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Rep. TUCKER moved to adjourn debate upon the following Bill, which was adopted.

S. 1064 -- Senator McConnell: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-460 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF PAPER BALLOTS IN ELECTIONS CONDUCTED TO FILL VACANCIES.

The following Bills were taken up, read the second time, and ordered to a third reading:

S. 1073 -- Senator McGill: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 16-13-380, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THEFT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT, SO AS TO ADD A PENALTY FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE.

Rep. KLAUBER explained the Bill.

S. 1198 -- Senator Alexander: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 4-9-145, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT, POWERS, AND DUTIES OF COUNTY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO AS TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF THEIR DUTIES.

Rep. KLAUBER explained the Bill.

Rep. YOUNG-BRICKELL moved to adjourn debate upon the following Bill, which was adopted.

S. 1100 -- Senators Leventis, Giese, Russell, Reese and Cork: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 1-5-40 SO AS TO DESIGNATE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MONITOR ALL ELECTED OR APPOINTED STATE BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND JUDICIAL OFFICES IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN WHEN VACANCIES OCCUR AND PUBLICIZE THESE VACANCIES AND POSITIONS ON THESE BODIES WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE.

The following Bill was taken up.

S. 1114 -- Senator Greg Smith: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 30-5-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REGISTERS OF MESNE CONVEYANCES, SO AS TO ADD GEORGETOWN COUNTY TO THE LIST OF COUNTIES WHICH HAVE A REGISTER OF MESNE CONVEYANCES; AND TO AMEND SECTION 30-5-12, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF REGISTERS OF MESNE CONVEYANCES, SO AS TO ADD GEORGETOWN COUNTY TO THE LIST OF COUNTIES WHICH SHALL APPOINT THE REGISTER OF MESNE CONVEYANCES FOR ITS COUNTY PURSUANT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS IT MAY AGREE UPON.

Rep. T. BROWN proposed the following Amendment No. 1 (Doc Name P:\amend\GJK\22744DW.96), which was adopted.

Amend the bill, as and if amended, page 2, SECTION 2, by inserting immediately after /upon./ on line 7 /The governing body of Georgetown County may appoint a register of mesne conveyances only after advertising the information concerning the appointment for two weeks before action is taken in a newspaper of general circulation in the county./

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend totals and title to conform.

Rep. T. BROWN explained the amendment.

The amendment was then adopted.

The Bill, as amended, was read the second time and ordered to third reading.

The following Bill was taken up.

S. 1123 -- Senator Reese: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 23-31-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE PURCHASE OF RIFLES OR SHOTGUNS, SO AS TO ALLOW RESIDENTS OF ANY STATE RATHER THAN ONLY RESIDENTS OF CONTIGUOUS STATES TO PURCHASE RIFLES AND SHOTGUNS IN THIS STATE.

Rep. KLAUBER moved to adjourn debate upon the Bill until Wednesday, May 22, which was adopted.

The following Bill was taken up.

S. 1147 -- Senator Hayes: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 16-13-425, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL FAILURE TO RETURN A LEASED OR RENTED VIDEO OR CASSETTE TAPE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE OF THE EXPIRATION OF THE LEASE OR RENTAL PERIOD MUST BE PROVIDED TO THE LESSOR OR RENTER.

Rep. KLAUBER explained the Bill.

Rep. J. BROWN moved to adjourn debate upon the Bill until Tuesday, May 28, which was adopted.

The following Bill was taken up.

S. 1160 -- Senator Holland: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 7-3-40, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REPORTS TO BE FURNISHED BY THE BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE BUREAU MUST FURNISH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION WITH A MONTHLY REPORT OF PERSONS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO HAVE DIED INSTEAD OF PERSONS WHO ARE TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-430, RELATING TO REGISTRATION BOOKS FOR GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRATION MUST FURNISH THE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONERS WITH ONE REGISTRATION BOOK FOR EACH POLLING PRECINCT; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-670, RELATING TO USE AND CUSTODY OF REGISTRATION BOOKS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT REGISTRATION BOOKS BE KEPT IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT OF A COUNTY; TO AMEND SECTION 7-9-50, RELATING TO MEETINGS OF PARTY CLUBS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE PRESIDENT OR FIVE MEMBERS MAY CALL ALL SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE CLUB;

Reps. CROMER and CLYBURN proposed the following Amendment No. 1 (Doc Name P:\amend\PT\2560DW.96).

