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AMENDED
February 13, 2020
H. 4974
Introduced by Reps. Lucas, Simrill, Rutherford, Pope, McCoy, G.M. Smith, Bannister, Hart, B. Newton, Bales, Forrest, Henderson-Myers, Weeks, Fry, Hixon and Govan
S. Printed 2/13/20--H.
Read the first time January 21, 2020.
TO AMEND SECTION 14-5-610, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF THE STATE INTO SIXTEEN JUDICIAL CIRCUITS AND ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE JUDGES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AT-LARGE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES FROM SIXTEEN TO SEVENTEEN; AND TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-40, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT JUDGES ELECTED FROM EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT AND ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE JUDGES, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AT-LARGE FAMILY COURT JUDGES FROM EIGHT TO TEN.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 14-5-610(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) One judge must be elected from the second, sixth, and twelfth circuits. Two judges must be elected from the first, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth circuits. Three judges must be elected from the fifth and, ninth, fourteenth, and fifteenth circuits. Four judges must be elected from the thirteenth circuit."
SECTION 2. Section 63-3-40(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:
First Circuit Three Four Judges
Second Circuit Two Judges
Third Circuit Three Judges
Fourth Circuit Three Judges
Fifth Circuit Four Judges
Sixth Circuit Two Judges
Seventh Circuit Three Judges
Eighth Circuit Three Judges
Ninth Circuit Six Judges
Tenth Circuit Three Judges
Eleventh Circuit Three Judges
Twelfth Circuit Three Judges
Thirteenth Circuit Six Judges
Fourteenth Circuit Three Judges
Fifteenth Circuit Three Judges
Sixteenth Circuit Two Three Judges"
SECTION 3. The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall begin the process of nominating candidates for the judicial offices authorized by the provisions of SECTIONS 1 and 2, except that the additional judicial office in Section 1 added in the fourteenth judicial circuit is not effective until July 1, 2022. The General Assembly then shall elect these judges from the nominees of the commission; except that, the nominating process may not begin until funding for the additional judges is provided in the general appropriations act.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor.
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