South Carolina H 3487: Midwives

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3487 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 07, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3487

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 ADDING SECTION 
38-3-105 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ELECTION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
INSURANCE BY THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE STATE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION AND PROVIDE 
FOR THE DIRECTOR'S TERM OF OFFICE, QUALIFICATIONS, VACANCY, AND RELATED 
MATTERS; BY AMENDING SECTION 1-30-10, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE 
GOVERNMENT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
INSURANCE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE ELECTED TO OFFICE 
UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS STATE; BY AMENDING SECTION 38-1-20, RELATING TO 
DEFINITIONS UNDER THE INSURANCE LAWS OF THIS STATE, SO AS TO MAKE CERTAIN 
CHANGES TO THE DEFINITION OF "DIRECTOR" OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 38-3-10, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, SO AS TO 
DELETE CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT'S DIRECTOR, TO PROVIDE 
THAT THE DIRECTOR IS ELECTED RATHER THAN APPOINTED, AND TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE 
PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF THE DIRECTOR; BY AMENDING SECTION 
38-3-100, RELATING TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, SO AS TO 
AMONG OTHER CHANGES, DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT, IF THE DIRECTOR BECOMES A 
CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE OR BECOMES A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL COMMITTEE DURING 
TENURE, HIS OFFICE IMMEDIATELY MUST BE VACATED; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE 
ELECTION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE BEGINS WITH THE 2028 
STATEWIDE ELECTION PROCESS AND THAT THE DIRECTOR SERVING ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE 
OF THIS ACT SHALL CONTINUE TO SERVE UNTIL HIS SUCCESSOR IS ELECTED AND 
QUALIFIES FOR OFFICE.

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

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 3, Title 38 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
38-3-105. The Director of the Department of Insurance must be elected by the 
qualified electors of the State in the general election. He may succeed himself 
in the office. His term begins at noon on the first Wednesday following the 
second Tuesday in January next following his election and ends at noon on the 
first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January four years later. He 
must be at least thirty years of age at the time his term of office commences. 
He may not hold any other public office while serving as director. A candidate 
for or person elected to the office of director may not accept campaign 
contributions or anything of value, directly or indirectly, from insurance 
companies regulated by the Department of Insurance, or their subsidiaries, or 
from insurance agents or any other insurance professionals regulated pursuant 
to Title 38 including, but not limited to, employees or immediate family 
members of such insurance agents, other insurance professionals, and officers, 
directors, and managers of such insurance companies or subsidiaries. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a vacancy in the office of director 
must be filled by the Governor for the unexpired portion of the term.

SECTION 2. Section 1-30-10(B)(1)(iii) 
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (iii) 
in the case of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education, 
the State Commissioner of Agriculture and the State Superintendent of 
Education, respectively, elected to office under the Constitution of this State, and in the case of the Department of Insurance, the Director 
of the Department of Insurance elected to office under the laws of this State; 
or

SECTION 3. Section 38-1-20(19) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (19) "Director" means the person who is 
appointed by the Governor upon the advice and consent of 
the Senateelected by the qualified electors of this 
State and who is responsible for the operation and management of the 
department. The director has the authority to appoint or designate the person 
or persons who shall serve at the pleasure of the director to carry out the 
objectives or duties of the department as provided by law. Furthermore, the 
director may bestow upon his designee or deputy director a duty or function 
required of him by law to manage and supervise the department.

SECTION 4. Section 38-3-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
38-3-10. There is established a separate and distinct department of this State, 
known as the Department of Insurance. The department must be managed and 
operated by a director appointed by the Governor upon the 
advice and consent of the Senate elected by the 
qualified electors of this State. The director is subject to removal by the Governor as provided in Section 1-3-240(B)from office as may be provided by law for the other officers of 
the