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by adding appropriately numbered SECTIONS:

/SECTION . Section 7-11-15 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 226 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-11-15. (A)In order to qualify as a candidate to run in the general election, all candidates seeking nomination by political party primary or political party convention must file a statement of intention of candidacy between noon on March sixteenth and noon on March thirtieth as provided in this section. If either of these dates are a Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the statements must be filed by noon the following day.

(1) Candidates seeking nomination for a statewide, congressional, or district office which includes more than one county shall file their statements of intention of candidacy with the State Executive Committee of their respective party Election Commission.

(2) Candidates seeking nomination for the state Senate or House of Representatives must file their statements of intention of candidacy with the county executive committee of their respective party election commission in the county of their residence. The county committees election commissions must, within five days of the receipt of the statements, transmit them along with the applicable filing fees to the

(3) Candidates seeking nomination for a countywide or less than countywide office shall must file their statements of intention of candidacy with the county executive committee of their respective party election commission in the county of their residence.

(B) Except as provided herein in this section, the county executive committee of any political party election commission with whom statements of intention of candidacy are filed must file, in turn, all statements of intention of candidacy with the county election commission respective county party executive committee by noon on the tenth day following the deadline for filing statements by candidates. If the tenth day falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the statements must be filed by noon the following day. The State Executive Committee Election Commission of any political party with whom statements of intention of candidacy are filed must file transmit, in turn, all the statements of intention of candidacy along with the applicable filing fees with to the respective State Election Commission Executive Committees by noon on the tenth day following the deadline for filing statements by candidates. If the tenth day falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the statements must be filed by noon the following day. No candidate's name may appear on a primary election ballot, convention slate of candidates, general election ballot, or special election ballot, except as otherwise provided by law, if the candidate's statement of intention of candidacy has not been filed with the county election commission or State Election Commission authority authorized to receive filings, as set out above, as the case may be, by the deadline. The candidate's name must appear if the candidate produces the signed and dated copy of his timely filed statement of intention of candidacy.

(C) The statement of intention of candidacy required in this section and in Section 7-13-190(B) must be on a form designed and provided by the State Election Commission. It must be filed in triplicate by the candidate, and the political party committee authority with whom it is filed must stamp it with the date and time received, sign it, keep one copy, return one copy to the candidate, and send one copy to either the county election commission executive committee or the State Election Commission Executive Committee, as the case may be.

(D) If, after the closing of the time for filing statements of intention of candidacy, there are not more than two candidates for any one office and

(E) The provisions of this section do not apply to nonpartisan school trustee elections in any school district where local law provisions provide for other dates and procedures for filing statements of candidacy or petitions, and to the extent the provisions of this section and the local law provisions conflict, the local law provisions control."

SECTION . Section 7-11-210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 226 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-11-210. (A) Every candidate for selection as a nominee of any political party for any state office, United States Senator, member of Congress or solicitor, to be voted for in any party primary election, shall file with and place in the possession of the treasurer of the state committee State Election Commission by twelve o'clock noon on March thirtieth a notice or pledge in the following form, the blanks being properly filled in and the notice or pledge signed by the candidate: `I hereby file my notice as a candidate for the nomination as in the primary election to be held on . I affiliate with the Party, and I hereby pledge myself to abide by the results of the primary and I authorize the issuance of an injunction upon ex parte application by the party chairman, as provided by law, should I violate this pledge by offering or campaigning in the ensuing general election for election to this office or any other office for which a nominee has been elected in the party primary election, unless the nominee for the office has become deceased or otherwise disqualified for election in the ensuing general election'.

