South Carolina Law > Code of Laws > Title 10

SECTION 10-1-10. Care of State House and State House grounds.

The Department of Administration shall keep, landscape, cultivate, and beautify the State House and State House grounds with authority to expend such amounts as may be annually appropriated therefor. The department shall employ all help and labor in policing, protecting, and caring for the State House and State House grounds and shall have full authority over them.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-401; 1952 Code Section 1-401; 1942 Code Section 2242; 1932 Code Section 2242; Civ. C. '22 Section 178; Civ. C. '12 Sections 171-176; 1907 (25) 534; 1918 (30) 1907; 1950 (46) 3605; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.I, eff July 1, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.I, substituted "Department of Administration" for "State Budget and Control Board", substituted "department" for "board", and made other nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 10-1-20. Annual report as to care of State House and State House grounds.

The Department of Administration shall report to the General Assembly annually all its acts and doings in the improvement of said grounds, together with an itemized statement of all money expended.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-402; 1952 Code Section 1-402; 1942 Code Section 2243; 1932 Code Section 2243; Civ. C. '22 Section 179; Civ. C. '12 Section 177; 1907 (25) 534; 1950 (46) 3605.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-30. Use of areas of the State House.

(A) The Director of the Division of General Services may authorize the use of areas of the State House except for those provided in subsection (B), the State House steps and grounds, and other public buildings and grounds except for those provided in subsection (B) in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department and the laws of this State.

(B) The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall provide joint approval for access to or the use of the second and third floors of the State House; provided, that use of the respective chambers of each house shall be the prerogative of that house. The Clerk of the Senate shall provide prior authorization for any access to or use of the Senate Office Building and the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall provide prior authorization for any access to or use of the House Office Building. Management and supervision of the office buildings of each house of the General Assembly shall be exercised by each house acting through the respective clerks.

(C) The regulations promulgated pursuant to subsection (A) must contain provisions to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare are protected in the use of the areas including reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions and application periods before use. If sufficient measures are not taken to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the director shall deny the requested use. Other restrictions may be imposed on the use of the areas as are necessary for the conduct of business in those areas and the maintenance of the dignity, decorum, and aesthetics of the areas.

(D) On the days that the General Assembly meets in statewide session, access to the State House by the general public or the press may not be restricted or prohibited without prior approval of the Senate Sergeant At Arms and the House of Representatives Sergeant At Arms. On the days that the General Assembly does not meet in statewide session, access to the State House by the general public or the press may not be restricted or prohibited without prior consultation with the Senate Sergeant At Arms and the House of Representatives Sergeant At Arms. The provisions contained in this section do not apply in exigent circumstances; however, if access to the State House is restricted or prohibited due to exigent circumstances, then access must be restored as soon as practicable.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-401.1; 1973 (58) 765; 1988 Act No. 628; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.J, eff July 1, 2015; 2021 Act No. 42 (S.131), Section 3, eff May 17, 2021.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.J, rewrote the section.

2021 Act No. 42, Section 3, added (D).

SECTION 10-1-35. Camping on State House grounds prohibited.

(A) For purposes of this section, "State House grounds" means the steps of the State House building and the outside areas of the Capitol Complex, which is that area bounded by Gervais, Sumter, Pendleton, and Assembly streets.

(B) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a person or group of persons may not use the State House grounds or the buildings located on the grounds for:

(1) camping, or other living accommodations purposes;

(2) sleeping, or making preparations to sleep;

(3) storing personal belongings that support camping or other outdoor living accommodations purposes;

(4) building a campfire;

(5) erecting tents or other structures used for camping or outdoor living accommodations;

(6) digging or breaking ground without proper written authorization; or

(7) cooking, or cooking activities that support camping or other outdoor living accommodations purposes.

This prohibition applies regardless of the participant's intent or the nature of other activities in which the participant may be engaged.

HISTORY: 2012 Act No. 134, Section 1, eff March 29, 2012.

SECTION 10-1-40. State House Committee.

There is hereby established a committee to be known as the "State House Committee", consisting of five members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, and five members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker, whose duties shall be to review all proposals for alterations and/or renovations to the State House. No alterations or renovations shall be undertaken without the approval of this committee.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-469; 1968 (55) 2855; 1977 Act No. 243; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 88, eff January 31, 2019.

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 1, Section 88, in the first sentence, substituted "President of the Senate," for "Lieutenant Governor".

SECTION 10-1-45. Improvements or additions to State House.

Improvements and additions to the State House must be recommended or approved by the State House Committee of the General Assembly, and that bidding, executing, and carrying out of contracts must be in accordance with standing regulations and procedures for any other work of the same type applicable to agencies and institutions of state government.

HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 356, Section 1, Part VI.F.

SECTION 10-1-50. Agencies housed in state office building to pay rent; disposition of revenue derived.

