South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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Bill 394


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 14-11-10, SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS, 1976, RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MASTER-IN-EQUITY COURT, SO AS TO PERMIT A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN THIRTY THOUSAND BUT LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND TO HAVE A PART-TIME OR A FULL-TIME MASTER-IN-EQUITY AS DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE COUNTY OR COUNTIES IN WHICH THE A MASTER-IN-EQUITY SERVES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 14-11-30, RELATING TO THE COMPENSATION OF MASTER-IN-EQUITY, SO AS TO ALLOW A PART-TIME MASTER-IN-EQUITY IN CITIES OR COUNTIES WITH POPULATIONS OF ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND OR GREATER.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 14-11-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act No. 678, is amended to read:

"Section 14-11-10.    As a part of the unified judicial system, there is established in each of the counties of this State having a population of at least one hundred thirty thousand, according to the latest official United States Decennial Census, a master-in-equity court. The master-in-equity for the court must be appointed pursuant to the provisions of Section 14-11-20. Nothing in this section prohibits a county or area with a population of more than thirty thousand but less than one hundred fifty thousand, according to the latest official United States Decennial Census, from having a part time or a full-time master in equity, as determined by the governing body of the county or counties in which a master in equity serves. Nothing in this section prohibits a county or area with a population of less than one hundred thirty thousand, according to the latest official United States Decennial Census, from having a part-time master-in-equity. The governing bodies of any two or more counties may join together to fund the office of master-in-equity to serve two or more counties. Funding of this master-in-equity must be borne by each county included on a per capita population basis."

SECTION    2.    Section 14-11-30(6) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act No. 678, is amended to read:

"(6)    Where the area served has a population of between one hundred thirty thousand and one hundred forty nine thousand, nine hundred ninety nine, according to the latest official United States Decennial Census, the master-in-equity serving that area is may be part-time or full-time, as determined by the governing body of the county or counties in which a master-in-equity serves, and must be paid a salary equal to between fifty-five percent and seventy-five percent of that of a circuit judge if part time, and equal to seventy five percent of that of a circuit judge if full time."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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