reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-735. Participation in decision affecting personal economic interests by one employed by and serving on governing body of governmental entity.

(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), no person who serves at the same time:
(1) on the governing body of a state, county, municipal, or political subdivision board or commission; and
(2) as an employee of the same board or commission or in a position subject to the control of that board or commission may make or participate in making a decision that affects his economic interests.
(B) No person shall serve at the same time as:
(1) a nonappointed member of the governing body of the board or commission for a water or sewer district or a nonprofit water or sewer corporation or company organized pursuant to the provisions of state law; and
(2)(a) an employee of the same board, commission, corporation, or company; or
(b) in a position subject to the control of that board, commission, corporation, or company; or
(c) in a decision-making position concerning the operation and functions of that board, commission, corporation, or company.
(C)(1) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (B) may be assessed a civil penalty of fifty dollars per day to be remitted to the general fund of the board, commission, corporation, or company.
(2) If a lawsuit is brought to force the person to vacate either his position held pursuant to subsection (B)(1) or subsection (B)(2), and the person is found in circuit court to have violated subsection (B), the person must pay the civil penalty in subsection (C)(1) plus court costs, attorney's fees, and any damages required by the court.
(3) Any individual or entity served by the board, commission, corporation, or company has standing to bring a lawsuit in the circuit court pursuant to this subsection.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2011 Act No. 11, Section 1, eff April 7, 2011.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-745. Paid representation of clients and contracting by member of General Assembly or associate in particular situations.

(A) No member of the General Assembly or an individual with whom he is associated or business with which he is associated may represent a client for a fee in a contested case, as defined in Section 1-23-310, before an agency, a commission, board, department, or other entity if the member of the General Assembly has voted in the election, appointment, recommendation, or confirmation of a member of the governing body of the agency, board, department, or other entity within the twelve preceding months.
(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this section, no member of the General Assembly or any individual with whom he is associated or business with which he is associated may represent a client for a fee in a contested case, as defined in Section 1-23-310, before an agency, a commission, board, department, or other entity elected, appointed, recommended, or confirmed by the House, the Senate, or the General Assembly if that member has voted on the section of that year's general appropriation bill or supplemental appropriation bill relating to that agency, commission, board, department, or other entity within one year from the date of the vote. This subsection does not prohibit a member from voting on other sections of the general appropriation bill or from voting on the general appropriation bill as a whole.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this section, no member of the General Assembly or an individual with whom he is associated in partnership or a business, company, corporation, or partnership where his interest is greater than five percent may enter into any contract for goods or services with an agency, a commission, board, department, or other entity funded with general funds or other funds if the member has voted on the section of that year's appropriation bill relating to that agency, commission, board, department, or other entity within one year from the date of the vote. This subsection does not prohibit a member from voting on other sections of the appropriation bill or from voting on the general appropriation bill as a whole.
(D) The provisions of this section do not apply to any court in the unified judicial system.
(E) When a member of the General Assembly is required by law to appear because of his business interest as an owner or officer of the business or in his official capacity as a member of the General Assembly, this section does not apply.
(F) The provisions of subsections (A), (B), and (C) do not apply in the case of any vote or action taken by a member of the General Assembly prior to January 1, 1992.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-750. Employment, promotion, advancement, or discipline of family member of public official, member, or employee.

(A) No public official, public member, or public employee may cause the employment, appointment, promotion, transfer, or advancement of a family member to a state or local office or position in which the public official, public member, or public employee supervises or manages.
(B) A public official, public member, or public employee may not participate in an action relating to the discipline of the public official's, public member's, or public employee's family member.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-755. Restrictions on former public official, member, or employee serving as lobbyist or accepting employment in field of former service.

A former public official, former public member, or former public employee holding public office, membership, or employment on or after January 1, 1992, may not for a period of one year after terminating his public service or employment:
(1) serve as a lobbyist or represent clients before the agency or department on which he formerly served in a matter which he directly and substantially participated during his public service or employment; or
(2) accept employment if the employment:
(a) is from a person who is regulated by the agency or department on which the former public official, former public member, or former public employee served or was employed; and
(b) involves a matter in which the former public official, former public member, or former public employee directly and substantially participated during his public service or public employment.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-760. Employment by government contractor of former public official, member, or employee who was engaged in procurement.