The Department of Administration is hereby directed to require that all state or federal agencies to be housed in the new state office building shall pay rent therefor at a square foot rate to be determined by the Department of Administration, such rent to begin on and continue after July 1, 1965. The revenue derived from the rental paid for space in the said building shall be used by the Department of Administration to apply to the amortization of the cost of the said building, the new office and laboratory building of the Department of Health, and Environmental Control, the purchase of the Standard Oil building on Gervais Street, the equipment for and renovation of the other state office buildings, and for certain other parcels of land previously bought for the account of the state sinking funds in connection with the building program cited above. The total expenditures for which this program is provided shall not exceed the sum of six million five hundred thousand dollars. The amortization of this debt shall be on the basis of three per cent interest for a period of twenty-five years.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-463; 1964 (53) 1918.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-55. Local governments demanding rent from state agencies; State Aid to Subdivisions reduction.

A local government entity which demands payment of rent or lease payments from a state agency or institution, unless approved by that state agency, must have deducted from that local government's State Aid to Subdivisions allocation an amount equal to one hundred ten percent of the amount charged. The state agency must be reimbursed the actual amount paid and the balance must be credited to the general fund of the State from the portion of the allocation deducted.

HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 356, Section 1, Part XI.M.

SECTION 10-1-70. Roofs of public buildings, fireproof and noncombustible materials requirements.

Every public building erected, enlarged or reroofed after May 27, 1936, whether owned by the State or a county or school district, shall have the roof of such building and also the roof top and sides of all roof structures, including dormer windows, covered with fireproof and incombustible material.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-465; 1952 Code Section 1-465; 1942 Code Section 2194; 1936 (39) 1668.

SECTION 10-1-75. Smoke actuated door closers on patient rooms in institutional facilities licensed by state agencies.

Whenever any patient room in any institutional facility licensed by a state agency is equipped with an approved smoke detecting system and provided that the facility is equipped with an approved automatic fire extinguishing system, smoke actuated door closers shall not be required on patient room doors opening into the corridor.

HISTORY: 1977 Act No. 219, Part II, Section 22.

SECTION 10-1-80. Bringing natural cut trees into places of worship, Fire Code enforcement exemption.

(A) For purposes of this section, "places of worship" mean new or existing buildings that are included within the Group A occupancies as contained in either the International Fire Code or the most recently adopted nationally recognized fire code.

(B) The General Assembly finds that the tradition of bringing natural cut trees is an important symbol in celebrations occurring in places of worship.

(C) Neither the Fire Marshal nor a governing body of a county or municipality shall enforce that portion of either the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code that prohibits natural cut trees from being located in places of worship which do not fall within the exceptions provided for structures that have approved automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code.

(D) This section does not affect the authority of the Fire Marshal or a governing body of a county or a municipality to enforce the other provisions of the International Fire Code or a nationally recognized fire code that pertain to decorative vegetation in new and existing buildings.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 357, Section 4.

SECTION 10-1-100. Public construction projects, provision for antipollution devices.

All invitations for bid proposals for construction projects (but not including South Carolina Highway Department projects) issued by the State, its authorities, commissions, departments, committees or agencies, or any political subdivision of the State, shall set forth in the contract documents, to the extent they are reasonably obtainable by the public awarding authority, those provisions of federal, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations dealing with the prevention of environmental pollution and the preservation of public natural resources that affect or are affected by the projects. If the successful bidder must undertake additional work which was not specified in the invitation for bid proposals or which are due to the enactment of new or the amendment of existing statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations occurring after the submission of the successful proposal, the awarding agency shall issue a change order, setting forth the additional work that must be undertaken, which shall not invalidate the contract. The cost of such a change order to the awarding agency shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the contract for change orders or force accounts and that such additional costs to undertake work not specified in the contract documents shall not be approved unless written authorization is given the successful bidder/contractor prior to his undertaking such additional activity. In the event of a dispute between the awarding agency and the successful bidder/contractor, arbitration procedures may be commenced under the applicable terms of the construction contract under the provisions of Chapter 48, Title 15.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-466.1; 1974 (58) 2783.

SECTION 10-1-105. Buildings constructed with public funds to include windows which may be opened.

Whereas, state office buildings have been constructed recently with windows that cannot be opened; therefore, heating or air conditioning equipment is in use most all of the time causing use of electrical energy which could be avoided; and

Whereas, it is incumbent upon the General Assembly to do everything within its power to help alleviate the ever-present energy crisis and having windows which could be conveniently opened to let fresh air in would help to some extent in conserving energy. Now, therefore:

Unless agreed to by the Department of Administration, any building constructed with the state funds shall include windows which may be conveniently opened.

HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 199 Part II, Section 29.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-110. State Board of Education to approve certain contracts not awarded to lowest bidder.

Where bids are received as a result of advertisement for the construction of public buildings to be built with funds furnished by the State Board of Education and the lowest bid is rejected and another accepted, any contract based on the bid shall be subject to the approval of the State Board of Education.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Sections 1-468, 1-468.5; 1959 (51) 122; 1973 (58) 636.

