South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 3696

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A BILL

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 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 AND SIXTEENTH CIRCUITS.

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 ninth and 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. 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 by the Governor.

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