Except as is permitted by regulations of the State Ethics Commission, it is a breach of ethical standards for a public official, public member, or public employee who is participating directly in procurement, as defined in Section 11-35-310(22), to resign and accept employment with a person contracting with the governmental body if the contract falls or would fall under the public official's, public member's, or public employee's official responsibilities.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-765. Use of government personnel or facilities for campaign purposes; government personnel permitted to work on campaigns on own time.

(A) No person may use government personnel, equipment, materials, or an office building in an election campaign. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to a public official's use of an official residence.
(B) A government, however, may rent or provide public facilities for political meetings and other campaign-related purposes if they are available on similar terms to all candidates and committees, as defined in Section 8-13-1300(6).
(C) This section does not prohibit government personnel, where not otherwise prohibited, from participating in election campaigns on their own time and on nongovernment premises.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-770. Members of General Assembly prohibited from serving on state boards and commissions; exceptions.

A member of the General Assembly may not serve in any capacity as a member of a state board or commission, except for the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, the Legislative Audit Council, the Legislative Council, the Legislative Services Agency, the Judicial Council, the Commission on Prosecution Coordination, the South Carolina Tobacco Community Development Board, the Tobacco Settlement Revenue Management Authority, the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank, the Commission on Indigent Defense, the South Carolina Research Authority, and the joint legislative committees.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1998 Act No. 419, Part II, Section 35D, eff July 1, 1998; 1999 Act No. 77, Section 3, eff June 11, 1999; 2000 Act No. 387, Part II, Section 69A.4, eff June 30, 2000; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 18, eff June 26, 2003; 2005 Act No. 103, Section 1, eff July 1, 2005; 2012 Act No. 209, Section 5, eff June 7, 2012.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-775. Public official, member, or employee with official function related to contracts not permitted to have economic interest in contracts.

A public official, public member, or public employee may not have an economic interest in a contract with the State or its political subdivisions if the public official, public member, or public employee is authorized to perform an official function relating to the contract. Official function means writing or preparing the contract specifications, acceptance of bids, award of the contract, or other action on the preparation or award of the contract. This section is not intended to infringe on or prohibit public employment contracts with this State or a political subdivision of this State nor does it prohibit the award of contracts awarded through a process of public notice and competitive bids if the public official, public member, or public employee has not performed an official function regarding the contract.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 25, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-780. Remedies for breaches of ethical standards by public officials, members, or employees.

(A) The provisions of this section are in addition to all other civil and administrative remedies against public officials, public members, or public employees which are provided by law.
(B) In addition to existing remedies for breach of the ethical standards of this chapter or regulations promulgated hereunder, the State Ethics Commission may impose an oral or written warning or reprimand.
(C) The value of anything received by a public official, public member, or public employee in breach of the ethical standards of this chapter or regulations promulgated hereunder is recoverable by the State or other governmental entity in an action by the Attorney General against a person benefitting from the violations.
(D) Before a public employee's employment or a public official's or public member's association with the governmental entity is terminated for a violation of the provisions of this chapter, notice and an opportunity for a hearing must be provided to the public official, public member, or public employee.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-785. Communication by elected official with state board or commission on behalf of constituent.

Nothing in Chapter 13 of Title 8 prevents an elected official from communicating with a board or commission member or employee, on behalf of a constituent relating to delays in obtaining a hearing, discourteous treatment, scheduling, or other matters not affecting the outcome of pending matters, provided that the elected official, an individual with whom the elected official is associated, or a business with which the elected official is associated is not representing the constituent for compensation.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 26, effective upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-790. Recovery of amounts received by official or employee in breach of ethical standards; recovery of kickbacks.

(A) The value of anything transferred or received in breach of the ethical standards of Articles 1 through 11 of this chapter or regulations promulgated under it by a public employee, public official, or a nonpublic employee or official may be recovered from the public employee, public official, or nonpublic employee or official.
(B) Upon a showing that a subcontractor made a kickback to a prime contractor or a higher tier subcontractor in connection with the award of a subcontract or order under it, it is conclusively presumed that the amount of the kickback was included in the price of the subcontract or order and ultimately borne by the State or governmental entity and is recoverable hereunder from the subcontractor making the kickback. Recovery from one offending party does not preclude recovery from other offending parties.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-795. Receipt of award, grant, or scholarship by public official or family member.