(B) Every candidate for selection in a primary election as the nominee of any political party for member of the Senate, member of the House of Representatives, and all county and township offices shall file with and place in the possession of the county chairman or other officer as may be named by the county committee election commission of the county in which they reside by twelve o'clock noon on March thirtieth a like notice and pledge.

(C) The notice of candidacy required by this section to be filed by a candidate in a primary must be signed personally by the candidate, and the signature of the candidate must be signed in the presence of the county chairman a member of the commission or other officer person as may be named by the county committee commission with whom the candidate is

(D) In the event that If a person who was defeated as a candidate for nomination to an office in a party's primary election shall thereafter offer offers or campaign campaigns as a candidate against any nominee for election to any office in the ensuing general election, the state chairman of the party which held the primary (if the office involved is one voted for in the general election by the electors of more than one county), or the county chairman of the party which held the primary (in the case of all other offices), shall forthwith immediately institute an action in a court of competent jurisdiction for an order enjoining the person from so offering or campaigning in the general election, and the court is hereby empowered upon proof of these facts to issue an order."

SECTION . Section 7-13-40 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 226 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-13-40. In the event that If a party nominates candidates by party primary, a party primary must be held by the party and conducted by the State Election Commission and the respective county election commissions on the second Tuesday in June of each general election year and a second and third primary each two weeks successively thereafter, if necessary. Certification of the names of all candidates to be placed on primary ballots must be made by the political party chairman, vice chairman, or secretary to the State Election Commission or the county election commission, whichever is responsible under law for preparing the ballot, not later than twelve o'clock noon on April ninth, or if April ninth falls on a Sunday, not later than twelve o'clock noon on the following Monday. Political parties nominating candidates by party primary must verify the qualifications of those candidates prior to certification to the appropriate election commission of the names of candidates to be placed on primary ballots. The written certification required by this section must contain a statement that all candidates certified meet the qualifications for the office for which they have filed. The filing fees for all candidates filing to run in all primaries, except municipal primaries, must be transmitted by the respective political parties to the State Election Commission and placed by the executive director of the commission in a special account designated for use in conducting the primaries and must be used for that purpose. The filing fee for each office is one percent of the total salary for the term of that office or one hundred dollars, whichever amount is greater."

Section 7-13-350. The nominees in a party primary or party convention held under the provisions of this title by any political party certified by the commission under this title for one or more of the offices, national, state, circuit, multi-county district, countywide, or less than countywide, to be voted on in the general election must be placed upon the appropriate ballot for the election as candidates nominated by party by the authority charged by law with preparing the ballot if the names of the nominees are certified by the political party chairman, vice-chairman, or secretary to the authority, for general elections held under Section 7-13-10, not later than twelve o'clock noon on September first or, if September first falls on Sunday, not later than twelve o'clock noon on the following Monday and for a special or municipal election, by at least twelve o'clock noon on the thirtieth day prior to the date of holding the election, or if the thirtieth day falls on Sunday, by twelve o'clock noon on the following Monday. Political parties nominating candidates by primary or convention must verify the qualifications of those candidates prior to certification to the authority charged by law with preparing the ballot. The written certification required by this section must contain a statement that all candidates certified meet the qualifications for the office for which they have filed."

Amend further, SECTION 6, page 5, lines 36 through 42, and on page 6, lines 1 through 12, by striking the SECTION in its entirety and inserting:

/SECTION 6. Section 7-13-45 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

Section 7-13-45. In every general election year, the county chairman election commission shall:

(1) designate a specified place other than a private residence either its office, or the county board of voter registration office in the event there is no election commission office, as the place where persons may file as candidates;

(2) establish regular hours of not less than four hours a day of the first day of filing and during the final seventy-two hours of the filing period in which he the commission or some person he designates designated by the commission must be present at the designated place to accept filings;

(3) place an advertisement to appear two weeks before the filing period begins in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least five by seven inches in size that notifies the public of the dates of the filing period, the offices which may be filed for, the place and street address where filings may be made, and the hours that an authorized person will be present to receive filings."

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