S*0011(Rat #0099, Act #0070 of 2015)  General Bill, By L. Martin, Malloy, 
Peeler, Courson, Campsen, Johnson, Hembree, Setzler, Coleman, Alexander, Scott and 
Sheheen

Similar(H 3192)
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-80, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO PROVISIONS IN THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CONCERNING REQUIRED
 NOTICE FOR MEETINGS OF PUBLIC BODIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC BODIES SHALL
 POST AGENDAS FOR ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS AND SPECIAL MEETINGS, TO
 PROVIDE THE TIME AND MANNER FOR POSTING THESE AGENDAS AND NOTICES OF MEETINGS,
 TO SPECIFY CONTENTS REQUIRED FOR THESE MEETING NOTICES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE
 MANNER IN WHICH THESE AGENDAS SUBSEQUENTLY MAY BE AMENDED. - ratified title

   12/03/14  Senate Prefiled
   12/03/14  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/13/15  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 37)
   01/13/15  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (Senate Journal-page 37)
   01/20/15  Senate Referred to Subcommittee: L.Martin (ch), Rankin,
                     Hutto, Malloy, Campsen, Massey, Gregory
   01/28/15  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 26)
   01/29/15  Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 11)
   01/29/15  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 11)
   01/29/15  Senate Roll call Ayes-32  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 11)
   02/03/15  Senate Read third time and sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 18)
   02/04/15  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 14)
   02/04/15  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 14)
   04/22/15  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary (House Journal-page 7)
   04/28/15  House  Amended (House Journal-page 39)
   04/28/15  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 39)
   04/28/15  House  Roll call Yeas-100  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 41)
   04/29/15  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments (House Journal-page 31)
   04/30/15  Senate House amendment amended (Senate Journal-page 38)
   04/30/15  Senate Roll call Ayes-42  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 38)
   04/30/15  Senate Returned to House with amendments
                     (Senate Journal-page 38)
   05/01/15         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/06/15  House  Non-concurrence in Senate amendment
                     (House Journal-page 18)
   05/06/15  House  Roll call Yeas-0  Nays-113 (House Journal-page 19)
   05/12/15  Senate Senate insists upon amendment and conference
                     committee appointed Campsen, Gregory, Johnson
   05/12/15  House  Conference committee appointed Newton, Taylor,
                     Norrell (House Journal-page 38)
   06/02/15  Senate Free conference powers granted (Senate Journal-page 47)
   06/02/15  Senate Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 47)
   06/02/15  Senate Free conference committee appointed Campsen,
                     Gregory, Johnson (Senate Journal-page 47)
   06/02/15  Senate Free conference report adopted (Senate Journal-page 49)
   06/02/15  Senate Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 49)
   06/03/15  House  Free conference powers granted (House Journal-page 144)
   06/03/15  House  Roll call Yeas-100  Nays-1 (House Journal-page 144)
   06/03/15  House  Free conference committee appointed Newton,
                     Taylor, and Norrell (House Journal-page 145)
   06/03/15  House  Free conference report received and adopted
                     (House Journal-page 145)
   06/03/15  House  Roll call Yeas-103  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 147)
   06/03/15  House  Ordered enrolled for ratification
                     (House Journal-page 148)
   06/04/15         Ratified R 99
   06/08/15         Signed By Governor
   06/17/15         Effective date 06/08/15
   06/18/15         Act No. 70

(A70, R99, S11)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-80, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PROVISIONS IN THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT CONCERNING REQUIRED NOTICE FOR MEETINGS OF PUBLIC BODIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC BODIES SHALL POST AGENDAS FOR ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS AND SPECIAL MEETINGS, TO PROVIDE THE TIME AND MANNER FOR POSTING THESE AGENDAS AND NOTICES OF MEETINGS, TO SPECIFY CONTENTS REQUIRED FOR THESE MEETING NOTICES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THESE AGENDAS SUBSEQUENTLY MAY BE AMENDED.

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

Meeting notice and agenda requirements

SECTION    1.    Section 30-4-80 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 30-4-80.    (A)    All public bodies, except as provided in subsections (B) and (C) of this section, must give written public notice of their regular meetings at the beginning of each calendar year. The notice must include the dates, times, and places of such meetings. An agenda for regularly scheduled or special meetings must be posted on a bulletin board in a publicly accessible place at the office or meeting place of the public body and on a public website maintained by the body, if any, at least twenty-four hours prior to such meetings. All public bodies must post on such bulletin board or website, if any, public notice for any called, special, or rescheduled meetings. Such notice must include the agenda, date, time, and place of the meeting, and must be posted as early as is practicable but not later than twenty-four hours before the meeting. This requirement does not apply to emergency meetings of public bodies. Once an agenda for a regular, called, special, or rescheduled meeting is posted pursuant to this subsection, no items may be added to the agenda without an additional twenty-four hours notice to the public, which must be made in the same manner as the original posting. After the meeting begins, an item upon which action can be taken only may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting; however, if the item is one upon which final action can be taken at the meeting or if the item is one in which there has not been and will not be an opportunity for public comment with prior public notice given in accordance with this section, it only may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting and upon a finding by the body that an emergency or an exigent circumstance exists if the item is not added to the agenda. Nothing herein relieves a public body of any notice requirement with regard to any statutorily required public hearing.

(B)    Legislative committees must post their meeting times during weeks of the regular session of the General Assembly and must comply with the provisions for notice of special meetings during those weeks when the General Assembly is not in session. Subcommittees of standing legislative committees must give notice during weeks of the legislative session only if it is practicable to do so.

(C)    Subcommittees, other than legislative subcommittees, of committees required to give notice under subsection (A), must make reasonable and timely efforts to give notice of their meetings.

(D)    Written public notice must include but need not be limited to posting a copy of the notice at the principal office of the public body holding the meeting or, if no such office exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be held.

(E)    All public bodies shall notify persons or organizations, local news media, or such other news media as may request notification of the times, dates, places, and agenda of all public meetings, whether scheduled, rescheduled, or called, and the efforts made to comply with this requirement must be noted in the minutes of the meetings."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 4th day of June, 2015.

Approved the 8th day of June, 2015.