SECTION 10-1-130. Grant of easements and rights of way.

The trustees or governing bodies of state institutions and agencies may grant easements and rights of way over any property under their control, upon the recommendation of the Department of Administration and approval of the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, whenever it appears that such easements do not materially impair the utility of the property or damage it and, when a consideration is paid therefor, any amounts must be placed in the State Treasury to the credit of the institution or agency having control of the property involved.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-49.3; 1963 (53) 177; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.K, eff July 1, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.K, rewrote the section, substituting the Department of Administration and the State Fiscal Accountability Authority for the State Budget and Control Board.

SECTION 10-1-135. Encroachments on state-owned lands of natural significance.

For easements, rights-of-way, or any other encroachment on or over any state park, state forest, state historic area, state wildlife refuge or preserve, Heritage Trust Site, or other state-owned lands of natural significance the responsible management agency shall, in addition to the provisions of Section 10-1-130, make the following determinations prior to requesting approval from the Department of Administration and review by the Joint Bond Review Committee and approval by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority if necessary:

(a) There is an important public necessity for the encroachment;

(b) Alternative routes or locations not on state property are neither prudent nor feasible, and the proposed encroachment is not disruptive of the existing or planned uses of the state property;

(c) The entity responsible for the encroachment shall make reasonable mitigation of the impacts of the proposed encroachment, upon the recommendation of the governing body of the responsible management agency.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 91.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-140. Responsibility for personal property of state departments, agencies, and institutions.

The head of each department, agency, or institution of this State is responsible for all personal property under his supervision and each fiscal year shall make an inventory of all property under his supervision, except expendables.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-49.4; 1967 (55) 719; 1996 Act No. 458, Part II, Section 16A; 2005 Act No. 164, Section 6.

SECTION 10-1-150. Accounting for expenses of public buildings.

All expenditures from amounts specified in appropriations for expenses in connection with the public buildings of the State shall be itemized and verified by the contractors and certified to by the respective officers in charge thereof.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-462; 1952 Code Section 1-462; 1942 Code Section 3196; 1932 Code Section 3196; Civ. C. '22 Section 893; Civ. C. '12 Section 813; 1909 (26) 282.

SECTION 10-1-160. Display of certain flags.

(A) The United States flag and the State flag shall be flown daily, except in rainy weather, from a staff upon the State House, and shall be displayed above the rostrum in the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate and in the first floor north foyer of the State House. No other flag shall be displayed in these locations or atop the dome or roof, or within the foyers or common or public areas within the capitol building. The Department of Administration shall purchase suitable flags for display at the State House locations and cause them to be displayed, the expense to be borne out of the funds appropriated to it.

(B) The provisions of this section may only be amended or repealed upon passage of an act which has received a two-thirds vote on the third reading of the bill in each branch of the General Assembly.

(C) The term "chambers" of the House or Senate for purposes of this section does not include individual members' offices. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a private individual on the capitol complex grounds from wearing as a part of his clothing or carrying or displaying any type of flag including a Confederate Flag.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 1-461; 1952 Code Section 1-461; 1942 Code Section 5703; 1932 Code Sections 5703, 5705; Civ. C. '22 Sections 2772, 2773; Civ. C. '12 Sections 1842, 1843; 1910 (26) 753; 1922 (32) 779; 2000 Act No. 292, Section 2.

Validity

For the validity of (B) of this section, see Pinckney v. Peeler, 862 S.E.2d 906 (S.C. 2021).

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-161. State Capitol Building flags flown at half-staff.

(A) On Memorial Day the flags, which are flown atop the State Capitol Building, must be displayed at half-staff until noon, then raised to the top of the staff.

(B) To honor and pay tribute to the following public officials and individuals, the flags which are flown atop the State Capitol Building must be lowered to half-staff on the day on which funeral services are conducted for these public officials and individuals:

(1) current and past members of the United States Congress from the State of South Carolina;

(2) current constitutional officers of the State of South Carolina;

(3) former Governors and Lieutenant Governors of the State of South Carolina;

(4) current members of the South Carolina General Assembly;

(5) current members of the South Carolina Supreme Court;

(6) current and former Presidents of the United States; and

(7) members of the United States military services who were residents of South Carolina and who lost their lives in the line of duty while in combat.

(C) As contained in this section, "half-staff" means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.

(D) The flags atop the State Capitol Building must be flown at half-staff for a period of thirty days from the date of death of the President or a former President; for a period of ten days from the date of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice, or a retired Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, or the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; for a period of five days before the day of the funeral through the date of the funeral for members of the United States military services who were residents of South Carolina and who lost their lives in the line of duty while in combat, for which the Department of Veterans' Affairs must notify the Office of the Governor of the scheduled funeral date; and from the date of death through the date of interment of an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, or a secretary of a federal executive or military department, or a former Vice President.

(E) Upon the occurrence of an extraordinary event resulting in death or upon the death of a person of extraordinary stature, the Governor may order that the flags atop the State Capitol Building be lowered to half-staff at a designated time or for a designated period of time.

