South Carolina H 4755: Technical Colleges

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4755 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 11, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4755

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

February 11, 2026

H. 4755

Introduced by Reps. Gatch, G. M. Smith, W. 
Newton, Caskey, Jordan, Bailey, Ballentine, Brewer, Brittain, Chapman, 
Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Duncan, Edgerton, Forrest, Gagnon, Gilliam, Guest, 
Guffey, Hager, Hardee, Hartz, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Huff, 
Kilmartin, Lawson, Long, Lowe, Magnuson, Martin, McCravy, McGinnis, C. 
Mitchell, B. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Sanders, Schuessler, 
Sessions, M. M. Smith, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, White, Whitmire, 
Willis, Yow, Erickson, Chumley, Ford, Lastinger, Wickensimer, Bowers, D. 
Mitchell and Gilreath 

S. Printed 2/11/26--H.

Read the first time January 13, 2026

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTIONS 2-19-5, 2-19-20, 2-19-30, 2-19-35, 2-19-50, 2-19-60 AND 2-19-70, ALL 
RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA JUDICIAL MERIT SELECTION COMMISSION SCREENING 
AND ELECTION OF JUSTICES AND JUDGES, SO AS TO REVISE THE STAFFING AND 
APPOINTMENT PROCESS OF THE COMMISSION AND TRANSFER THAT AUTHORITY TO THE 
GOVERNOR, TO PROHIBIT SITTING MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CERTAIN 
FAMILY MEMBERS FROM SERVING ON THE COMMISSION, TO PROHIBIT THE COMMISSION FROM 
CONSIDERING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION CRITERIA ALONG WITH OTHER SIMILAR 
CRITERIA, AND TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Section 2-19-5 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
2-19-5. (A) There is created the 
South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Commission. The 
commission must be staffed by the Governor's Office. composed of twelve members who must be appointed as follows:

 (1) four members appointed by the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives and of these appointments:

 (a) three members must be members of the 
House of Representatives; and

 (b) one member must be selected from the 
South Carolina Bar who must be a member of the Bar in good standing with ten 
years' experience in the practice of law;

 (2) four members appointed by the Senate 
and of these appointments:

 (a) two members must be appointed by the 
President of the Senate one of whom must be a member of the Senate and one of 
whom must be selected from the South Carolina Bar and must be a member in good 
standing with ten years' experience in the practice of law; and

 (b) two members must be appointed by the 
Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee both of whom must be members of the 
Senate; and

 (3) four members appointed by the 
Governor all of which must be members in good standing of the South Carolina 
Bar with at least ten years' experience in the practice of law.

The commission shall be composed of twelve members who must be 
appointed by the Governor as follows:

 (1) eight members must be members of the 
South Carolina Bar in good standing;

 (2) no more than four members may be law 
enforcement professionals; and

 (3) no individual currently holding a 
seat in the General Assembly of either chamber shall be eligible to serve on 
the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, nor shall their spouse, children, or 
siblings. Former members of the General Assembly must wait no fewer than two 
years before qualifying for selection by the Governor to the commission. Their 
spouse, children, or siblings must also wait no fewer than two years before 
qualifying following the member vacating their seat.

 (B) No 
person is eligible for appointment if he individually contributed to athe Governor's campaign of one of the appointing authorities in the most recent 
election. Nonlegislative members may not be a public 
employee or serve in another elected office.

 (C) 
Members of the commission shall serve for a term of two years and may serve no 
more than two consecutive terms. However, a member of the 
House of Representatives or Senate who ceases to serve as a member of the 
General Assembly will have his service on the commission terminated upon the 
end of his service in the General Assembly. Additionally, a member 
appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term may serve two full terms 
thereafter. The initial appointments must be made as 
follows:

 (1) one member each appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to subsection (A)(1)(a) and 
(b) shall serve an initial term of one year and may be reappointed to a 
following two-year term;

 (2) one member each appointed by the 
President of the Senate and the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee 
pursuant to subsection (A)(2)(a) and (b) shall serve an initial term o