Senate Judiciary Committee Amendment
H 3865 - Session 125 (2023-2024)
Law enforcement and judicial privacy protection

The Committee on Judiciary proposes the following amendment (SJ-3865.MB0005S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 1 and inserting:

SECTION X. Section 17-5-130 (A) and (B) of the S.C. Code are amended to read:

 (A)(1) A coroner in this State shall have all of the following qualifications, the person shall:
   (a) be a citizen of the United States;
   (b) be a resident of the county in which the person seeks the office of coroner for at least one year before qualifying for the election to the office;
   (c) be a registered voter;
   (d) have attained the age of twenty-one years before the date of qualifying for election to the office;
   (e) have obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by the State Department of Education; and
   (f) have not been convicted of a felony offense or an offense involving moral turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or the United States.
  (2) In addition to the requirements of subsection (A)(1), a coroner in this State shall have at least one of the following qualifications, the person shall:
   (a) have at least three years of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
   (b) have a two-year associate degree and two years of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
   (c) have a four-year baccalaureate degree and one year of experience in death investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;
   (d) be a law enforcement officer, as defined by Section 23-23-10(E)(1), who is certified by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council with a minimum of two years of experience;
   (e) have completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program or be enrolled in a recognized forensic science degree or certification program to be completed within one year of being elected to the office of coroner;
   (f) be a medical doctor; or
   (g) have a bachelor of science degree in nursing; or
   (h) have at least three years of experience as a licensed paramedic.
 (B)(1) A person who offers his candidacy for the office of coroner, no later than the close of filing, shall file a sworn affidavit with the county executive committee of the person's political party.
  (2) The county executive committee of a political party with whom a person has filed his affidavit must file a copy of the affidavit with the appropriate county election commission by noon on the tenth day following the deadline for filing affidavits by candidates. If the tenth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the affidavit must be filed by noon the following day.
  (3) A person who seeks nomination by petition for the office of coroner, no later than the close of filing, shall file a sworn affidavit with the county election commission in the county of his residence.
  (4) The affidavit required by the provisions of this subsection must contain the following information:
   (a) the person's date and place of birth;
   (b) the person's citizenship;
   (c) the county the person is a resident of, and how long the person has been a resident of that county;
   (d) whether the person is a registered voter;
   (e) the date the person obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by the State Department of Education;
   (f) whether the person has been convicted of a felony offense or an offense involving moral turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or the United States;
   (g) the date the person obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree, if applicable;
   (h) the date the person completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program, or information regarding the person's enrollment in a recognized forensic science degree or certification program, if applicable; and
   (i) the number of years of experience the person has as a death investigator, certified law enforcement officer, licensed paramedic, or licensed private investigator, if applicable.