The regular annual session of the General Assembly shall adjourn sine die each year not later than five o'clock p.m. on the second Thursday in May. The regular annual session of the General Assembly can be extended:

1. (a) if the House of Representatives fails to give a third reading to the annual 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
2. (b) if a forecast reduction is submitted by the Board of Economic Advisors pursuant to Section 11-9-880 after April tenth for the next fiscal year, 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 of the Senate; or
3. (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 general appropriations bill and any matters approved for consideration by a concurrent resolution adopted by two-thirds vote in both houses.

HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 146, Section 2; 1983 Act No. 151, Part II, Section 38; 1985 Act No. 201, Part II, Section 59; 2016 Act No. 199 (S.267), Section 1, eff June 3, 2016. Validity For the validity of (c) of this section, see Pinckney v. Peeler, 862 S.E.2d 906 (S.C. 2021).

Editor's Note

2016 Act No. 199, Section 3, provides as follows:

"SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon the approval by the Governor and first applies for the next annual regular session of the General Assembly."

2019 Act No. 1, Section 97, provides as follows:

"SECTION 97. The Code Commissioner is directed to change all references to 'President Pro Tempore', 'President Pro Tempore of the Senate', or 'President of the Senate Pro Tempore' not specifically addressed in this act to 'President of the Senate'."

Effect of Amendment

2016 Act No. 199, Section 1, rewrote the section, changing the date for the mandatory adjournment of the general assembly to the second Thursday in May from the first Thursday in June, and to provide that the adjournment date may be extended up to two weeks in the discretion of the speaker of the house and the president pro tempore of the senate if a forecast reduction is submitted by the board of economic advisors after April tenth.