TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 6-1-180 SO AS TO REQUIRE EACH POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE WHOSE GOVERNING BOARD, COMMISSION, OR COUNCIL IS POPULARLY ELECTED FROM SINGLE-MEMBER ELECTION DISTRICTS, RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS, OR A COMBINATION OF AT-LARGE AND SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS TO BE REAPPORTIONED TO A POPULATION VARIANCE OF LESS THAN TEN PERCENT WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE LATEST OFFICIAL UNITED STATES DECENNIAL CENSUS IS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES FOR CONTINUITY OF REPRESENTATION WHEN REAPPORTIONMENT LOCATES TWO OR MORE ELECTED MEMBERS IN THE SAME ELECTION DISTRICT, AND TO CLARIFY CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE REGARDING REAPPORTIONMENT.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 6 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 6-1-180.    (A)(1)    Notwithstanding another provision of law, beginning with the adoption of the 2010 official United States decennial census, each political subdivision of the State whose governing board, commission, or council is popularly elected from single-member election districts, residency requirements, or a combination of at-large and single-member districts must be reapportioned to a population variance of less than ten percent within three years of the date on which the latest federal decennial census is adopted by the General Assembly.

(2)    In the event that two or more popularly elected members of a political subdivision's governing board, commission, or council, elected by single-member districts or residency requirements, because of reapportionment, become electors in the same district with two or more years remaining on each of the affected member's terms, an election then must be required to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. However, if a seat becomes vacant after election districts have been reapportioned, but prior to the expiration of the incumbent's term of office due to death, resignation, removal, or any other cause, the resulting vacancy must be filled under the new reapportionment plan in the manner provided by law for the district that has the same district number as the district from which the council member whose office is vacant was elected. For purposes of this section, a board, commission, or council member will be considered a resident of the district he represents as long as he resides in any part of the district as constituted at the time of his election.

(B)    Each political subdivision of the State described in subsection (A) shall furnish the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office a copy of the adopted version of the applicable reapportionment ordinance and its accompanying map and statistics."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.