Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

 

Committee Amendment Adopted

March 26, 2026

 

S. 97

 

Introduced by Senator Matthews

 

S. Printed 3/26/26--S.

Read the first time January 14, 2025

 

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A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 12-45-25 SO AS TO PROVIDE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO HOLD THE OFFICE OF COUNTY TREASURER.

    Amend Title To Conform

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 45, Title 12 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 12-45-25.  For persons first elected or first appointed to serve as the county treasurer after November 1, 2026, in order to be eligible to serve or continue to serve as the county treasurer, a person must:

    (1) be a citizen of the United States and of this State;

    (2) be a qualified elector of the applicable county;

    (3) have:

       (a) a four-year bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or economics from an accredited post-secondary institution; or

       (b) at least four years' experience:

           (i) in the field of accounting, financial management, financial reporting, budgeting, or economics;

           (ii) as an employee in a treasurer's office in this State; or

           (iii) as a treasurer in this State.

 

SECTION 2.  Chapter 45, Title 12 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 12-45-18.  (A) Any person first elected or first appointed to serve as the county treasurer after November 1, 2026, shall complete a forty-hour training program that the department establishes or causes to be established. Failure to complete satisfactorily this course in any year results in the treasurer forfeiting five thousand dollars of his state salary supplement each year until the course is completed. The content, cost, and dates of the courses must be determined by the department.

    (B)(1) The department, for reasonable cause, may excuse a county treasurer from attending this course for no more than one year. If excused, the treasurer does not forfeit five thousand dollars of his state salary supplement for that year.

       (2) The department may credit some or all of the training program hours towards the continuing education courses required by Section 12-45-15 in the year in which the training program is completed.

 

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

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