South Carolina House Bill 3530

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Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: Introduced on January 14 2025 - 25% progression
Action: 2026-03-25 - Recommitted to Committee on Judiciary
Pending: House Judiciary Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Comm Sub) [HTML]

Amend The South Carolina Code Of Laws By Adding Section 2-19-115 So As To Require Candidates For Magistrate Positions To Be Reviewed By The Judicial Merit Selection Commission In The Same Manner As Other Judicial Candidates Upon Vacancies, And To Define When Vacancies Occur; By Amending Section 22-1-10, Relating To Appointment, Term And Territorial Jurisdiction, Training, Certification, Or Recertification Requirements Of Magistrates, So As To Provide Procedures And Limitations On Magistrates' Holdover Status And To Require Magistrates Going Forward To Hold A Juris Doctor Degree And Be A Member In Good Standing Of The South Carolina Bar; By Amending Section 22-1-15, Relating To Magistrates Presently Serving, So As To Grandfather Magistrates Serving In Office On June 30, 2025; By Amending Section 22-3-10, Relating To Civil Jurisdiction In Magistrates Court, So As To Increase The Civil Jurisdiction Of Magistrates Court; By Amending Section 22-3-550, Relating To Criminal Jurisdiction In Magistrates Court, So As To Increase The Criminal Jurisdiction Of Magistrates Court; And By Repealing Sections 22-2-10 And 22-2-15 Relating To A Screening Committee To Assist In The Selection Of Magistrates And The Special Election For Nonpartisan Selection Of Magistrates, Respectively.

Magistrates' Reform Act

Rep. Weston Newton [R]	Rep. Thomas Pope [R]	Rep. Tiffany Spann-Wilder [D]	Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter [D]
Rep. Beth Bernstein [D]	Rep. David Vaughan [R]	Rep. Cody Mitchell [R]	Rep. Robby Robbins [R]
Rep. Travis Moore [R]	Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers [D]	Rep. Wendell Gilliard [D]	Rep. Robert Williams [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2026-03-25	House	Recommitted to Committee on Judiciary
2026-03-24	House	Debate adjourned
2026-03-03	House	Debate adjourned until Tuesday, March 24.
2026-02-26	House	Debate adjourned
2026-02-25	House	Debate adjourned
2026-02-25	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Williams
2026-02-24	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gilliard
2026-02-24	House	Debate adjourned until Wed., 2-25-26
2026-02-19	House	Debate adjourned
2026-02-18	House	Debate adjourned
2026-02-17	House	Debate adjourned
2026-02-17	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henderson-Myers
2026-02-12	House	Debate adjourned until Tues., 2-17-26
2026-02-11	House	Debate adjourned until Thur., 2-12-26
2026-02-10		Scrivener's error corrected
2026-02-05	House	Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary
2026-02-04	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: C.Mitchell, Robbins, T.Moore
2026-01-29	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Vaughan
2025-01-29	House	Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bernstein
2025-01-28	House	Member(s) request name removed as sponsor: Pedalino
2025-01-14	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary
2025-01-14	House	Introduced and read first time
2024-12-05	House	Referred to Committee on Judiciary
2024-12-05	House	Prefiled

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
2	19	115	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	1	10	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	1	15	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	2	10	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	2	15	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	3	10	(n/a)	See Bill Text
22	3	550	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3530&session=126&summary=B
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3530_20241205.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3530_20260205.htm
Text	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/3530_20260210.htm
Supplement	https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/fiscalimpactstatements/H3530%202025-01-14%20introduced.pdf