A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "BUDGET TRANSPARENCY ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 11-11-60, SECTION 6-1-2020, AND SECTION 30-4-170 SO AS TO REQUIRE CERTAIN PUBLIC BODIES TO MAKE AVAILABLE CERTAIN SALARY INFORMATION WITH EITHER THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION OR ON ITS OWN WEBSITE.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as the "Budget Transparency Act."

 

SECTION 2.  Article 1, Chapter 11, Title 11 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 11-11-60.  When making a budget request to the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, or for the Governor's executive budget, each state agency must include in the request the need and purpose of any appropriations that the agency wishes to continue receiving, and the need and the purpose of any new appropriations. The state agency must post the full request on its website.

 

SECTION 3.  Article 9, Chapter 1, Title 6 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 6-1-2020.  (A) The local governing body of each county, municipality, and school district in this State shall make available on its website:

       (1)(a)  contract information for its elected officials and executive staff;

           (b)   the agenda for an upcoming meeting at least three days in advance of the meeting;

           (c)   a detailed list of public employee compensation as required by Chapter 4, Title 30;

           (d)   all budgets, audits, and financial reports;

           (e)   a detailed list of all taxes and fees imposed by the political subdivision;

           (f)   a searchable database with the political subdivision's sources of revenue and expenditures;

       (2)   any meeting records from meetings of the local governmental body, such as documents that were circulated during the meeting, approved meeting minutes from the previous meeting, and the preliminary minutes from the current meeting. Each meeting minutes must include the results and record of any votes taken of each individual member regardless of whether the vote was only a voice vote.

    (B)  Within twenty-four hours after the conclusion of a meeting of the local governing body of a county, municipality, or school district, any records from the meeting, such as documents that were circulated during the meeting, must be made available and archived on the local governing body's website.

 

SECTION 4.  Chapter 4, Title 30 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 30-4-170.  If a public body employs persons receiving compensation for which a public body must disclose the amount but the public body is not required to report such to the Department of Administration, the public body must either report such salaries to the Department of Administration quarterly, or post such salaries to its own website quarterly.

 

SECTION 5.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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