reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
SC Code § 2-17-50 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-50. State Ethics Commission to enforce filing requirements of chapter and to assess civil or criminal penalties for failure to file; filing of required reports and payment of fine constitutes compliance; payment of fine without filing not to excuse or exempt person from filing requirements.

 (A) The State Ethics Commission shall:  (1) require a person to submit information pursuant to the requirements of this chapter;  (2) in addition to any other penalty in this chapter, require a person who files a late statement or fails to file a required statement to be assessed a civil penalty as follows:  (a) a fine of one hundred dollars if not filed within ten days after the established deadline provided in this chapter; and  (b) after notice has been given by certified or registered mail that a required statement has not been filed, a fine of ten dollars per calendar day for the first ten days after notice has been given, and one hundred dollars for each additional calendar day in which the required statement or report is not filed, not exceeding five thousand dollars.  (B) After the maximum civil penalty has been levied and the requirement statement or report has not been filed, the person is:  (1) for a first offense, guilty of a misdemeanor triable in magistrates court and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days;  (2) for a second offense, guilty of a misdemeanor triable in magistrates court and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two thousand five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not less than a mandatory minimum of thirty days;  (3) for a third or subsequent offense, guilty of a misdemeanor and must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.  (C) Filing of the required report and payment of the fine within twenty days of notice by the State Ethics Commission that a required statement has not been filed constitutes compliance with this chapter.  (D) Payment of the fine without filing the required report does not in any way excuse or exempt a person required to file from the filing requirements of this chapter.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 30-155; 1952 Code Section 30-156; 1942 Code Section 2070-1; 1935 (39) 3; 1974 (58) 2622; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2; 2011 Act No. 40, Section 3, eff June 7, 2011.  Effect of Amendment  The 2011 amendment rewrote the section to provide for criminal penalties.
SC Code § 2-17-60 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-60. Duties of State Ethics Commission.

 The State Ethics Commission has the following duties:  (1) to develop forms for the filing of notices of registration, representation, complaints, and reports required by this chapter and to furnish the forms to persons upon request;  (2) to issue identification cards to each lobbyist before the lobbyist can engage in lobbying and prior to January tenth of each succeeding year;  (3) to develop a filing, coding, and cross-indexing system consonant with the purpose of this chapter;  (4) to make the notices of registration and the reports filed with the State Ethics Commission available for public inspection and copying as soon as practicable after receipt of them and to permit copying of any report or statement by hand or by duplicating machine, as requested by any person, at the expense of the person;  (5) to preserve the originals or copies of notices and reports for a period of four years from date of receipt;  (6) to have information, compiled and summarized, made available for public inspection and copying within thirty days after the close of each filing period.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 30-156; 1952 Code Section 30-157; 1942 Code Section 2070-1; 1935 (39) 3; 1974 (58) 2622; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2.
SC Code § 2-17-65 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-65. Review of reports for compliance; audits of lobbyists and principals; procedure upon failure to file required information after notice.

 (A) The State Ethics Commission shall conduct periodic reviews of reports filed with the State Ethics Commission so as to ascertain whether any lobbyist or lobbyist's principal has failed to comply fully and accurately with the disclosure requirements of this chapter and promptly notify the person to file notices and reports as are necessary to satisfy the requirements of this chapter or regulations prescribed by the State Ethics Commission under this chapter.  (B) The State Ethics Commission, upon a failure by any lobbyist or lobbyist's principal to comply fully and accurately with the disclosure requirements of this chapter, may conduct audits of the records of the lobbyist or the lobbyist's principal to verify the accuracy of the information provided by the lobbyist or the lobbyist's principal according to the requirements of this chapter. However, the State Ethics Commission shall limit his audit of those records of a lobbyist or a lobbyist's principal to matters within the scope of lobbying.  (C) If, after notification by the State Ethics Commission that a required statement has not been filed, the person fails to file the necessary notices and reports, the State Ethics Commission shall, upon a finding of probable cause, file a complaint against the person in accordance with the provisions of Section 8-13-320(9) and (10).  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 9.
SC Code § 2-17-80 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-80. Acts prohibited of lobbyists; acts prohibited of public officials and employees; exceptions.

 (A) A lobbyist or a person acting on behalf of a lobbyist shall not offer, solicit, facilitate, or provide to or on behalf of any member of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, any other statewide constitutional officer, any public official of any state agency who engaged in covered agency actions, or any of their employees any of the following:  (1) lodging;  (2) transportation;  (3) entertainment;  (4) food, meals, beverages, money, or any other thing of value;  (5) contributions, as defined in Section 8-13-1300(7).  (B) A member of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, any other statewide constitutional officer, any public official of any state agency who engaged in covered agency actions, or any of their employees shall not solicit or receive from a lobbyist or a person acting on behalf of a lobbyist any of the following:  (1) lodging;  (2) transportation;  (3) entertainment;  (4) food, meals, beverages, money, or any other thing of value;  (5) contributions, as defined in Section 8-13-1300(7).  (C) Subsections (A)(1) through (A)(4) and subsections (B)(1) through (B)(4) of this section do not apply to the furnishing of lodging, transportation, entertainment, food, meals, beverages, or any other thing of value which also is furnished on the same terms or at the same expense to a member of the general public without regard to status as a public official or public employee.  (D) Subsections (A)(1), (A)(2), (B)(1), and (B)(2) of this section do not apply to the rendering of emergency assistance given gratuitously and in good faith by a lobbyist, a lobbyist's principal, or any person acting on behalf of a lobbyist or a lobbyist's principal to any member of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, any other statewide constitutional officer, any public official of any state agency who engaged in covered agency actions, or any of their employees.  (E) Subsections (A) and (B) do not apply to anything of value given to a family member for love and affection.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2.
SC Code § 2-17-100 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-100. Public officials and employees not to receive compensation for speaking before audiences; exception and rules for payment of expenses.

 A public official or a public employee acting in an official capacity may not receive anything of value from a lobbyist's principal for speaking before a public or private group. A public official or public employee is not prohibited by this section from accepting a meal provided in conjunction with a speaking engagement where all participants are entitled to the same meal and the meal is incidental to the speaking engagement. Notwithstanding the limitations of Section 2-17-90, a public official or public employee may receive payment or reimbursement for actual expenses incurred for a speaking engagement. The expenses must be reasonable and must be incurred in a reasonable time and manner in which to accomplish the purpose of the engagement. The payment or reimbursement must be disclosed by the lobbyist's principal as required by Section 2-17-35 and by any public official or public employee who is required to file a statement of economic interests under Section 8-13-1110. A public official or public employee required to file a statement of economic interests under Section 8-13-1110 must report on his statement of economic interests the organization which paid for or reimbursed actual expenses, the amount of such payment or reimbursement, and the purpose, date, and location of the speaking engagement. A public official or public employee who is not required to file a statement of economic interests but who is paid or reimbursed actual expenses for a speaking engagement must report this same information in writing to the chief administrative official or employee of the agency with which the public official or public employee is associated.  If the expenses are incurred out of state, the public official or public employee incurring the expenses must receive prior written approval for the payment or reimbursement from:  (1) the Governor, in the case of a public official of a state agency who is not listed in an item below;  (2) any statewide constitutional officer, in the case of himself;  (3) the President of the Senate, in the case of a member of the Senate;  (4) the Speaker of the House, in the case of a member of the House of Representatives; or  (5) the chief executive of a department of the State or any state board, commission, agency, or authority, including committees of any such body, by whatever name known, in all other cases.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 13; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 20, eff January 31, 2019.  Effect of Amendment  2019 Act No. 1, Section 20, in (3), substituted "President of the Senate" for "President Pro Tempore of the Senate".
SC Code § 2-17-120 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-120. Suspension of lobbyist upon indictment for violation of provision of this chapter.

 A lobbyist who is indicted in a state or federal court for a violation of this chapter must be suspended immediately from acting as a lobbyist by the State Ethics Commission. The suspension shall remain in effect until the lobbyist is acquitted, the charge is dismissed, or the lobbyist becomes subject to Section 2-17-130.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2.
SC Code § 2-17-130 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-130. Penalties For violations of provisions of this chapter.