Nothing in Chapter 13 of Title 8 prevents a public official or a member of his immediate family from being awarded an award, a grant, or scholarship, or negatively reflects on a public official because of an award, a grant, or scholarship awarded to the public official or to a member of his immediate family on a competitive, objective basis if the public official has not wilfully contacted any person involved in the selection of the recipient, on behalf of the recipient, before the award.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-910. Candidates elected or consented to by General Assembly to file statements of economic interests; authority with whom to file.

(A) No person who is a candidate for public office which is filled by election by the General Assembly may be voted upon by the General Assembly until at least ten days following the date on which the candidate files a statement of economic interests as defined in this chapter with the Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ethics Committee.
(B) No person who is appointed to an office which is filled with the advice and consent of the Senate or the General Assembly may be confirmed unless the appointment, when received by the Senate and/or the House, is accompanied by a current original copy of a statement of economic interests which has been filed with the appointing authority and is transmitted with the appointment and until at least ten days following the date on which the appointment, with the attached original economic interest statement, has been received by the Senate and/or the House.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1993 Act No. 183 Section 3, eff June 21, 1993; 1993 Act No. 181 Section 72, eff July 1, 1993.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-920. Report of campaign expenditures.

A person running for an office elected by the General Assembly must file a report with the Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ethics Committee of money in excess of one hundred dollars spent by him or in his behalf in seeking the office. The report must include the period beginning with the time he first announces his intent to seek the office. The report must not include travel expenses or room and board while campaigning. Contributions made to members of the General Assembly during the period from announcement of intent to election date must be included. The report must be updated quarterly with an additional report filed five days before the election and the final report filed thirty days after the election. Persons soliciting votes on behalf of candidates must submit expenses in excess of one hundred dollars to the candidate which must be included on the candidate's report. A copy of all reports received by the Senate Ethics Committee and the House of Representatives Ethics Committee must be forwarded to the State Ethics Commission within two business days of receipt.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-930. Seeking or offering pledges of votes for candidates.

No candidate for an office elected by the General Assembly may seek directly the pledge of a member of the General Assembly's vote until the qualifications of all candidates for that office have been determined by the appropriate joint committee to review candidates for that office. No member of the General Assembly may offer a pledge until the qualifications of all candidates for that office have been determined by the appropriate joint committee to review candidates for that office.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-935. Public Service Commission election requirements; violations and penalties.

(A) No candidate for or person intending to become a candidate for the Public Service Commission may seek, directly or indirectly, the pledge of a member of the General Assembly's vote or contact, directly or indirectly, a member of the General Assembly regarding screening for the Public Service Commission, until: (1) the qualifications of all candidates for that office have been determined by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee, and (2) the review committee has formally released its report as to the qualifications of all candidates for the office to the General Assembly. For purposes of this section, "indirectly seeking a pledge" means the candidate, or someone acting on behalf of and at the request of the candidate, requests a person to contact a member of the General Assembly on behalf of the candidate before nominations are formally made by the review committee. The prohibitions of this section do not extend to an announcement of candidacy by the candidate or statement by the candidate detailing the candidate's qualifications.
(B) No member of the General Assembly may offer his pledge until: (1) the qualifications of all candidates for the Public Service Commission have been determined by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee, and (2) the review committee has formally released its report as to the qualifications of its nominees to the General Assembly. The formal release of the report of qualifications must occur no earlier than forty-eight hours after the names of nominees have been initially released to members of the General Assembly.
(C) No member of the General Assembly may trade anything of value, including pledges to vote for legislation or for other candidates, in exchange for another member's pledge to vote for a candidate for the Public Service Commission.
(D)(1) Violations of this section may be considered by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee when it considers the candidate's qualifications.
(2) Violations of this section by members of the General Assembly must be reported by the review committee to the House or Senate Ethics Committee, as may be applicable.
(3) Violations of this section by incumbent commissioners seeking reelection must be reported by the Public Service Commission to the State Ethics Commission.
A violation of this section is a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, the violator must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ninety days. Cases tried under this section may not be transferred from general sessions court pursuant to Section 22-3-545.
HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 2, eff February 18, 2004.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1110. Persons required to file statement of economic interests.

