South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

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H. 3529

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. W. Newton, Bannister, Caskey, Wooten, Spann-Wilder, Calhoon, Ballentine, Robbins, Mitchell and Weeks
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3521
Document Path: LC-0081AHB25.docx

Introduced in the House on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the Senate on February 13, 2025
Passed by the General Assembly on March 19, 2025

Summary: Family Court Judges, additional

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
12/5/2024 House Prefiled
12/5/2024 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
1/14/2025 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 235)
1/14/2025 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 235)
2/5/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Calhoon, Ballentine
2/6/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Robbins, Mitchell
2/6/2025 House Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (House Journal-page 4)
2/12/2025 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Weeks
2/12/2025 House Read second time (House Journal-page 32)
2/12/2025 House Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 32)
2/13/2025 House Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 12)
2/13/2025 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 12)
2/13/2025 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 12)
2/27/2025 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Elliott (ch), Cash, Tedder, Devine, Fernandez, Kennedy, Walker
3/12/2025 Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (Senate Journal-page 9)
3/13/2025 Scrivener's error corrected
3/18/2025 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 17)
3/18/2025 Senate Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 17)
3/19/2025 Senate Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 8)
4/24/2025 Ratified R 18
4/28/2025 Signed By Governor

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/5/2024
2/6/2025
3/12/2025
3/13/2025


NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(R18, H3529)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 63-3-40, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT JUDGES ELECTED FROM EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, SO AS TO INCREASE BY ONE THE NUMBER OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES IN THE NINTH, ELEVENTH, AND FOURTEENTH CIRCUITS.

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

Additional Family Court judges

SECTION 1.    Section 63-3-40(A) of the S.C. 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    Four Judges

Second Circuit    Two Judges

Third Circuit    Three Judges

Fourth Circuit    Three Judges

Fifth Circuit    Four Judges

Sixth Circuit    Two Judges

Seventh Circuit    Four Judges

Eighth Circuit    Three Judges

Ninth Circuit    Seven Judges

Tenth Circuit    Three Judges

Eleventh Circuit    Four Judges

Twelfth Circuit    Three Judges

Thirteenth Circuit    Six Judges

Fourteenth Circuit    Four Judges

Fifteenth Circuit    Three Judges

Sixteenth Circuit    Three Judges

Judicial Screening, funding contingency

SECTION 2.    The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall begin the process of nominating candidates for the judicial offices authorized by the provisions of SECTION 1. 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.

Time effective

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

Ratified the 24th day of April, 2025.

______________________________________________________________________

President of the Senate

_____________________________________________________________________

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2025.

____________________________________________________________________

Governor

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This web page was last updated on April 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM