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TO AMEND SECTION 8-13-530, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ETHICS COMMITTEES, SO AS TO INCLUDE WITHIN THEM THE POWER TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER A PERSON HAS FAILED TO COMPLY FULLY AND ACCURATELY WITH THE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS AND NOTIFY THE PERSON TO FILE THE NECESSARY NOTICES AND REPORTS TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER 13 OF TITLE 8 AND TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS FILED BY INDIVIDUALS AND TO FILE COMPLAINTS WHEN ALLEGED VIOLATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 8-13-530 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 248 of 1991, is further amended to read:
"Section 8-13-530. Each ethics committee shall:
(1) ascertain whether a person has failed to comply fully and accurately with the disclosure requirements of this chapter and promptly to notify the person to file the necessary notices and reports to satisfy the requirements of this chapter;
(2) receive complaints filed by individuals and upon a majority vote of the total membership of the committee, file complaints when alleged violations are identified;
(1)(3) upon the filing of a complaint, investigate possible violations of breach of a privilege governing a member of the appropriate house, the alleged breach of a rule governing a member of or candidate for the appropriate house, misconduct of a member of or candidate for the appropriate house, or a violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2;
(2)(4) receive and hear a complaint which alleges a breach of a privilege governing a member of the appropriate house, the alleged breach of a rule governing a member of or candidate for the appropriate house, misconduct of a member of or candidate for the appropriate house, or a violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2. No A complaint may not be accepted by the ethics committee concerning a member of or candidate for the appropriate house in the fifty-day period before an election in which the member or candidate is a candidate. Action on a complaint filed against a member or candidate which was received more than fifty days before the election and which cannot be disposed of or dismissed by the ethics committee at least thirty days before the election must be postponed until after the election;
(3)(5) obtain information and investigate complaints as provided in Section 8-13-540 with respect to any complaint filed pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2 and to that end may compel by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of pertinent books and papers;
(4)(6) administer or recommend sanctions appropriate to a particular member of or candidate for the appropriate house pursuant to Section 8-13-540 or dismiss the charges; and
(5)(7) act as an advisory body to the General Assembly and to individual members of or candidates for the appropriate house on questions pertaining to the disclosure and filing requirements of members of or candidates for the appropriate house."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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