 (A) A lobbyist or a lobbyist's principal who wilfully violates the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. In addition, any lobbyist or lobbyist's principal convicted of or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to a misdemeanor under the provisions of this section is barred from acting as a lobbyist or a lobbyist's principal for a period of three years from the date of the conviction.  (B) A member of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, any other statewide constitutional officer, any public official of any state agency who engaged in covered agency actions, or any of their employees who wilfully violate the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.  (C) The payment of any fines does not in any way excuse or exempt any person required to file from the filing requirements of this chapter.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2.
SC Code § 2-17-140 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-140. Groundless allegations of violations to be stricken from public record; penalties for wilful filing of groundless complaint.

 If an alleged violation is found to be groundless by the State Ethics Commission, the entire matter must be stricken from public record. If the State Ethics Commission finds that the complaining party wilfully filed a groundless complaint, the finding must be reported to the Attorney General. The wilful filing of a groundless complaint by a person with the State Ethics Commission is a misdemeanor, and the person filing a complaint, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year. In lieu of the criminal penalty provided by this section, a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars may be assessed against the complainant upon proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the filing of the complaint was wilful and without just cause or with malice.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 127.
SC Code § 2-17-150 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 17 - Lobbyists And Lobbying|Section 2-17-150. Statute of limitations for prosecuting violation of provision of this chapter.

 A prosecution for a violation of the provisions of this chapter must be commenced no later than four years after the date the violation is alleged to have occurred unless a person, who by fraud or other device, prevents discovery of the violation.  HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 2.
SC Code § 2-19-20 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 19 - Election Of Justices And Judges|Section 2-19-20. Investigation by Commission; publication of vacancies.

 (A) It is the responsibility of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission to determine when judicial vacancies are to occur in the administrative law judge division and on the family court, circuit court, court of appeals, or Supreme Court and to expeditiously investigate in advance the qualifications of those who seek nomination. For purposes of this chapter, a vacancy is created in the administrative law judge division or on the family court, circuit court, court of appeals, or Supreme Court when any of the following occurs: a term expires; a new judicial position is created; or a judge can no longer serve due to resignation, retirement, disciplinary action, disability, or death.  (B) The commission, upon receiving notice of a judicial vacancy, ascertaining that a judicial vacancy shall occur, or receiving the decision of an incumbent judge regarding his seeking re-election, shall notify the Supreme Court of the vacancy for publication in the advance sheets provided by the Clerk of the Supreme Court at least thirty days prior to closing applications for the vacancy. The commission shall, if practicable, also notify the South Carolina Bar, other professional legal organizations it considers appropriate, and each newspaper of this State with daily circulation of the vacancy at least thirty days prior to closing applications for the vacancy. This notice must include, but not be limited to, the judicial office in which the vacancy occurs, the address to which, and the date by which interested candidates may apply.  (C) The Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall announce and publicize vacancies and forthcoming vacancies in the administrative law judge division, on the family court, circuit court, court of appeals, and Supreme Court. A person who desires to be considered for nomination as justice or judge may make application to the commission. No person may concurrently seek more than one judicial vacancy. The commission shall announce the names of those persons who have applied.  (D) Any person wishing to seek a judicial office, which is elected by the General Assembly, shall file a notice of intention to seek the office with the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. Upon receipt of the notice of intention, the commission shall begin to conduct the investigation of the candidate as it considers appropriate and may in the investigation utilize the services of any agency of state government. This agency shall, upon request, cooperate fully with the commission.  HISTORY: 1975 (59) 122; 1996 Act No. 391, Part I, Section 1; 1999 Act No. 32, Section 1.
SC Code § 2-19-25 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 19 - Election Of Justices And Judges|Section 2-19-25. Solicitation of Bar assessment.

