South Carolina S 696: SC Uniform Transfers to Minors Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 696 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 10, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 696

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 2-19-5, RELATING TO SOUTH CAROLINA JUDICIAL MERIT SELECTION COMMISSION 
CREATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE COMMISSION BE COMPOSED OF TWELVE MEMBERS 
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 2-19-20, RELATING TO 
INVESTIGATION BY THE COMMISSION AND PUBLICATION OF VACANCIES, SO AS TO REQUIRE 
THAT ANY STATE AGENCY MUST COOPERATE WITH THE COMMISSION'S REQUESTS FOR 
INFORMATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 2-19-30, RELATING TO HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE 
SESSION, SO AS TO REQUIRE WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS BE SUBMITTED NO 
LATER THAN SEVENTY-TWO HOURS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED HEARING AND COPIES OF WRITTEN 
AND SPOKEN TESTIMONY BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE; BY AMENDING SECTION 2-19-35, 
RELATING TO CRITERIA FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMISSION, SO 
AS TO OMIT RACE, GENDER, SEX, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL 
ORIGIN, INTERSECTIONAL IDENTIFIERS, ANY DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 
CRITERA, PHILOSOPHY, OR FRAMEWORKS FROM BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COMMISSION WHEN 
MAKING NOMINATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 2-19-50, RELATING TO 
CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS, INFORMATION, AND OTHER MATERIAL, SO AS TO EXCLUDE 
RECORDS HELD BY THE COMMISSION NOT PREVIOUSLY OR OTHERWISE CONFIDENTIAL FROM 
BEING KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL; BY AMENDING SECTION 2-19-60, RELATING TO 
POWERS OF THE COMMISSION, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE COMMISSION MAY CARRY OUT 
ITS DUTIES STRICTLY IN SELECTING AND VETTING VIABLE CANDIDATES AND THAT NO 
INDIVIDUAL MAY BE PROSECUTED OR SUBJECTED TO PUNISHMENT, FORFEITURE, CRIMINAL, 
OR CIVIL PENALTY BASED UPON TESTIMONY SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSION; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 2-19-70, RELATING TO PROHIBITION AGAINST DUAL OFFICES, PRIVILEGES OF 
THE FLOOR, AND PLEDGES, SO AS TO PROHIBIT FLOOR PRIVILEGES TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY 
MEMBERS OF CANDIDATES WHILE THE CANDIDATE'S APPLICATION IS UNDER REVIEW BY THE 
COMMISSION.

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. 
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 Judicial Merit 
Selection 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 a the 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 m