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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
AMENDED
April 2, 2008
S. 1085
S. Printed 4/2/08--S.
Read the first time February 7, 2008.
TO AMEND CHAPTER 13, TITLE 8 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO ETHICS, TO PLACE LEGISLATIVE STAFF UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ETHICS COMMITTEES.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 8-13-100(2) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(2) 'Appropriate supervisory office' means:
(a) the State Ethics Commission for all persons required to file reports under this chapter except for those members of or candidates for the office of State Senator or State Representative;
(b) the Senate Ethics Committee for members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the office of State Senator; and
(c) the House of Representatives Ethics Committee for members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the office of State Representative."
SECTION 2. The first paragraph of Section 8-13-320(9) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(9) to initiate or receive complaints and make investigations, as provided in item (10), of statements filed or allegedly failed to be filed under the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 17 of Title 2 and, upon complaint by an individual, of an alleged violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2 by a public official, public member, or public employee except members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the General Assembly unless otherwise provided for under House or Senate rules. Any person charged with a violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2 is entitled to the administrative hearing process contained in this section."
SECTION 3. Section 8-13-1300(1) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(1) 'Appropriate supervisory office' means:
(a) the State Ethics Commission for all candidates for public office in this State except for members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the office of State Senator or State Representative;
(b) the Senate Ethics Committee for members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the office of State Senator, and the House of Representatives Ethics Committee for members or staff, including staff elected to serve as officers, of or candidates for the office of State Representative;
(c) the State Ethics Commission for all committees, except legislative caucus committees, supporting or opposing a ballot measure or supporting or opposing a candidate;
(d) the Senate Ethics Committee for all legislative caucus committees and legislative special interest caucuses affiliated with the Senate, the House of Representatives Ethics Committee for all legislative caucus committees and legislative special interest caucuses affiliated with the House of Representatives, and both ethics committees for all legislative caucus committees and legislative special interest caucuses affiliated with both houses."
SECTION 4. Section 8-13-530 of the 1976 Code is 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 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;
(3) upon the filing of a complaint, investigate possible violations of breach of a privilege governing a member or staff of the appropriate house, the alleged breach of a rule governing a member of, legislative caucus committees for, or a candidate, or staff for the appropriate house, misconduct of a member or staff of, legislative caucus committees for, or a candidate for the appropriate house, or a violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2;
(4) receive and hear a complaint which alleges a breach of a privilege governing a member or staff of the appropriate house, the alleged breach of a rule governing a member or staff of or candidate for the appropriate house, misconduct of a member or staff of or candidate for the appropriate house, or a violation of this chapter or Chapter 17 of Title 2. No complaint may be accepted by the ethics committee concerning a member of or candidate for the appropriate house during the fifty-day period before an election in which the member or candidate is a candidate. During this fifty-day period, any person may petition the court of common pleas alleging the violations complained of and praying for appropriate relief by way of mandamus or injunction, or both. Within ten days, a rule to show cause hearing must be held, and the court must either dismiss the petition or direct that a mandamus order or an injunction, or both, be issued. A violation of this chapter by a candidate during this fifty-day period must be considered to be an irreparable injury for which no adequate remedy at law exists. The institution of an action for injunctive relief does not relieve any party to the proceeding from any penalty prescribed for violations of this chapter. The court must award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the nonpetitioning party if a petition for mandamus or injunctive relief is dismissed based upon a finding that the:
(i) petition is being presented for an improper purpose such as harassment or to cause delay;
(ii) claims, defenses, and other legal contentions are not warranted by existing law or are based upon a frivolous argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law; and
(iii) allegations and other factual contentions do not have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, are not likely to have evidentiary support after reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery.
Action on a complaint filed against a member or candidate which was received more than fifty days before the election but 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;
(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;
(6) administer or recommend sanctions appropriate to a particular member or staff of or candidate for the appropriate house pursuant to Section 8-13-540 or dismiss the charges; and
(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 5. Chapter 13, Title 8 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 8-13-1331. Notwithstanding Section 8-13-1332(3), a corporation or committee of a corporation may solicit the shareholders and executive or administrative personnel of the corporation and its subsidiaries, branches, divisions and affiliates and their families. For purposes of this section, all committees established, financed, maintained or controlled by the same corporation, including any direct or indirect parent, subsidiary, branch or division thereof, are affiliated. With respect to a corporation or committee of a corporation that solicits contributions pursuant to this section, contributions made or received by affiliated committees are considered to be made or received by a single committee for purposes of contribution limits in Sections 8-13-1314 and 8-13-1322. A corporation or committee of a corporation that solicits contributions pursuant to this section must certify in the manner prescribed by Section 8-13-1308(H) that contributions made or received by the committee and its affiliated committees, if any, have complied with contribution limits in Sections 8-13-1314 and 8-13-1322 as if the committee and its affiliated committees, if any, were a single committee."
SECTION 6. Section 8-13-1306(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) The statement of organization of a committee or a ballot measure committee must include:
(1) the full name of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(2) the complete address and telephone number of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(3) the date the committee or ballot measure committee was organized;
(4) a summary of the purpose of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(5) the name and address of a corporation or an organization that sponsors the committee or ballot measure committee or is affiliated with the committee or ballot measure committee. If the committee or ballot measure committee is not sponsored by or affiliated with a corporation or an organization, the committee or ballot measure committee must specify the trade, profession, or primary interest of contributors to the committee or ballot measure committee;
(6) the name and address of affiliated committees, as defined in Section 8-13-1331;
(67) the full name, address, telephone number, occupation, and principal place of business of the chairman and treasurer of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(78) the full name, address, telephone number, occupation, and principal place of business of the custodian of the books and accounts, if the custodian is not one of the designated officers;
(89) the full name and address of the depository in which the committee or ballot measure committee maintains its campaign account and the number of the account; and
(910) a certification of the statement by the chairman and the treasurer."
SECTION 7. Section 8-13-1308 of the 1976 Code is amended to by adding subsection (H) at the end to read:
"(H) A committee that solicits contributions pursuant to Section 8-13-1331 must certify compliance with that section on a form prescribed by the State Ethics Commission."
SECTION 8. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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