 The Judicial Merit Selection Commission is authorized to investigate and obtain information relative to any candidate for an administrative law judgeship or a family court, circuit court, court of appeals, or Supreme Court judgeship from any state agency or other group including, but not limited to, court administration and any law enforcement agency, to the extent permitted by law. The chairman of the commission shall notify the president of the South Carolina Bar of the judgeships to be filled and of the candidates for those judgeships no later than four weeks before the scheduled date for the public hearing. The chairman of the commission shall also request the South Carolina Bar to offer the commission an assessment of each candidate's qualifications for the judgeship sought, and the date by which the assessment must be returned to the commission. This assessment must specify the bar's finding as to whether each candidate is qualified or unqualified for the judgeship sought and the reasons for that finding. The commission may receive the bar's assessment in that form and at that time it desires but shall attach the assessments to its findings of fact in such form as the commission considers appropriate. Failure of the bar to return the assessment by the date requested is not a ground for delaying the applicable hearings or election.  HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 391, Part I, Section 1.
SC Code § 2-19-30 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 19 - Election Of Justices And Judges|Section 2-19-30. Hearings; executive session.

 (A) Upon completion of the investigation, the chairman of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission shall schedule a public hearing concerning the qualifications of the candidates. Any person who desires to testify at the hearing, including candidates, shall furnish a written statement of his proposed testimony to the commission no later than two weeks prior to the date and time set for the hearing unless sufficient cause is determined by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission for allowing the submitting individual's testimony after the deadline. The commission shall determine the persons who shall testify at the hearing. All testimony, including documents furnished to the commission, must be submitted under oath and persons knowingly furnishing false information either orally or in writing are subject to the penalties provided by law for perjury and false swearing.  (B) During the course of the investigation, the commission may schedule an executive session at which each candidate, and other persons whom the commission wishes to interview, may be interviewed by the commission on matters pertinent to the candidate's qualification for the office to be filled.  (C) A reasonable time thereafter the commission shall render its tentative findings as to whether the candidate is qualified for the office to be filled and its reasons therefor as to each candidate.  (D) As soon as possible after the completion of the hearing, a verbatim copy of the testimony, documents submitted at the hearing, and findings of fact must be transcribed and published or otherwise made available in a reasonable number of copies to the members of both houses prior to the date of the scheduled election, and a copy thereof shall be furnished to each candidate and anyone else upon request. A charge for these copies may be made as authorized in the Freedom of Information Act.  (E) A candidate may withdraw at any stage of the proceedings and in this event no further inquiry or consideration of his candidacy shall be made. All materials concerning that candidate including his report, transcript, application, materials, and other information gathered during the commission's investigation must be kept confidential and destroyed as soon as possible after the candidate's written notification to the commission of his withdrawal. The information concerning a withdrawn candidate also shall be exempt from disclosure pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title 30.  HISTORY: 1975 (59) 122; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 28; 1996 Act No. 391, Part I, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 388, Section 1; 2008 Act No. 219, Section 1, eff May 15, 2008.  Effect of Amendment  The 2008 amendment, in subsection (A), added the provision at the end of the second sentence relating to the time for submitting written statements of proposed testimony and deleted the third sentence requiring that the statements be furnished no later than 48 hours before the hearing.
SC Code § 2-19-35 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 19 - Election Of Justices And Judges|Section 2-19-35. Criteria for investigations and consideration of Commission.

 (A) The responsibility of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission is to investigate and consider the qualifications of the candidates for judicial office in the administrative law judge division or on the family court, circuit court, court of appeals, or Supreme Court. Investigations and consideration of the commission should include, but are not limited to, the following areas:  (1) constitutional qualifications;  (2) ethical fitness;  (3) professional and academic ability;  (4) character;  (5) reputation;  (6) physical health;  (7) mental stability;  (8) experience; and  (9) judicial temperament.  (B) In making nominations, race, gender, national origin, and other demographic factors should be considered by the commission to ensure nondiscrimination to the greatest extent possible as to all segments of the population of the State.  HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 413, Section 1; 1996 Act No. 391, Part I, Section 1.
SC Code § 2-19-40 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 2 - General Assembly|Chapter 19 - Election Of Justices And Judges|Section 2-19-40. Exemption from hearing.

 Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, when there is no known opposition to a candidate, and there appears to be no substantial reason for having a public hearing, whether or not a candidate is an incumbent, and no request is made by at least six members of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission for a public hearing, the commission chairman upon recommendation of the commission may determine that the public hearing is unnecessary and it may not be held.  HISTORY: 1975 (59) 122; 1996 Act No. 391, Part I, Section 1.