TO AMEND SECTION 59-121-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS OF THE CITADEL, SECTION 59-121-20, RELATING TO THE TERMS OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND SECTION 59-121-30, RELATING TO ELECTIONS OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, ALL SO AS TO CHANGE REFERENCES TO THE "ASSOCIATION OF THE CITADEL MEN" TO THE "CITADEL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION".

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

SECTION    1.    Section 59-121-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-121-10.    The board of visitors of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, shall be composed of the Governor, the Adjutant General and the State Superintendent of Education, who shall be members ex officio of the board, and eleven others who shall be graduates of the college, seven of whom are to be elected by joint vote of the General Assembly as hereinafter provided, three of whom are to be elected by such means and methods as may be determined by the Association of Citadel Men Citadel Alumni Association or any succeeding successor organization of Citadel men, the result of election to be certified by the president of the association to the Secretary of State, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall make the appointment based on merit regardless of race or economic status and shall strive to assure that the membership of the board is representative of all citizens of the State of South Carolina."

SECTION    2.    Section 59-121-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-121-20.    The regular terms of office of the elected members in office on April 18, 1947, who are still in office shall end on the last day of June in the years stated in the table in Act 108 of the regular session of 1947 (Acts 1947, p. 144). The regular terms of office of the elected members who were not in office on that date and of all members hereafter elected shall be six years; provided, that the third member authorized to be elected by the Association of Citadel Men Citadel Alumni Association shall serve an initial term of four years. All elected terms shall begin on the first day of July and end on the last day of June; provided, however, that each incumbent shall be entitled to hold office until his successor is duly elected. In electing members of the board, the General Assembly shall elect members based on merit regardless of race or economic status and shall strive to assure that the membership of the board is representative of all citizens of the State of Carolina.

The term of office of the at-large trustee appointed by the Governor shall be effective upon certification to the Secretary of State and shall be six years."

SECTION    3.    Section 59-121-30 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-121-30.    The General Assembly shall hold an election to fill vacancies occurring due to expiration of terms no earlier than the first day of April of the year the term expires and as necessary to fill unexpired terms which are caused by the death, resignation, or removal of a trustee, except that vacancies of unexpired terms of members elected by the Association of Citadel Men Citadel Alumni Association shall be filled in the same manner as is provided for by Section 59-121-10. No elective member shall be elected or re-elected either by the General Assembly or by the Association of Citadel Men Citadel Alumni Association to fill any term of office the duration of which shall extend beyond the member's seventy-fifth birthday. However, beginning with the elections for members of the board occurring on or after July 1, 1997, the seventy-fifth birthday limit no longer applies."

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.