Bill 2540

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2540
Ratification Number:       81
Act Number:                50
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                        Qualifications and terms of office
                           of family court judges

(A50, R81, H2540)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-1370, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE TERMS OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES SHALL EXPIRE ON THE THIRTIETH DAY OF JUNE OF THE YEAR IN WHICH THEIR TERMS ARE SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE, AND TO AMEND SECTION 20-7-1410, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE INITIAL ELECTION OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES AND ADDITIONAL SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS OF FAMILY COURT JUDGES SO AS TO CONSOLIDATE THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECTION.

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

Terms

SECTION 1. Subsections B. and C. of Section 20-7-1370 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 71 of 1981, are further amended to read:

"B. Family court judges must be elected by the General Assembly for terms of four years and until their successors are elected and qualify.

C. The terms of all family court judges expire on the thirtieth day of June of the year in which their terms are scheduled to expire."

General Assembly to elect family court judges

SECTION 2. Section 20-7-1410 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 71 of 1981, is further amended to read:

"Section 20-7-1410. The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:

First Circuit Two Judges

Second Circuit Two Judges

Third Circuit Three Judges

Fourth Circuit Three Judges

Fifth Circuit Four Judges

Sixth Circuit Two Judges

Seventh Circuit Three Judges

Eighth Circuit Three Judges

Ninth Circuit Four Judges

Tenth Circuit Three Judges

Eleventh Circuit Three Judges

Twelfth Circuit Three Judges

Thirteenth Circuit Four Judges

Fourteenth Circuit Three Judges

Fifteenth Circuit Two Judges

Sixteenth Circuit Two Judges

In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit; fifth, seventh, ninth, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit.

No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.