A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 2-3-20, RELATING TO COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL RECEIVE LEGISLATIVE COMPENSATION AND AN IN-DISTRICT LEGISLATIVE SERVICE ALLOWANCE OF FORTY-SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE MEMBERS' SALARY SHALL BE ADJUSTED EVERY TWO YEARS BY AN INFLATION FACTOR NOT TO EXCEED FIVE PERCENT; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 9-9-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS CONCERNING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETIREMENT SYSTEM, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EARNABLE COMPENSATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF CALCULATING BENEFITS IS LIMITED TO ONLY THE MEMBERS' SALARY AS PROVIDED BY LAW.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  Section 2-3-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 2-3-20.  (A) Members of the General Assembly shall annually receive as legislative compensation and for an in-district legislative service allowance their services such sum as may be provided by lawforty-seven thousand five hundred dollars as adjusted pursuant to subsection (C) calculated at a daily renumeration rate in accordance with Article III, Section 9 of the State constitution and mileage at the rate provided for by law for the actual distance traveled in the most direct route going to and returning from their homes on weekend adjournments of the General Assembly at the place where the sessions of the General Assembly are held. The terms of this provision shall be subject to limitations imposed by the State Constitution.

    (B) The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House shall receive, in addition, such amounts as may annually appear in the State appropriation act.

    (C) The legislative compensation and in-district legislative service allowance provided for in subsection (A) shall be adjusted biennially after elections for the House of Representatives by an amount equal to the increase of the consumer price index using the chained methodology during the two previous years not to exceed five percent. The Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Authority shall calculate the biennial adjustment, publish it on its website, and transmit the amount of the adjustment to the Senate and the House of Representatives prior to the second Tuesday in January in the appropriate years.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 9-9-10(13) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    (13) "Earnable compensation" means forty times the daily rate of renumeration, plus twelve thousand dollars, of a member of the General Assembly, as from time to time in effect.

 

SECTION 3.  If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.

 

SECTION 4.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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