A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 4-1-80, RELATING TO COUNTY OFFICERS SHALL BE FURNISHED OFFICE SPACE, FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT BY COUNTY, SO AS TO FURNISH SPACE IN A SECURE, EXISTING FACILITY FOR THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION TO CONDUCT HEARINGS UPON REQUEST OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 4-9-55, RELATING TO ENACTMENT OF GENERAL LAWS AFFECTING COUNTIES' EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE RAISING;  CONDITIONS;  EXCEPTIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION IN THE EXCEPTIONS.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  Section 4-1-80 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 4-1-80.  (A) The governing body of each county shall furnish the probate judge, auditor, superintendent of education, clerk of court, sheriff, treasurer and master in equity of their respective counties office room, together with necessary furniture and stationery for the same, which shall be kept at the courthouse of their respective counties, and it shall supply the offices of such officials with fuel, lights, postage and other incidentals necessary to the proper transaction of the legitimate business of such offices.

    The provisions of this section(A), as they relate to office space in the courthouse, shall not apply to Richland County.

    (B) The governing body of each county shall furnish the Workers' Compensation Commission space to conduct hearings upon request of the Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Commission. This space shall be in a secure, existing facility and include all utilities.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 4-9-55 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    Section 4-9-55.  (A) A county may not be bound by any general law requiring it to spend funds or to take an action requiring the expenditure of funds unless the General Assembly has determined that the law fulfills a state interest and the law requiring the expenditure is approved by two-thirds of the members voting in each house of the General Assembly provided a simple majority of the members voting in each house is required if one of the following applies:

       (1) funds have been appropriated that have been estimated by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office at the time of enactment to be sufficient to fund the expenditures;

       (2) the General Assembly authorizes or has authorized a county to enact a funding source not available for the county on July 1, 1993, that can be used to generate the amount of funds estimated to be sufficient to fund the expenditure by a simple majority vote of the governing body of the county;

       (3) the expenditure is required to comply with a law that applies to all persons similarly situated, including the state and local governments;

       (4) the law is either required to comply with a federal requirement or required for eligibility for a federal entitlement.

    (B) Except upon approval of each house of the General Assembly by two-thirds of the members voting in each house, the General Assembly may not enact, amend, or repeal any general law if the anticipated effect of doing so would be to reduce the authority that counties have to raise revenues in the aggregate, as the authority exists on July 1, 1993.

    (C) The provisions of this section do not apply to:

       (1) laws enacted to require funding of pension benefits existing on the effective date of this section;

       (2) laws relating to the judicial department;

       (3) criminal laws;

       (4) election laws;

       (5) the Department of Education;

       (6) the Workers' Compensation Commission;

       (6)(7) laws reauthorizing but not expanding then-existing statutory authority;

       (7)(8) laws having a fiscal impact of less than ten cents per capita on a statewide basis;  laws creating, modifying, or repealing noncriminal infractions.

    (D) The duties, requirements, and obligations imposed by general laws in effect on July 1, 1993, are not suspended by the provisions of this section.

    (E) A provision of, or amendment to, an appropriation bill that contains a permanent or temporary provision of law must be adopted by a separate vote of the General Assembly in the manner provided in subsections (A) through (D) of this section.  Provided, however, that once a provision or amendment to an appropriation bill is adopted, the vote to adopt or reject an appropriation bill on second reading, third reading, or adoption of the conference committee or free conference committee report is not subject to the provisions of subsections (A) through (D) of this section.

 

SECTION 3.  This act takes effect on July 1, 2025.

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