(F) The Governor may order the flags atop the State Capitol Building to be lowered to half-staff for the same designated time when an act of the United States Congress or a presidential order is issued to lower flags to half-staff over federal buildings.

(G) The flags atop the State Capitol Building, when flown at half-staff must first be hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flags must be again raised to the peak before they are lowered for the day.

(H)(1) On any day where flags atop the State Capitol Building are flown at half-staff to honor and pay tribute to more than one individual listed in subsections (B) or (D), the flags must be hoisted and lowered pursuant to subsection (G) as many times as there are individuals to honor and pay tribute to that day.

(2) On any day where flags atop the State Capitol Building are flown at half-staff, the Governor shall, on a conspicuous place on the website maintained by the Governor, identify the person or persons to which such honor and tribute is being paid until the day of the funeral.

HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 226, Section 1; 2004 Act No. 207, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 262, Section 1; 2013 Act No. 27, Section 1, eff May 17, 2013.

Code Commissioner's Note

Pursuant to the directive to the Code Commissioner in 2019 Act No. 26, Section 4(C), references to the Division of Veterans' Affairs were changed to reflect the transfer of it to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment, in subsection (B), twice inserted "and individuals" following "public officials"; added subsection (B)(7); deleted former subsection (D), relating to funeral services; redesignated former subsections (E) through (H) as (D) through (G); in subsection (D), inserted "for a period of five days before the day of the funeral through the date of the funeral for members of the United States military services who were residents of South Carolina and who lost their lives in the line of duty while in combat, for which the Division of Veterans' Affairs must notify the Office of the Governor of the scheduled funeral date;"; and added subsection (H).

SECTION 10-1-163. Location of portraits, flags, banners, monuments, statues, and plaques removed from State House during renovations; payment of costs of removal and return.

(A) All portraits, flags, banners, monuments, statues, and plaques which were in or on the State House on May 1, 1995, which may be removed from the State House during renovations must be returned to their original location when the State House is reoccupied. Cost for removing and returning these items must be paid from the funds of the Department of Administration for maintenance. When all portraits, flags, banners, monuments, statues, and plaques are returned to their original location after the renovations are completed, the location of these items must not be changed in the chambers of the House of Representatives unless approved by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and in the chambers of the Senate unless approved by an absolute majority of the Senate members. The location of all portraits, flags, banners, monuments, statues, and plaques located outside of the respective chambers must not be changed unless approved by an act passed by the General Assembly. For purposes of this subsection, "original location" means the general vicinity or at an alternative location if the wall or structure is removed or modified such that the portrait, flag, banner, monument, statue, or plaque cannot be returned to its original location.

(B) All costs for the display, cleaning, and restoration of all portraits, flags, banners, monuments, statues, and plaques on the exterior or interior of the State House except those inside the Senate and House Chambers must be paid from the accounts of General Services, Division of the Department of Administration unless otherwise directed by the General Assembly.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 145, Part II, Section 115; 1997 Act No. 110, Section 1.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-165. Protection of certain monuments and memorials.

(A) No Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, War Between the States, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Native American, or African-American History monuments or memorials erected on public property of the State or any of its political subdivisions may be relocated, removed, disturbed, or altered. No street, bridge, structure, park, preserve, reserve, or other public area of the State or any of its political subdivisions dedicated in memory of or named for any historic figure or historic event may be renamed or rededicated. No person may prevent the public body responsible for the monument or memorial from taking proper measures and exercising proper means for the protection, preservation, and care of these monuments, memorials, or nameplates.

(B) The provisions of this section may only be amended or repealed upon passage of an act which has received a two-thirds vote on the third reading of the bill in each branch of the General Assembly.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 292, Section 3.

Validity

For the validity of (B) of this section, see Pinckney v. Peeler, 862 S.E.2d 906 (S.C. 2021).

SECTION 10-1-168. Foundations of American Law and Government display; posting in public location in public building.

(A) Notwithstanding another provision of law, each municipality, county, or other political subdivision of this State including, but not limited to, a school board, is authorized to post the Foundations of American Law and Government display, as described in this section, in a visible, public location in the public buildings of this State and its political subdivisions.

(B) The Foundations of American Law and Government display must include:

(1) The Ten Commandments;

(2) The Magna Carta;

(3) The Mayflower Compact, 1620;

(4) The Declaration of Independence;

(5) "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key;

(6) The Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution;

(7) The Preamble to the South Carolina Constitution;

(8) The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution;

(9) The national motto "In God We Trust";

(10) The image of Lady Justice;

(11) The Lord's Prayer;

(12) The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863; and

(13) Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

(C) Public displays of the Foundations of American Law and Government display shall contain the text of the documents listed in items (1) through (13) of subsection (B) together with the context for acknowledging formative, historically significant documents in America's heritage contained in subsection (D). Because the purpose of the display is not to advance religion, the General Assembly expresses no preference as to which version of the Ten Commandments is displayed.

