A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 8-13-1345 so as to prohibit a person who has made a campaign contribution to a popularly elected public official within the previous four years from being appointed to a public office by that public official who is The appointing or selecting authority for the position, and to provide for related applications of the section and for exceptions.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.   Chapter 13, Title 8 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 8-13-1345.   (A)   A person who has made a campaign contribution, as defined by Section 8-13-1300(7), within the previous four years to a popularly elected public official may not be appointed to or selected for any public office of honor or profit as enumerated by Section 1, Article VI and Section 1A, Article XVII of the Constitution of this State by that popularly elected public official in his capacity as the appointing or selecting authority for that position.

   (B)   The provisions of subsection (A) also:

      (1)   prohibit the appointment, election, or selection by the General Assembly of a person to a public office if that person has made a campaign contribution to any present member of the General Assembly within the previous four years;

      (2)   prohibit the appointment, election, or selection by any county legislative delegation or group of members of the General Assembly from a particular judicial circuit, congressional district, or other grouping of members of the General Assembly as provided by law if the person has made a campaign contribution within the previous four years to any present member of the General Assembly from that delegation or other grouping; and

      (3)   prohibit the appointment, election, or selection of a person to a public office by any committee, entity, or other grouping composed in whole or in part of public officials from the executive branch or legislative branch, or both, who have voting privileges as part of that entity, if the person has made a campaign contribution to any such member of the entity or grouping within the previous four years.

   (C)   Recommendations for appointment or selection to a subsequent appointing authority, including the Governor, are not prohibited by this section, except that if the subsequent appointing authority is a popularly elected public official, the provisions of this section do apply in regard to campaign contributions made to this popularly elected public official within the previous four years.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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