Current Status Bill Number:300 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970204 Primary Sponsor:McConnell All Sponsors:McConnell, Ford and Rose Drafted Document Number:res1251.gfm Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 11 SJ Subject:Freedom of Information, public bodies not to commit to course of action by vote in executive session
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________ Senate 19970204 Introduced, read first time, 11 SJ referred to CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-70, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CLOSED MEETINGS OF PUBLIC BODIES, SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "SPECIFIC PURPOSE", TO DELETE THE DEFINITION OF "FORMAL ACTION", AND TO PROVIDE THAT MEMBERS OF PUBLIC BODIES MAY NOT COMMIT THE BODY TO A COURSE OF ACTION BY A VOTE OR BY POLLING OF MEMBERS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 30-4-70(a)(6) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(6) Prior to going into executive session, the public agency shall body must vote in public on the question and when such vote is favorable the presiding officer shall announce the specific purpose of the executive session. No formal action may be taken in executive session. As used in this item `formal action' means a recorded vote committing the body concerned to a specific course of action. As used herein, `specific purpose' means the explicit, precise and exact matter to be discussed in executive session. No vote may be taken in executive session, and the members of a public body may not commit the public body to a course of action by a polling of members or any other device or activity in executive session."
SECTION 2. The Code Commissioner is directed to redesignate Section 30-4-70(a)(6) as item (b) of this section and then to reletter the remaining items accordingly.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.