As chair of the South Carolina House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the committee’s webpage.  Here you will find more information about the workings of the committee, which is one of the six standing committees in the House that vet legislation.  Its official name in the House Rules is the Committee on the Judiciary (Privileges and Elections).

The official name is important as House Rule 4.3 provides that committees have jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the subjects indicated by the names of the respective committees and the subject matter in parenthesis following the names.  As reflected in the materials on this webpage, many bills (e.g., 457 in 2023) in the House are referred to the Judiciary Committee.  The diversity of topics addressed is indicated by the committee’s five subcommittees: Constitutional Laws; Criminal Laws; General Laws; Family, Business, and Probate Law; and Special Laws.

On behalf of my colleagues, thank you for your interest in the House Judiciary Committee.  Our meetings stream online and are archived on the General Assembly’s website for the public to view.  Your input is always welcome at HJudComm@schouse.gov as many good ideas compete for limited legislative time for review.

Sincerely,

Wm. Weston J. Newton