TO AMEND SECTION 2-1-180, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE MANDATORY SINE DIE ADJOURNMENT DATE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO PROVIDE AND ACCOUNT FOR A BIENNIAL STATE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT; AND TO AMEND SECTION 2-7-60, RELATING TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH ITS 2021 SESSION FOR THE ENSUING TWO FISCAL YEARS, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL ENACT A BIENNIAL STATE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 2-1-180 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 2-1-180.    The regular annual session of the General Assembly shall adjourn sine die each year not no later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May. The regular annual session of the General Assembly can be extended:

    (a)    in odd-numbered years, if the House of Representatives fails to give a third reading to the annual biennial state general appropriations bill by March thirty-first, the date of sine die adjournment is extended by one statewide day for each statewide day after March thirty-first that the House of Representatives fails to give the bill third reading; or

    (b)    in odd-numbered years, if a forecast reduction is submitted by the Board of Economic Advisors pursuant to Section 11-9-880 after April tenth for the next two fiscal year years, the adjournment date for the General Assembly may be extended up to two weeks with the agreement of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; or

    (c)    if a concurrent resolution is adopted by a two-thirds vote of both the Senate and House of Representatives not later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May. During the time between five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May and the extended sine die adjournment date, as set forth herein, no legislation or other business may be considered except the biennial state general appropriations bill and any matters approved for consideration by a concurrent resolution adopted by two-thirds vote in both houses."

SECTION    2.    Section 2-7-60 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 2-7-60.    (A)    The General Assembly shall annually shall provide for all expenditures in the general appropriations act and the appropriations made for any a department, institution, board, or commission shall must be in a definite sum for each purpose or activity with such that itemization under the activity as may be deemed considered necessary by the General Assembly.

    (B)    Beginning with its 2021 session for the ensuing two fiscal years and in each session every two years after 2021 for the two fiscal years next ensuing, the General Assembly shall enact a biennial state general appropriations act in a form and under conditions as it considers appropriate. On July 1, 2021, and thereafter, the term 'annual state general appropriations act' or any similar variations of this term as contained in a provision of law must be construed to mean the biennial state general appropriations act.

    (C)    Nothing in this section prevents the General Assembly from enacting a supplemental appropriations bill or a capital reserve fund appropriations bill in the manner authorized by law in even-numbered or odd-numbered years."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect July 1, 2020 and first applies to the 2021 session of the General Assembly and the 2021 biennial state general appropriations act, including the Governor's executive budget.