South Carolina H 5682: Clemson University Board of Trustees

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5682 Text of Previous Version (May. 07, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5682

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 59-119-40, RELATING TO CLEMSON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SO AS TO 
TERMINATE THE TERMS OF THE SEVEN LIFE TRUSTEES ON JULY 1, 2027, AND TO PROVIDE 
FOR THE ELECTION OF A SEVENTH TRUSTEE BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN JOINT SESSION.

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

SECTION 1. Section 59-119-40 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-119-40. (A) The university shall be under the management and 
control of a board of thirteen trustees, composed of the 
seven members nominated by the will and their successors and sixseven members to be elected by the General Assembly in 
joint assembly. Three of the original trustees having been elected for a term 
of two years and three for a term of four years from the commencement of their 
terms and until their successors were elected, thereafter the General Assembly 
has and hereafter it shall every two years elect in joint assembly three 
trustees for such university who shall serve for a term of four years and until 
their successors shall be elected and shall qualify. In 
addition to these six trustees, a seventh trustee is created to be elected in 
joint session of the General Assembly for a term of four years to begin July 1, 
2027, and until his successor is elected and qualified, after which his 
successors shall serve for terms of four years and until their successors are 
elected and qualified. In electing members of the board, the General 
Assembly shall elect members based on merit regardless of race, color, creed, 
or gender and shall strive to assure that the membership of the board is 
representative of all citizens of the State of South Carolina.

 (B) The terms of the 
present members of the board who are elected by the General Assembly expire on 
the thirtieth day of June of the year in which the terms are scheduled to 
expire. Beginning with its 1984 session, the General Assembly shall elect 
successors to the elective trustees not earlier than the first day of April for 
a term to begin the following July first. Elections to fill vacancies on the 
board which are caused by the death, resignation, or removal of an elective 
trustee may be held earlier than the first day of April of the year in which 
the unexpired term terminates, but the term of the person elected to fill the 
vacancy expires on the last day of June of the year in which the term of the 
former member would have expired.

 (C) The terms of the present members 
of the board who are nominated by the will expire permanently on July 1, 2027, 
and successors to them may not be appointed. Any appointments made in violation 
of this subsection are void.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on May 07, 2026 at 02:17 PM