(A) No public official, regardless of compensation, and no public member or public employee as designated in subsection (B) may take the oath of office or enter upon his official responsibilities unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in accordance with the provisions of this chapter with the appropriate supervisory office. If a public official, public member, or public employee referred to in this section has no economic interests to disclose, he shall nevertheless file a statement of inactivity to that effect with the appropriate supervisory office. All disclosure statements are matters of public record open to inspection upon request.
(B) Each of the following public officials, public members, and public employees must file a statement of economic interests with the appropriate supervisory office, unless otherwise provided:
(1) a person appointed to fill the unexpired term of an elective office;
(2) a salaried member of a state board, commission, or agency;
(3) the chief administrative official or employee and the deputy or assistant administrative official or employee or director of a division, institution, or facility of any agency or department of state government;
(4) the city administrator, city manager, or chief municipal administrative official or employee, by whatever title;
(5) the county manager, county administrator, county supervisor, or chief county administrative official or employee, by whatever title;
(6) the chief administrative official or employee of each political subdivision including, but not limited to, school districts, libraries, regional planning councils, airport commissions, hospitals, community action agencies, water and sewer districts, and development commissions;
(7) a school district and county superintendent of education;
(8) a school district board member and a county board of education member;
(9) the chief finance official or employee and the chief purchasing official or employee of each agency, institution, or facility of state government, and of each county, municipality, or other political subdivision including, but not limited to, those named in item (6);
(10) a public official;
(11) a public member who serves on a state board, commission, or council; and
(12) Department of Transportation District Engineering Administrators.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 27, effective upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995; 2007 Act No. 114, Section 4, eff June 27, 2007.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1125. Exception to reporting requirement for events to which entire legislative body invited.

Notwithstanding Sections 2-17-90(C) and 8-13-710, the reporting requirement of Section 8-13-1120(A)(9) does not apply to an event to which a member of the General Assembly is invited by a lobbyist's principal, regardless of whether or not the member attended the event, if the invitation was extended to the entire membership of the House, Senate, or General Assembly, and the invitation was accepted by the House or Senate Invitations Committee pursuant to House or Senate rules.
HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 6, Section 30, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1127. Legislative invitations committees to keep records of invitations accepted; public inspection.

The House and Senate Invitations Committees shall keep an updated list of invitations accepted by the body. The list must be available for public inspection during regular business hours.
HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 6, Section 31, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1130. Report on names of, and purchases by, lobbyists.

In addition to the statement of economic interests required pursuant to Section 8-13-1110, a person required to file the statement shall further report to the appropriate supervisory office the name of any person he knows to be a lobbyist as defined in Section 2-17-10(13) or a lobbyist's principal as defined in Section 2-17-10(14) and knows that the lobbyist or lobbyist's principal has in the previous calendar year purchased from the filer, a member of the filer's immediate family, an individual with whom the filer is associated, or a business with which the filer is associated, goods or services in an amount in excess of two hundred dollars.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1140. Filing of updated statement.

A person required to file a statement of economic interests under this chapter annually shall file, pursuant to Section 8-13-365, an updated statement for the previous calendar year, no later than noon on March thirtieth of each calendar year. If the person has filed the description by name, amount, and schedule of payments of a continuing arrangement relating to an item required to be reported under this article, an updating statement need not be filed for each payment under the continuing arrangement, but only if the arrangement is terminated or altered.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2013 Act No. 61, Section 8, eff June 25, 2013.
Editor's Note
2013 Act No. 61, Section 14, provides as follows:
"SECTION 14. This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
The amendment by 2013 Act No. 61 became effective June 25, 2013, see South Carolina Libertarian Party v. South Carolina State Election Com'n, 407 S.C. 612, 757 S.E.2d 707 (2014).
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1150. Filing of statement by certain consultants.

A consultant must file a statement for the previous calendar year with the appropriate supervisory office no later than twenty-one days after entering into a contractual relationship with the State or a political subdivision of the State and must file an update within ten days from the date the consultant knows or should have known that new economic interests in an entity have arisen in which the consultant or a member of the consultant's immediate family has economic interests:
(1) where the entity's bid was evaluated by the consultant and who was subsequently awarded the contract by the State, county, municipality, or a political subdivision of any of these entities that contracted with the consultant; or
(2) where the entity was awarded a contract by the consultant.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 32, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1160. Forwarding of copies of statement to State Ethics Commission and filing person's county of residence.

(A) The Senate Ethics Committee and the House of Representatives Ethics Committee must forward a copy of each statement filed with it to the State Ethics Commission within five business days of receipt.
(B) Within five business days of receipt, a copy of all statements of economic interests received by the State Ethics Commission must be forwarded to the clerk of court in the county of residence of the filing official or employee.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 33, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1170. Technical violations of disclosure requirements; extensions of time for filing statements.

