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A232, R266, H3696
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Lucas, G.M. Smith, Murphy, Simrill, Rutherford, Bannister, Bradley, Erickson, Gatch, Herbkersman, Kimmons, W. Newton, Rivers, Stavrinakis, Weeks, S. Williams, McGarry, Carter, Hart, Jefferson, R. Williams, Govan and Thigpen
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bh\7396ahb21.docx
Introduced in the House on January 14, 2021
Introduced in the Senate on February 25, 2021
Last Amended on June 15, 2022
Passed by the General Assembly on June 15, 2022
Governor's Action: June 17, 2022, Signed
Summary: Number of judges in certain circuits increased
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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1/14/2021 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 572)
1/14/2021 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
(House Journal-page 572)
1/26/2021 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McGarry
2/11/2021 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Carter
2/18/2021 House Committee report: Favorable Judiciary
(House Journal-page 50)
2/23/2021 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hart,
Jefferson, R.Williams
2/23/2021 House Debate adjourned until Wed., 2-24-21
(House Journal-page 30)
2/24/2021 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan, Thigpen
2/24/2021 House Read second time (House Journal-page 25)
2/24/2021 House Roll call Yeas-113 Nays-2 (House Journal-page 25)
2/25/2021 House Read third time and sent to Senate
(House Journal-page 12)
2/25/2021 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 8)
2/25/2021 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
(Senate Journal-page 8)
3/19/2021 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Young (ch), Sabb, Matthews,
Garrett, M.Johnson
5/5/2021 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
(Senate Journal-page 10)
5/6/2021 Scrivener's error corrected
5/12/2021 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 41)
5/13/2021 Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/13/2021 Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/13/2021 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments
(Senate Journal-page 21)
5/13/2021 Senate Roll call Ayes-38 Nays-3 (Senate Journal-page 21)
5/18/2021 Scrivener's error corrected
1/26/2022 House Recommitted to Committee on Judiciary
(House Journal-page 22)
3/30/2022 House Recalled from Committee on Judiciary
(House Journal-page 22)
3/31/2022 House Non-concurrence in Senate amendment
(House Journal-page 17)
3/31/2022 House Roll call Yeas-0 Nays-104 (House Journal-page 18)
4/5/2022 Senate Senate insists upon amendment and conference committee
appointed Rankin, Hutto, Talley
(Senate Journal-page 11)
4/6/2022 House Conference committee appointed GM Smith, Rutherford, W
Newton (House Journal-page 9)
6/15/2022 Senate Conference report received and adopted
(Senate Journal-page 164)
6/15/2022 Senate Roll call Ayes-37 Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 164)
6/15/2022 House Conference report received and adopted
(House Journal-page 64)
6/15/2022 House Roll call Yeas-108 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 66)
6/15/2022 House Ordered enrolled for ratification
(House Journal-page 234)
6/16/2022 Ratified R 266
6/17/2022 Signed By Governor
6/28/2022 Effective date 06/17/22
6/28/2022 Act No. 232
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/14/2021
2/18/2021
5/5/2021
5/6/2021
5/13/2021
5/18/2021
6/15/2022
(A232, R266, H3696)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 14-5-610, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DIVISION OF THE STATE INTO SIXTEEN JUDICIAL CIRCUITS, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES BY ONE IN THE SECOND, NINTH, FOURTEENTH, AND FIFTEENTH CIRCUITS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-40, RELATING TO FAMILY COURT JUDGES ELECTED FROM EACH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, SO AS TO INCREASE BY ONE THE NUMBER OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES IN THE FIRST, SEVENTH, AND SIXTEENTH CIRCUITS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Additional circuit court judges
SECTION 1. Section 14-5-610(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) One judge must be elected from the sixth and twelfth circuits. Two judges must be elected from the first, second, third, fourth, seventh, eighth, tenth, eleventh, and sixteenth circuits. Three judges must be elected from the fifth, fourteenth, and fifteenth circuits. Four judges must be elected from the ninth and thirteenth circuits."
Additional family court judges
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 Four Judges
Second Circuit Two Judges
Third Circuit Three Judges
Fourth Circuit Three Judges
Fifth Circuit Four Judges
Sixth Circuit Two Judges
Seventh Circuit Four 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 Three Judges."
Judicial Merit Selection Commission process
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. 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.
Time effective
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 16th day of June, 2022.
Approved the 17th day of June, 2022.
This web page was last updated on July 19, 2022 at 11:17 AM