(D) The Foundations of American Law and Government display contains documents that played a significant role in the foundation of our system of law and government. The display contains: the Ten Commandments; the Magna Carta; the Mayflower Compact, 1620; the Declaration of Independence; "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key; the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution; the Preamble to the South Carolina Constitution; the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; the national motto "In God We Trust"; the image of Lady Justice; The Lord's Prayer; the Emancipation Proclamation, 1863; and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

(1) The Ten Commandments have profoundly influenced the formation of western legal thought and the formation of our country. That influence is clearly seen in the Declaration of Independence, which declared that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness". The Ten Commandments provide the moral background of the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of our legal tradition.

(2) In 1215, King John of England consented to the demands of his barons and agreed for The Magna Carta to be publicly read throughout the land. By this act he bound himself and "our heirs, in all things and all places for ever" to grant to the people of his kingdom the rights pronounced in The Magna Carta. By signing The Magna Carta, King John brought himself and England's future rulers within the rule of law. The rule of law places a restraint on the exercise of arbitrary government power, and it places all people and civil government under law. The American patriots, therefore, waged war against England to preserve liberties originating in Thirteenth Century England. A distinction, however, is noted between The Magna Carta and the American concept of liberty. While The Magna Carta is a guarantee from a king that he will follow the law, the Constitution of the United States is the establishment of a government consisting of, and created for, "We the People".

(3) The Mayflower Compact was penned by William Bradford on November 11, 1620, on the Mayflower before the Pilgrims made landfall at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The compact was the first written constitution in the New World. William Bradford described the reasoning behind the compact when he stated in the compact: "This day, before we came to harbour, observing some not well affected to unity and concord, but gave some appearance of faction, it was thought good there should be an association and agreement, that we should combine together in one body, and to submit to such government and governors as we should by common consent agree to make and choose, and set our hands to this that follows, word for word".

(4) Perhaps the single most important document in American history, The Declaration of Independence was, as Abraham Lincoln stated, the "frame" into which the framers placed the Constitution. A fundamental premise of the Declaration of Independence is that "all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights". While these rights are not given by government, they are protected by government. Moreover, government is a creation of "the governed" and derives all its power from the consent of its people. As the Preamble to the United States Constitution states, "We the People" are the government.

(5) During the debates on the adoption of the United States Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the Constitution as drafted would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions in their formal ratification of the Constitution asked for such amendments; others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered. The Bill of Rights is still a vital and powerful force in American government, shaping our laws and serving as a check on the exercise of government power.

(6) Guarding the entrance to Baltimore harbor via the Patapsco River during the War of 1812, Fort McHenry faced almost certain attack by British forces. Major George Armistead, the stronghold's commander, was ready to defend the fort but he wanted a flag that would identify his position, one whose size would be visible to the enemy from a distance. The flag that was made for the fort was thirty feet by forty-two feet. Anxiously awaiting news of the battle's outcome was a Washington, D.C. lawyer named Francis Scott Key. Key had visited the enemy's fleet to secure the release of a Maryland doctor who had been abducted by the British after they left Washington. The lawyer had been successful in his mission, but he could not escort the doctor home until the attack ended. So he waited on a flag-of-truce sloop anchored eight miles downstream from Fort McHenry.

During the night, there had been only occasional sounds of the fort's guns returning fire. At dawn, the British bombardment tapered off. Had the fort been captured? Placing a telescope to his eye, Key trained it on the fort's flagpole. There he saw the large garrison flag catch the morning breeze. It had been raised as a gesture of defiance, replacing the wet storm flag that had flown through the night. Thrilled by the sight of the flag and the knowledge that the fort had not fallen, Key took a letter from his pocket and began to write some verses on the back of it. Later, after the British fleet had withdrawn, Key checked into a Baltimore hotel and completed his poem on the defense of Fort McHenry. He then sent it to a printer for duplication on handbills, and within a few days the poem was put to the music of an old English song. Both the new song and the flag became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became a rallying cry for the American Patriots during the rest of the war.

(7) The Preamble to the South Carolina Constitution recognizes that the people, grateful for the liberties they enjoy, have established the Constitution of the State of South Carolina to preserve and perpetuate a civilized society.

(8) Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of women's suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.

(9) The national motto was derived from the line "And this be our motto, 'In God is our trust'" in the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". The phrase first appeared on United States' coins in 1864 and became obligatory on all United States' currency in 1955. In accordance with Public Law No. 851 passed at the Second Session of the 84th Congress of the United States, July 30, 1956, the national motto of the United States became "In God We Trust".

(10) Lady Justice has become a symbol of the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, avarice, prejudice, or favor. The blindfold represents a system of justice that is blinded to all prejudices or favor. The scales represent justice that is administered fairly and the sword represents justice that is authoritative. Lady Justice is a symbol of the American system of justice and the ideals it embodies.

