South Carolina General Assembly
123rd Session, 2019-2020

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 537

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Rice and Fanning
Document Path: l:\s-res\rfr\001unso.kmm.rfr.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 20, 2019
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Prohibitions against public time or funds used to influence election

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/20/2019  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 4)
   2/20/2019  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary 
                        (Senate Journal-page 4)
    4/2/2019  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee:  Campsen (ch), Massey, 
                        McElveen, M.B.Matthews, Gambrell

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/20/2019

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

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 8-13-1346 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, PROPERTY, OR TIME TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS AND EXCEPTIONS, TO PROVIDE THAT A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS PROHIBITED FROM THE USE OF OFFICIAL FUNDS FOR UNSOLICITED MASS COMMUNICATION OR THE USE OF OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF ANY ELECTION IN WHICH THE MEMBER'S NAME OR ADVISORY REFERENDUM IS ON THE BALLOT; AND TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 8-13-1346 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately lettered new subsection to read:

"(    )    A member of the General Assembly is prohibited from the use of official funds for unsolicited mass communication or the use of official letterhead within ninety days of any election in which the member's name or advisory referendum is on the ballot. 'Unsolicited mass communication' is defined as any unsolicited communication, by use of mail or electronic mail, distributed to persons for the purposes of intentionally or unintentionally influencing the outcome of an election or ballot measure."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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