(A) The appropriate supervisory office may, in its discretion, determine that errors or omissions on statements of economic interests are inadvertent and unintentional and not an effort to violate a requirement of this chapter and may be handled as technical violations not subject to the provisions of this chapter pertaining to ethical violations. Technical violations must remain confidential unless requested to be made public by the public official, public member, or public employee filing the statement. In lieu of all other penalties, the appropriate supervisory office may assess a technical violations penalty not exceeding fifty dollars.
(B) The appropriate supervisory office may grant a reasonable extension of time for filing a statement of economic interests. The extension may not exceed thirty days except in cases of illness or incapacitation.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1180. Soliciting of contributions by elective official or agent from employees; favoritism by public official or employee towards employees making contributions.

(A) An elective official or the elective official's agent may not knowingly solicit a contribution from an employee in the elective official's area of official responsibility.
(B) A public official or public employee may not provide an advantage or disadvantage to a public employee or applicant for public employment concerning employment, conditions of employment, or application for employment based on the employee's or applicant's contribution, promise to contribute, or failure to contribute to a candidate, a political party, as defined in Section 8-13-1300(26) or a committee, as defined in Section 8-13-1300(6).
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1301. Joint candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor considered a single candidate.

For purposes of this article, candidates elected jointly as provided in Section 8, Article IV of the South Carolina Constitution, 1895, must be considered a single candidate. The gubernatorial candidate is responsible for:
(1) establishing a single candidate committee for contributions solicited and received for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected jointly; and
(2) complying with the requirements of Article 13, Chapter 13, Title 8 for the committee established for the joint election.
HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 142 (H.4977), Section 4, eff March 15, 2018.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1302. Maintenance of records of contributions, contributors, and expenditures.

(A) A candidate, committee, or ballot measure committee must maintain and preserve an account of:
(1) the total amount of contributions accepted by the candidate, committee, or ballot measure committee;
(2) the name and address of each person making a contribution and the amount and date of receipt of each contribution;
(3) the total amount of expenditures made by or on behalf of the candidate, committee, or ballot measure committee;
(4) the name and address of each person to whom an expenditure is made including the date, amount, purpose, and beneficiary of the expenditure;
(5) all receipted bills, canceled checks, or other proof of payment for each expenditure; and
(6) the occupation of each person making a contribution.
(B) The candidate, committee, or ballot measure committee must maintain and preserve all receipted bills and accounts required by this article for four years.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 28, eff November 3, 2004.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1304. Committees receiving and spending funds to influence elections required to file statement of organization.

(A) A committee, except an out-of-state committee, which receives or expends more than five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle to influence the outcome of an elective office must file a statement of organization with the State Ethics Commission no later than five days after receiving the contribution or making the expenditure. An out-of-state committee which expends more than five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle to influence the outcome of an elective office must file a statement of organization with the State Ethics Commission no later than five days after making the expenditure.
(B) A ballot measure committee, except an out-of-state ballot measure committee, which receives or expends more than two thousand five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle to influence the outcome of a ballot measure must file a statement of organization with the State Ethics Commission no later than five days after receiving the contribution or making the expenditure. An out-of-state ballot measure committee which expends more than two thousand five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle to influence the outcome of a ballot measure must file a statement of organization with the State Ethics Commission no later than five days after making the expenditure.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 29, eff November 3, 2004.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1306. Contents of statement of organization.

(A) The statement of organization of a committee or a ballot measure committee must include:
(1) the full name of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(2) the complete address and telephone number of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(3) the date the committee or ballot measure committee was organized;
(4) a summary of the purpose of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(5) the name and address of a corporation or an organization that sponsors the committee or ballot measure committee or is affiliated with the committee or ballot measure committee. If the committee or ballot measure committee is not sponsored by or affiliated with a corporation or an organization, the committee or ballot measure committee must specify the trade, profession, or primary interest of contributors to the committee or ballot measure committee;
(6) the name and address of affiliated committees, as defined in Section 8-13-1331;
(7) the full name, address, telephone number, occupation, and principal place of business of the chairman and treasurer of the committee or ballot measure committee;
(8) the full name, address, telephone number, occupation, and principal place of business of the custodian of the books and accounts, if the custodian is not one of the designated officers;
(9) the full name and address of the depository in which the committee or ballot measure committee maintains its campaign account and the number of the account; and
(10) a certification of the statement by the chairman and the treasurer.
(B) The name of the committee or ballot measure committee designated on the statement of organization must incorporate the full name of the sponsoring entity, if any. An acronym or abbreviation may be used in other communications if the acronym or abbreviation commonly is known or clearly recognized by the general public.
(C) The chairman must notify the State Ethics Commission in writing of a change in information previously reported in a statement of organization no later than ten business days after the change.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 30, eff June 26, 2003; 2008 Act No. 245, Section 6, eff May 29, 2008.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1309. Certified campaign reports; filing; contents.