(11) The Lord's Prayer, used to teach people how best to seek their daily needs, is a model of philosophy and inspiration for legal and moral systems throughout the ages. In the colonies, James Oglethorpe brought debtors to freedom in our neighboring State of Georgia in remembrance of "forgiving our debts as we forgive our debtors".

(12) The Emancipation Proclamation, signed on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln, provided that the slaves in all parts of the United States and in the states then in rebellion were forever free. The penultimate paragraph states, "And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God".

(13) "I Have A Dream" is the popular name given to the historic public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., when he spoke of his desire for a future where blacks and whites, among others, would coexist harmoniously as equals. King's delivery of the speech on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. Delivered to over two hundred thousand civil rights supporters, the speech is often considered to be one of the greatest and most notable speeches in history and was ranked the top American speech of the 20th Century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

(E) All documents which are included in a Foundations of American Law and Government display must be posted on paper not less than eleven by fourteen inches in dimension and must be framed in identically-styled frames. One document may not be displayed more prominently than another.

(F) State funding may be used for a Foundations of American Law and Government display.

(G) In order that each municipality, county, or other political subdivision of this State including, but not limited to, a school board, may have access to advice on the current status of the law concerning the Foundations of American Law and Government display, as described in this section, the Attorney General's office shall prepare a statement of the applicable constitutional law and, upon request, make that statement available to a member of the General Assembly or a municipality, county, or other political subdivision. As necessary, the Attorney General's office shall update this statement to reflect any changes made in the law. The Attorney General's office may make the statement available through the most economical and convenient method including, but not limited to, posting the statement on a web site.

(H) Nothing in this section prohibits a municipality, county, or other political subdivision of this State, including, but not limited to, a school board, from developing its own policy on the display of any one or all of the documents included in the Foundations of American Law and Government display, as described in this section, based upon advice from legal counsel.

(I) An advisory committee is established to make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Department of Archives and History regarding the public representations of the Foundations of American Law and Government display documents, the appropriate information to be included in the display, and recommendations concerning other documents to be added to the list for the display. The committee must submit an annual report to the Commission for the Department of Archives and History, the President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The committee shall be appointed by the Commission of the Department of Archives and History to consist of:

(1) a member appointed upon the recommendation of the South Carolina Attorney General;

(2) a member appointed upon the recommendation of the South Carolina Historical Association;

(3) a member appointed upon the recommendation of the South Carolina History Society;

(4) a member with expertise in legal history to be appointed upon the recommendation of the Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the Dean of the Charleston School of Law; and

(5) a member with expertise in United States or South Carolina history appointed upon the recommendation of the presidents of the research universities of South Carolina.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 340, Section 2; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 41, eff January 31, 2019.

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 1, Section 41, in (I), in the second sentence, substituted "President of the Senate" for "President Pro Tempore of the Senate".

SECTION 10-1-170. Memorial in honor of South Carolina war dead, prisoners of war, servicemen missing in action, and veterans.

A. The Division of General Services and the South Carolina Arts Commission are authorized to erect a memorial on the State House grounds in honor of the South Carolina war dead who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam as well as the prisoners of war and those missing in action and in appreciation for those South Carolinians who have served our State and nation honorably in the armed forces at the site designated in the feasibility study made by the Division of General Services dated April 25, 1983.

B. In order to carry out the purposes of this section the Division of General Services is authorized to accept gifts or grants of services, properties, or monies from posts or chapters of nationally organized and recognized organizations of war veterans or any other private organization or persons.

C. The Arts Commission and the Division of General Services shall cooperate with the S. C. Veterans Monument Association as to the design, selection, and construction of the monument to be erected and shall be authorized to use such funds as necessary out of the state Sinking Fund, not to exceed three hundred thousand dollars.

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 512, Part II, Section 29.

SECTION 10-1-175. Law enforcement officer memorial.

(A) In addition to the memorial on the State House grounds authorized to be erected to honor South Carolina war dead as provided in Section 10-1-170, the Division of General Services is also authorized to erect a memorial on the State House grounds at an appropriate location it determines to honor state or local law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

(B) In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the Division of General Services is authorized to accept gifts or grants of services, properties, or monies from law enforcement support organizations or from any other private persons or organizations.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 410, Section 1.

SECTION 10-1-178. African-American History Monument.

There is hereby established on the grounds of the State House an African-American History Monument. The design and location of the monument shall be determined by the commission appointed pursuant to Section 10-1-179. The commission shall make reasonable efforts to incorporate all eras of African-American history in the design. The monument shall be erected as soon as is reasonably possible after it is approved by the General Assembly by concurrent resolution and the State House Renovation Project is completed.

HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 457, Section 1.

SECTION 10-1-179. African-American History Monument Commission; museum; dissolution of commission.

