South Carolina S 251: Unlawful contributions & expenditures

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 251 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 21, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 251

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 22-3-10, RELATING TO CIVIL JURISDICTION OF MAGISTRATES COURT, SO AS TO 
INCREASE THE CIVIL JURISDICTION FROM SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO 
FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

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

SECTION 1. Section 22-3-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
22-3-10. Magistrates have concurrent civil 
jurisdiction in the following cases:

 (1) in 
actions arising on contracts for the recovery of money only, if the sum claimed 
does not exceed seven fifteen thousand five hundred dollars;

 (2) in 
actions for damages for injury to rights pertaining to the person or personal 
or real property, if the damages claimed do not exceed 
seven fifteen thousand five 
hundred dollars;

 (3) in 
actions for a penalty, fine, or forfeiture, when the amount claimed or 
forfeited does not exceed seven fifteen thousand five hundred dollars;

 (4) in 
actions commenced by attachment of property, as provided by statute, if the 
debt or damages claimed do not exceed sevenfifteen thousand five hundred dollars;

 (5) in 
actions upon a bond conditioned for the payment of money, not exceeding seven fifteen thousand five hundred dollars, though the penalty exceeds that 
sum, the judgment to be given for the sum actually due, and when the payments 
are to be made by installments an action may be brought for each installment as 
it becomes due;

 (6) in 
any action upon a surety bond taken by them, when the penalty or amount claimed 
does not exceed seven fifteen 
thousand five hundred dollars;

 (7) in 
any action upon a judgment rendered in a court of a magistrate or an inferior 
court when it is not prohibited by the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure;

 (8) to 
take and enter judgment on the confession of a defendant in the manner 
prescribed by law when the amount confessed does not exceed seven fifteen thousand five hundred dollars;

 (9) in 
any action for damages or for fraud in the sale, purchase, or exchange of 
personal property, if the damages claimed do not exceed 
seven fifteen thousand five 
hundred dollars;

 (10) 
in all matters between landlord and tenant and the possession of land as 
provided in Chapters 33 through 41 of Title 27;

 (11) 
in any action to recover the possession of personal property claimed, the value 
of which, as stated in the affidavit of the plaintiff, his agent, or attorney, 
does not exceed the sum of seven fifteen thousand five hundred dollars;

 (12) 
in all actions provided for in this section when a filed counterclaim involves 
a sum not to exceed seven fifteen 
thousand five hundred dollars, except that this 
limitation does not apply to counterclaims filed in matters between landlord 
and tenant and the possession of land;

 (13) 
in interpleader actions arising from real estate contracts for the recovery of 
earnest money, only if the sum claimed does not exceed 
seven fifteen thousand five 
hundred dollars; and

 (14) 
in actions for damages arising from a person's failure to return leased or 
rented personal property within seventy-two hours after the expiration of the 
lease or rental agreement, such damages to be based on the loss of revenue or 
replacement value of the property, whichever is less, if the damages claimed do 
not exceed seven fifteen 
thousand five hundred dollars; however, the lease 
or rental agreement must set forth the manner in which the amount of the loss 
of revenue or replacement value of the item leased or rented is calculated.

SECTION 2. The repeal or amendment by this act 
of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect 
pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, 
discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred 
under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision 
shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all 
laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in 
full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested 
right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal 
existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of 
rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the 
repealed or amended laws.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 21, 2025 at 11:26 AM