South Carolina H 4300: Dr. Henry N. Tisdale

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4300 Text of Previous Version (Jun. 25, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4300

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Amended

June 25, 2026

H. 4300

Introduced by Reps. Bannister, Jordan, W. Newton,
Yow, C. Mitchell and Luck 

S. Printed 6/25/26--S.

Read the first time May 5, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION 9-8-50, RELATING TO SERVICE CREDIT IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR JUDGES
AND SOLICITORS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT JUDGES ARE VESTED IN THE SYSTEM AFTER
ATTAINING EIGHT YEARS OF EARNED SERVICE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 9-8-60,
RELATING TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR JUDGES' AND SOLICITORS' ALLOWANCES, SO AS
TO CHANGE THE RETIREMENT AGE OF JUDGES FROM SEVENTY-TWO TO SEVENTY-FOUR.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Section 9-8-50(E) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (E)(1)
A judge is vested in the system after attaining ten years of earned service in
the position of judge, a solicitor is vested in the system after attaining
eight years of earned service as a solicitor, and a circuit public defender is
vested in the system after attaining eight years of earned service as a circuit
public defender.

 (2)
If a vested member who began service as a judge or solicitor before July 1,
2004, has terminated service and left contributions on deposit with the system,
the member is eligible for a monthly benefit beginning at age fifty-five. The
member's benefit under this section is calculated by multiplying the member's
monthly benefit determined in accordance with Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70, by a
fraction in which the member's total credited service in the system is the
numerator and twenty-four is the denominator. The monthly benefit under this
section may not exceed the member's benefit as calculated pursuant to Section
9-8-60 or 9-8-70.

 (3)
If a vested member who began service as a judge, solicitor, or circuit public
defender after June 30, 2004, has terminated service and left contributions on
deposit with the system, the member is eligible for a monthly benefit beginning
at age sixty-five. The member's benefit under this section is calculated by
multiplying the member's monthly benefit determined in accordance with Section
9-8-60 or 9-8-70, by a fraction in which the member's total credited service in
the system is the numerator and twenty-four is the denominator. The monthly
benefit under this section may not exceed the member's benefit as calculated pursuant to
Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70.

SECTION 2. Section 9-8-60 (1) and (7) of the S.C. Code is amended
to read:

 (1) A member of the system may retire
upon written application to the board setting forth at what time, not later
than the end of the calendar year in which the member attains age seventy-two seventy-four and
not more than ninety days prior nor more than six months subsequent to the
execution and filing thereof, the member desires to be retired, if the member
at the time so specified for retirement is no longer in the service of the
State, except as a member of the General Assembly or as allowed pursuant to
subsection (7), and has completed ten years of earned service as a judge or
eight years of earned service as a solicitor or circuit public defender or was
in service as a judge or solicitor on July 1, 1984, and has either:

 (a)
attained the age of sixty-five and completed at least twenty years of credited
service;

 (b)
attained age seventy and completed at least fifteen years of credited service;
or

 (c)
completed at least twenty-five years of credited service in the system for a
judge, or twenty-four years of credited service in the system for a solicitor
or circuit public defender, regardless of age. A member may retire under this
section if the member was a member of this system as of June 30, 2004; attained
age sixty-five with at least four years' earned service in the position of
judge, solicitor, or circuit public defender; and, as of June 30, 2004, had a
total of twenty-five years of credited service with the State in the South
Carolina Retirement System, the Police Officers Retirement System, or the
Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly.

 A person receiving
retirement allowances under this system who is elected to the General Assembly
continues to receive the retirement allowances while serving in the General
Assembly, and also must be a member of the retirement system unless the person
files a statement with the board on a form prescribed by the board electing not
to participate in the applicable system while a member of the General Assembly.
A person making this election shall not make contributions to the applicable
retirement system nor shall the State