S 0377  General Bill, By Talley and Rice
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 2-1-180 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE MANDATORY
 SINE DIE ADJOURNMENT DATE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO PROVIDE FOR A BIENNIAL
 STATE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND TO PROVIDE THAT, IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS,
 THE REGULAR ANNUAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CAN BE EXTENDED IF A
 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH THE SENATE AND
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOT LATER THAN FIVE O'CLOCK P.M. ON THE SECOND
 THURSDAY IN APRIL; AND TO AMEND SECTION 2-7-60 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO
 THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE 2023
 SESSION, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL ENACT A BIENNIAL STATE GENERAL
 APPROPRIATIONS ACT.

   12/09/20  Senate Prefiled
   12/09/20  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/12/21  Senate Introduced and read first time
                     (Senate Journal-page 291)
   01/12/21  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (Senate Journal-page 291)

TO AMEND SECTION 2-1-180 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE MANDATORY SINE DIE ADJOURNMENT DATE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO PROVIDE FOR A BIENNIAL STATE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT AND TO PROVIDE THAT, IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS, THE REGULAR ANNUAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CAN BE EXTENDED IF A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF BOTH THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOT LATER THAN FIVE O'CLOCK P.M. ON THE SECOND THURSDAY IN APRIL; AND TO AMEND SECTION 2-7-60 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE 2023 SESSION, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL ENACT A BIENNIAL STATE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 2-1-180 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 2-1-180.    The regular annual session of the General Assembly shall adjourn sine die each year not later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May. The regular annual session of the General Assembly can be extended:

        (a)(1)    in odd-numbered years, if the House of Representatives fails to give a third reading to the annual biennial state general appropriations bill by March thirty-first, the date of sine die adjournment is extended by one statewide day for each statewide day after March thirty-first that the House of Representatives fails to give the bill third reading; or

        (b)(2)    in odd-numbered years, if a forecast reduction is submitted by the Board of Economic Advisors pursuant to Section 11-9-880 after April tenth for the next two fiscal year years, the adjournment date for the General Assembly may be extended up to two weeks with the agreement of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; or

        (c)(3)    in odd-numbered years, if a concurrent resolution is adopted by a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and House of Representatives not later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May. During the time between five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May and the extended sine die adjournment date, as set forth herein, no legislation or other business may be considered except the biennial state general appropriations bill and any matters approved for consideration by a concurrent resolution adopted by two-thirds vote in both houses; or

        (4)    in even-numbered years, if a concurrent resolution is adopted by a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and House of Representatives not later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in April. During the time between five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in April and the extended sine die adjournment date, as set forth herein, no legislation or other business may be considered except the biennial state general appropriations bill and any matters approved for consideration by a concurrent resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote in both houses."

SECTION    2.    Section 2-7-60 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 2-7-60.    (A)    The General Assembly shall annually provide for all expenditures in the general appropriations act, and the appropriations made for any a department, institution, board, or commission shall be in a definite sum for each purpose or activity with such itemization under the activity as may be deemed necessary by the General Assembly.

    (B)    In each session every two years, the General Assembly shall enact a biennial state general appropriations act in a form and under such conditions as it considers appropriate. The term 'annual state general appropriations act' or any similar variations of the term contained in a provision of law must be construed to mean the biennial state general appropriations act.

    (C)    Nothing in this section prevents the General Assembly from enacting a supplemental appropriations act or a capital reserve fund appropriations act in the manner authorized by law in even-numbered or odd-numbered years."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect July 1, 2022 and first applies to the 2023 session of the General Assembly and the 2023 biennial state general appropriations act, including the Governor's executive budget.