Current Status Introducing Body:Senate Bill Number:332 Primary Sponsor:Wilson Committee Number:05 Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Ethics Commission, complaint and reprimand provisions Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Ethics Computer Document Number:332 Introduced Date:Jan 08, 1991 Last History Body:Senate Last History Date:Jan 08, 1991 Last History Type:Introduced and read first time, referred to Committee Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Wilson Rose Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
---- ------ ------------ ------------------------------ ---
332 Senate Jan 08, 1991 Introduced and read first 05
time, referred to Committee
332 Senate Dec 03, 1990 Prefiled, referred to 05
Committee
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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 8-13-121 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A COMPLAINT DISMISSED BY THE STATE ETHICS COMMISSION MAY BE MADE PUBLIC UPON WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PERSON AGAINST WHOM THE COMPLAINT IS FILED; AND BY ADDING SECTION 8-13-122 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE ETHICS COMMISSION MUST REPRIMAND A PERSON WHO VIOLATES CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER THE VIOLATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 8-13-121. A complaint which has been dismissed by the State Ethics Commission is stricken from public record in accordance with Section 8-13-120(e). Upon receipt of written authorization from the person against whom the complaint was filed, the rule of confidentiality may be waived and the State Ethics Commission authorized to release information concerning the complaint. The waiver, once approved by the State Ethics Commission, shall also allow all parties to the matter to release information as may be appropriate."
SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 8-13-122. All complaints, proceedings, and documents relating to these matters are private. No persons associated with a complaint including the complainant, respondent, counsel, counsel's secretary, commission members or employees, reporters, or investigators, shall mention the existence of such proceedings or disclose any information pertaining to a complaint except to persons directly involved, and then only to the extent necessary for proper disposition of the complaint.
A person who violates the provisions of this section must be publicly reprimanded within twenty-hour hours of the violation. This penalty may be in addition to any other disciplinary action the commission determines appropriate."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.