(A) An African-American History Monument Commission is created to determine the design of the monument and to determine the location of the monument on the State House grounds. The commission is empowered and directed to raise private funds and to receive gifts and grants to carry out the purpose for which it is created. The commission in this regard shall have the power to cause to be created a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation the purpose of which shall be to receive and disburse funds for the African-American History Monument. The staff of the Department of Administration shall assist the commission with the preparation and maintenance of financial records for the purpose of ensuring proper accounting of the records. The financial records are public records for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, except that the names of anonymous donors shall not be disclosed.

By April 1, 1997, the commission shall report the proposed design and location of the monument to the State House Committee for its approval. After action by the committee approving the design and location, the State House Committee shall cause to be introduced the concurrent resolution serving as the instrument of approval as provided in Section 1 of this act. The State shall ensure proper maintenance of the monument as is done for other historical monuments on the State House grounds.

Four members of the commission must be appointed by the President of the Senate, four members must be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one member must be appointed by the Governor. Notwithstanding Section 8-13-770 of the 1976 Code, members of the General Assembly may be appointed to this commission. One of the members appointed by the President of the Senate must be a Senator and one of the members appointed by the Speaker must be a member of the House of Representatives.

The commission shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, and such other officers as it deems appropriate from among its membership. The senior senator of the commission shall call an organizational meeting for the purpose of electing officers and such other matters as may arise. Commission members are not entitled to receive the subsistence, mileage, and per diem otherwise provided by law for members of state boards, committees, and commissions.

(B) The commission also shall study the feasibility of establishing an African-American History Museum analogous to the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum and make recommendations with respect to its findings on this subject to the State House Committee. This new museum shall collect and display historical artifacts and other items reflecting African-American history in this State. A preliminary report on this study must be made to the State House Committee no later than April 1, 1997, and a final report and recommendation on this study must be made by January 1, 2001.

(C) The commission established pursuant to this act is dissolved on January 1, 2001. However, the commission must be dissolved earlier if both the monument is dedicated and the final report is made before January 1, 2001, in which case the commission must be dissolved on the date of the later occurring event of the dedication of the monument or the receipt of the final report. If the African-American History Monument has not been dedicated by January 1, 2001, the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the African-American History Monument Commission shall be devolved upon the State House Committee.

HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 457, Section 2; 1999 Act No. 100, Part II, Section 60.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

Editor's Note

2019 Act No. 1, Section 97, provides as follows:

"SECTION 97. The Code Commissioner is directed to change all references to 'President Pro Tempore', 'President Pro Tempore of the Senate', or 'President of the Senate Pro Tempore' not specifically addressed in this act to 'President of the Senate'."

SECTION 10-1-180. Expenditure of funds by state agency subject to approval and regulation of State Budget and Control Board; exceptions.

The expenditure of funds by any state agency, except the Department of Transportation for permanent improvements as defined in the state budget, is subject to approval and regulation of the State Budget and Control Board. The board shall have authority to allot to specific projects from funds made available for such purposes, such amounts as are estimated to cover the respective costs of such projects, to declare the completion of any such projects, and to dispose, according to law, of any unexpended balances of allotments, or appropriations, or funds otherwise provided for such projects, upon the completion thereof. The approval of the Budget and Control Board is not required for minor construction projects, including renovations and alterations, where the cost does not exceed an amount determined by the Joint Bond Review Committee and the Budget and Control Board.

All construction, improvement, and renovation of state buildings shall comply with the applicable standards and specifications set forth in each of the following codes: The Standard Building Code, The Standard Existing Building Code, The Standard Gas Code, The Standard Mechanical Code, The Standard Plumbing Code and The Standard Fire Prevention Code, all as adopted by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc.; and the National Electrical Code NFPA 70, The National Electrical Safety Code-ANSI-C2, The National Fire Protection Association Standard-NFPA 59, all with the code editions, revision years, and deletions as specified in the Manual For Planning and Execution of State Permanent Improvements. The State Engineer shall determine the enforcement and interpretation of the aforementioned codes and referenced standards on state buildings. Any interested local officials shall coordinate their comments related to state buildings through the State Engineer and shall neither delay construction nor delay or deny water, sewer, power, other utilities, or firefighting services. Agencies may appeal to the Director of Office of General Services regarding the application of these codes to state buildings.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 145, Part II, Section 11.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, reference in this section to the former Budget and Control Board has not been changed pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), until further action by the General Assembly.

Editor's Note

Under the provisions of Chapter 34, Title 1, an agency is required to adopt the latest edition of a nationally recognized code which it is charged by statute or regulation with enforcing by giving notice in the State Register.

SECTION 10-1-190. Department of Administration may apply net proceeds from trade of property to the improvement of property.

As part of the approval process relating to trades of state property for nonstate property, the Department of Administration is authorized to approve the application of any net proceeds resulting from such a transaction to the improvement of the property held by the department.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 145, Part II, Section 12; 2014 Act No. 121 (S.22), Pt V, Section 7.L, eff July 1, 2015.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 121, Section 7.L, substituted "Department of Administration" for "Budget and Control Board" and substituted "department" for "board".

SECTION 10-1-200. Regulation of parking facilities owned or controlled by agencies of state government.

