the flags which are flown atop the State Capitol Building must be lowered to half-staff on the day on which funeral services are conducted for these public officials:

(1)    current and past members of the United States Congress from the State of South Carolina;

(2)    current constitutional officers of the State of South Carolina;

(3)    former Governors and Lieutenant Governors of the State of South Carolina;

(4)    current members of the South Carolina General Assembly;

(5)    current members of the South Carolina Supreme Court; and

(6)    current and former Presidents of the United States.

(C)    As contained in this section, 'half-staff' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.

(D)    In addition to the public officials enumerated in subsection (B), flags atop the State Capitol Building must be lowered to half-staff on the day when funeral services are conducted for members of the United States military services who were residents of South Carolina and who lost their lives in the line of duty while in combat.

(E)    The flags atop the State Capitol Building must be flown at half-staff for a period of thirty days from the date of death of the President or a former President; for a period of ten days from the date of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice, or a retired Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, or the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; and from the date of death through the date of interment of an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, or a secretary of a federal executive or military department, or a former Vice President.

(F)    Upon the occurrence of an extraordinary event resulting in death or upon the death of a person of extraordinary stature, the Governor may order that the flags atop the State Capitol Building be lowered to half-staff at a designated time or for a designated period of time.

(G)    The Governor may order the flags atop the State Capitol Building to be lowered to half-staff for the same designated time when an act of the United States Congress or a presidential order is issued to lower flags to half-staff over federal buildings.

(H)    The flags atop the State Capitol Building, when flown at half-staff must first be hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flags must be again raised to the peak before they are lowered for the day."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 23rd day of March, 2006.

Approved the 29th day of March, 2006.