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TO AMEND SECTION 2-17-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE LOBBYIST'S REPORT OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES, SO AS TO REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC REPORT WHEN A LOBBYIST HAS PERFORMED LOBBYING ACTIVITIES OR HAD OTHER WORK-RELATED CONTACTS WITH A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, OR WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, OR THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF; TO AMEND SECTION 2-17-35, RELATING TO THE LOBBYIST'S PRINCIPAL'S REPORT OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES, SO AS TO REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC REPORT WHEN A LOBBYIST ACTING ON BEHALF OF A LOBBYIST'S PRINCIPAL HAS PERFORMED LOBBYING ACTIVITIES OR HAD OTHER WORK-RELATED CONTACTS WITH A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, OR WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, OR THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF; TO AMEND SECTION 8-13-700, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO USE OF OFFICIAL POSITION FOR FINANCIAL GAIN, SO AS TO PROHIBIT MEMBERS OR EMPLOYEES OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OR THE OFFICE OF REGULATORY STAFF FROM RECEIVING ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM A UTILITY, COMPANY, CORPORATION, ENTITY, JOINT VENTURE, OR PERSON WHOSE BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE, OPERATIONS, OR ACTIVITIES ARE REGULATED, WHETHER WHOLLY OR IN PART, BY A GOVERNMENTAL REGULATORY AGENCY PURSUANT TO TITLE 58 OF THE 1976 CODE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 8-13-1332, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR CANDIDATES FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, OR STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS OR CANDIDATES FOR A STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE FROM SOLICITING OR ACCEPTING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM A UTILITY, COMPANY, CORPORATION, ENTITY, JOINT VENTURE, OR PERSON, WHOSE BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE, OPERATIONS, OR ACTIVITIES ARE REGULATED, WHETHER WHOLLY OR IN PART, BY A GOVERNMENTAL REGULATORY AGENCY PURSUANT TO TITLE 58 OF THE 1976 CODE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 2-17-30 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:
"( ) A lobbyist who is required to file periodic reports with the State Ethics Commission pursuant to this section shall file an additional report with the State Ethics Commission within ten days of performing lobbying activities or having work-related contacts with a member of the Public Service Commission, or with an employee of the Public Service Commission, or the Office of Regulatory Staff. If the lobbying activities or work-related contacts occur less than ten days prior to the next meeting of the Public Service Commission, then the lobbyist's report must be filed prior to the Public Service Commission meeting."
SECTION 2. Section 2-17-35 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:
"( ) A lobbyist's principal who is required to file periodic reports with the State Ethics Commission pursuant to this section shall file an additional report with the State Ethics Commission if a lobbyist acting on behalf of the lobbyist's principal has performed lobbying activities or had work-related contacts with a member of the Public Service Commission, or with an employee of the Public Service Commission, or the Office of Regulatory Staff. This additional report must be filed within ten days of the lobbying activity or work-related contact described in this subsection. If the lobbying activities or work-related contacts occur less than ten days prior to the next meeting of the Public Service Commission, then the lobbyist's principal's report must be filed prior to the Public Service Commission meeting."
SECTION 3. Section 8-13-700 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 40 of 2011, is further amended by adding an appropriately lettered subsection at the end to read:
"( ) A public official, public member, or public employee of the Public Service Commission or the Office of Regulatory Staff may not directly or indirectly, ask, demand, solicit, seek, accept, receive, or agree to receive anything of value from a utility, company, corporation, entity, joint venture, or other 'person', as defined in Section 8-13-100(24), whose business, enterprise, operations, or activities are regulated, whether wholly or in part, by a governmental regulatory agency pursuant to Title 58 of the 1976 Code."
SECTION 4. Section 8-13-1332 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 76 of 2003, is further amended to read:
"Section 8-13-1332. It is unlawful for a:
(1) a committee or ballot measure committee to make a contribution or expenditure by using:
(a) anything of value secured by physical force, job discrimination, financial reprisals, or threat of the same;
(b) dues, fees, or other monies required as a condition of membership in a labor organization, or as a condition of employment; or
(c) monies obtained by the committee or the ballot measure committee in a commercial transaction;
(2) a person to solicit an employee for a contribution and fail to inform the employee of the political purposes of the committee or ballot measure committee and of the employee's right to refuse to contribute without any an advantage or promise of an advantage conditioned upon making the contribution or reprisal or threat of reprisal related to the failure to make the contribution;
(3) a corporation or committee of a corporation to solicit contributions to the corporation or committee from a person other than its shareholders, directors, executive or administrative personnel, and their families, except as provided in Section 8-13-1333.; or
(4) member of the General Assembly or a candidate for the General Assembly; or a statewide constitutional officer or a candidate for a statewide constitutional office to solicit or accept a campaign contribution from a utility, company, corporation, entity, joint venture, or 'person', as defined in Section 8-13-1300(25), whose business, enterprise, operations, or activities are regulated, whether wholly or in part, by a governmental regulatory agency pursuant to Title 58 of the 1976 Code."
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on November 9, 2017 at 2:21 PM