Parking facilities owned or controlled by agencies of the state government must be regulated as follows:

(1) The Department of Administration is director to establish and collect a schedule of charges for the use of the parking facilities in the Capitol Complex and other individually assigned spaces in state-owned parking lots and facilities administered by the Department of Administration. Proceeds of these charges, except where the proceeds are pledged to the retirement of indebtedness or to expenses related to the provision of the facilities, must be deposited in the General Fund of the State. The schedule of charges shall include charges for a fixed number of parking spaces to both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the McEachern Parking Facility in an area adjacent to each respective body's office building, sufficient to provide spaces for all members of the General Assembly and all permanent employees of the Senate and House of Representatives and Joint Legislative Committees as determined by the respective operations and management committees of the body.

(2) Any agency or institution of the state government owning or controlling parking facilities, excluding the South Carolina Educational Television Commission and the Department of Agriculture when receiving revenues from parking during University football games, at its discretion, subject to approval of the Budget and Control Board, may charge such rates as it considers appropriate for the use of such facilities, except where these proceeds are pledged to the retirement of bonded indebtedness, and shall deposit the proceeds to the credit of the General Fund of the State.

(3) Any unauthorized motor vehicle parked in a reserved space on state-owned or controlled property may be removed and the cost involved in removing and storing the vehicle must be paid by the owner of the vehicle.

HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 145, Part II, Section 10.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-205. Computers in public libraries; regulation of Internet access.

A computer which:

(1) is located in a lending library supported by public funds, public school library or media arts center, or in the library of a public institution of higher learning as defined in Section 59-103-5;

(2) can access the Internet; and

(3) is available for use by the public or students, or both;

shall have its use policies determined by the library's or center's governing board, as appropriate. The governing board must adopt policies intended to reduce the ability of the user to access web sites displaying information or material in violation of Article 3 of Chapter 15 of Title 16.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 97.A; 2000 Act No. 407, Section 1.

SECTION 10-1-206. Library pilot program for Internet filtering software.

(A)(1) A pilot program is hereby established to assess the feasibility of installing Internet filtering software in libraries or institutions as defined in Section 10-1-205, if funding is available.

(2) The Department of Administration shall be responsible for implementing this program and selecting appropriate filtering software. A minimum of three filtering software programs shall be tested.

(B)(1) The Department of Administration shall request institutions to voluntarily participate in the pilot program. Pilot areas shall be located in the upstate, midstate, and lowcountry areas of South Carolina. The department shall make every effort to ensure that one public school and one public library in each area are selected. Participating institutions must already have filtering software in place that meets the requirements of item (2) of this subsection or agree to install recommended filtering software purchased by the State.

(2) Participating institutions in the pilot area must equip Internet accessible computers with one of the software filtering devices provided by the Department of Administration, if not equipped, as provided by (B)(1). This software must incorporate web-filtering technology designed to eliminate or reduce the ability of the computer to access web sites displaying pornographic pictures or any other obscene material as defined by law. Selected software must be able to distinguish between pornographic and obscene web sites and medical research web sites.

(C) The Department of Administration shall be responsible for evaluating this program. The evaluation shall be based on the following criteria:

(1) the filtering programs' ability to limit or restrict access to sources of information or images that are considered obscene including hard-core pornography and child pornography;

(2) the filtering programs' ability to limit or restrict access to sources of pornographic information or images that could be obscene as to minors or harmful to minors; and

(3) the filtering programs' ability to successfully access and not filter legitimate research sites.

(D) Any person blocked from an Internet site he believes contains material that does not meet the criteria listed in items (1) or (2) of subsection (C) above, and desires to access such Internet site, may make a request that the institution unblock the specified site. If the institution determines that the site does not fall within the criteria listed in items (1) or (2) of subsection (C), the institution shall unblock such Internet site. An adult patron may request unfiltered access to the Internet for serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific purposes, and the institution may temporarily disable the blocking software for such purposes.

(E) The pilot program shall take effect on the effective date of this section and shall expire on June 29, 2001. By December 1, 2001, the board shall report its findings to the General Assembly.

(F) Medical schools are exempt from the pilot program.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 407, Section 2.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1), effective July 1, 2015.

SECTION 10-1-210. Pay telephone revenue.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all state agencies, institutions, colleges, and universities must remit to the general fund all revenues received and all monies retained above the cost of allowing the placement or location of pay telephones on public property. Each state agency, institution, college, and university must annually report to the Executive Budget Office the revenue received for allowing the placement or location of pay telephones on public property, including any commission received for allowing the placement or location of pay telephones on public property. Public property means any and all property occupied or under the control of a state agency, institution, college, or university. The State shall forego any commissions or revenues for the provision of pay telephones in institutions of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice for use by inmates. The Department of Administration shall ensure that the telephone rates charged by vendors for the use of those telephones must be reduced to reflect this foregone state revenue.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 353, Section 2, Part 32A.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1).