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H. 4974
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Lucas, Simrill, Rutherford, Pope, McCoy, G.M. Smith, Bannister, Hart, B. Newton, Bales, Forrest, Henderson-Myers, Weeks, Fry, Hixon and Govan
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bh\7240ahb20.docx
Introduced in the House on January 21, 2020
Introduced in the Senate on February 19, 2020
Last Amended on February 13, 2020
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary
Summary: Circuit court judges; divisions; increase number of at-large circuit court judges to 17
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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1/21/2020 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 6)
1/21/2020 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 6)
2/5/2020 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
(House Journal-page 42)
2/11/2020 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart
2/11/2020 House Debate adjourned until Wed., 2-12-20
(House Journal-page 12)
2/12/2020 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: B.Newton,
Bales, Forrest, Henderson-Myers, Weeks
2/12/2020 House Debate adjourned until Thur., 2-13-20
(House Journal-page 30)
2/13/2020 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Fry, Hixon,
Govan
2/13/2020 House Amended (House Journal-page 6)
2/13/2020 House Read second time (House Journal-page 6)
2/13/2020 House Roll call Yeas-105 Nays-5 (House Journal-page 8)
2/18/2020 Scrivener's error corrected
2/18/2020 House Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 6)
2/19/2020 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
2/19/2020 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
(Senate Journal-page 9)
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/21/2020
2/5/2020
2/13/2020
2/18/2020
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
AMENDED
February 13, 2020
H. 4974
Introduced by Reps. Lucas, Simrill, Rutherford, Pope, McCoy, G.M. Smith, Bannister, Hart, B. Newton, Bales, Forrest, Henderson-Myers, Weeks, Fry, Hixon and Govan
S. Printed 2/13/20--H. [SEC 2/18/20 11:07 AM]
Read the first time January 21, 2020.
TO AMEND SECTION 14-5-610, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF THE STATE INTO SIXTEEN JUDICIAL CIRCUITS AND ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE JUDGES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AT-LARGE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES FROM SIXTEEN TO SEVENTEEN; AND TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-40, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT JUDGES ELECTED FROM EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT AND ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE JUDGES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AT-LARGE FAMILY COURT JUDGES FROM EIGHT TO TEN.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 14-5-610(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) One judge must be elected from the second, sixth, and twelfth circuits. Two judges must be elected from the first, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth circuits. Three judges must be elected from the fifth and, ninth, fourteenth, and fifteenth circuits. Four judges must be elected from the thirteenth circuit."
SECTION 2. Section 63-3-40(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:
First Circuit Three Four Judges
Second Circuit Two Judges
Third Circuit Three Judges
Fourth Circuit Three Judges
Fifth Circuit Four Judges
Sixth Circuit Two Judges
Seventh Circuit Three Judges
Eighth Circuit Three Judges
Ninth Circuit Six Judges
Tenth Circuit Three Judges
Eleventh Circuit Three Judges
Twelfth Circuit Three Judges
Thirteenth Circuit Six Judges
Fourteenth Circuit Three Judges
Fifteenth Circuit Three Judges
Sixteenth Circuit Two Three Judges."
SECTION 3. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall begin the process of nominating candidates for the judicial offices authorized by the provisions of SECTIONS 1 and 2, except that the additional judicial office in SECTION 1 added in the fourteenth judicial circuit is not effective until July 1, 2022. The General Assembly then shall elect these judges from the nominees of the commission; except that, the nominating process may not begin until funding for the additional judges is provided in the general appropriations act.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor.
This web page was last updated on February 19, 2020 at 2:01 PM