(A) Upon the receipt or expenditure of campaign contributions or the making of independent expenditures totaling, in an accumulated aggregate, two thousand five hundred dollars or more, a ballot measure committee required to file a statement of organization pursuant to Section 8-13-1304(B) must file an initial certified campaign report within ten days of these initial receipts or expenditures.
(B) Following the filing of an initial certified campaign report, additional certified campaign reports must be filed within ten days following the end of each calendar quarter in which contributions are received or expenditures are made, whether before or after a ballot measure election until the campaign account undergoes final disbursement pursuant to the provisions of Section 8-13-1370(C).
(C) At least fifteen days before a ballot measure election, a certified campaign report must be filed showing contributions of more than one hundred dollars and expenditures to or by the ballot measure committee for the period ending twenty days before the ballot measure election. The ballot measure committee must maintain a current list during the period before the ballot measure election commencing at the beginning of the calendar quarter of the election of all contributions of more than one hundred dollars. The list must be open to public inspection upon request.
(D) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (B) and (C), if a pre-election campaign report provided for in subsection (C) is required to be filed within thirty days of the end of the prior quarter, a ballot measure committee must combine the quarterly report provided for in subsection (B) and the pre-election report and file the combined report subject to the provisions of subsection (C) no later than fifteen days before the ballot measure election.
(E) Certified campaign reports detailing campaign contributions and expenditures must contain:
(1) the total amount of contributions accepted by the ballot measure committee;
(2) the name and address of each person making a contribution of more than one hundred dollars and the amount and date of receipt of each contribution;
(3) the total amount of expenditures made by or on behalf of the ballot measure committee; and
(4) the name and address of each person to whom an expenditure is made from campaign funds, including the date, amount, purpose, and beneficiary of the expenditure.
HISTORY: 2003 Act No. 76, Section 35, eff November 3, 2004.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1310. Recipients of certified campaign reports and copies thereof; State Ethics Commission review.

(A) All persons required to file certified campaign reports pursuant to the provisions of this article must file those reports with the appropriate supervisory office.
(B) The Ethics Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives must forward a copy of each statement filed with them to the State Ethics Commission within five business days of receipt.
(C) Within five days of receipt, a copy of all campaign reports received by the State Ethics Commission must be forwarded to the clerk of court in the county of residence of the person required to file.
(D) As provided in Section 8-13-1372, the State Ethics Commission must review all statements for inadvertent and unintentional errors or omissions.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Sections 40, 41, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 36, eff June 26, 2003.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees › Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform › Section 8-13-1312. Campaign bank accounts.

Except as is required for the separation of funds and expenditures under the provisions of Section 8-13-1300(7), a candidate shall not establish more than one campaign checking account and one campaign savings account for each office sought, and a committee shall not establish more than one checking account and one savings account unless federal or state law requires additional accounts. For purposes of this article, certificates of deposit or other interest bearing instruments are not considered separate accounts. A candidate's accounts must be established in a financial institution that conducts business within the State and in an office located within the State that conducts business with the general public. The candidate or a duly authorized officer of a committee must maintain the accounts in the name of the candidate or committee. An acronym must not be used in the case of a candidate's accounts. An acronym or abbreviation may be used in the case of a committee's accounts if the acronym or abbreviation commonly is known or clearly recognized by the general public. Except as otherwise provided under Section 8-13-1348(C), expenses paid on behalf of a candidate or committee must be drawn from the campaign account and issued on a check signed by the candidate or a duly authorized officer of a committee. All contributions received by the candidate or committee, directly or indirectly, must be deposited in the campaign account by the candidate or committee within ten days after receipt. All contributions received by an agent of a candidate or committee must be forwarded to the candidate or committee not later than five days after receipt. A contribution must not be deposited until the candidate or committee receives information regarding the name and address of the contributor. If the name and address cannot be determined within seven days after receipt, the contribution must be remitted to the Children's Trust Fund.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2003 Act No. 76, Section 37, eff November 3, 2004.