A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 2-3-240 SO AS TO CREATE A GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER SALARY COMMISSION AND TO PROVIDE FOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
Summary
H4924 creates a new General Assembly Member Salary Commission to study and recommend compensation for South Carolina legislators. The commission would be made up of seven gubernatorial appointees, one from each congressional district, and members must have relevant expertise in areas such as law, economics, finance, human resources, business, compensation, or salary surveying. The bill excludes elected or appointed government officials from serving on the commission.
Beginning with fiscal year 2026-2027, legislative salaries would be based on the commission’s recommendations, and the commission would be required to commission a study every four years to recommend a salary range for General Assembly members. The commission must also issue a report by December 15, 2026, to legislative leaders and budget committee chairs detailing its recommended salary range. Members of the commission would receive standard mileage, subsistence, and per diem, and any salary increase would still have to comply with Article III of the South Carolina Constitution.
Impact
The bill would add Section 2-3-240 to the South Carolina Code and create a new statutory process for reviewing and recommending legislative pay. It would not itself set a specific salary amount, but it would establish a recurring mechanism for compensation studies and recommendations that could influence future appropriations and salary adjustments for members of the General Assembly. The measure also preserves constitutional limits by requiring any compensation increase to be made in accordance with Article III of the state constitution.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a procedural reform rather than a partisan policy change. Its purpose is to create a structured, expert-driven process for evaluating legislative compensation, which may appeal to those seeking transparency and regular review of salaries. Because there is no discussion transcript or voting history provided, there is no documented public sentiment in the record beyond the bill’s formal proposal.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is legislative pay itself, since the bill would move salary recommendations for lawmakers to an outside commission and could lead to future increases in compensation. Some may view that as a needed, objective review of pay levels and duties, while others may oppose any mechanism that could raise legislator salaries or reduce direct legislative control over compensation decisions. Another possible issue is the governor’s appointment power, since all seven commission members would be selected by the Governor rather than by the legislature.