S0753 revises the statutory qualifications for county coroners in South Carolina. It keeps the existing baseline requirements—U.S. citizenship, county residency, voter registration, age 21, a high school diploma or equivalent, and no felony or moral turpitude convictions—but adds a new requirement that candidates be fingerprinted and undergo a State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) criminal background check before the general election. The bill also specifies how those background-check results must be filed depending on whether the candidate is running through a political party filing process or by petition.
The bill also expands and clarifies the professional qualifications a candidate may use to meet the office’s experience requirement. In addition to prior death-investigation experience, the bill recognizes combinations of education and experience, certified law enforcement experience, recognized forensic science education or enrollment in such a program, medical doctor status, or a bachelor of science in nursing. It also requires first-term coroners to complete basic training through the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and continues the annual in-service training framework for coroners and deputy coroners, with suspension consequences for noncompliance. Existing coroners in office when the law takes effect are largely exempt from the new qualification rules except for annual training requirements.
Impact
The bill amends Section 17-5-130 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which governs who may serve as coroner and what training and certification obligations apply. Its main legal effect is to add a pre-election fingerprinting and SLED background-check requirement for coroner candidates and to broaden the list of acceptable education-and-experience pathways for qualification. It also preserves and reinforces the state’s training, certification, suspension, and county-funding provisions for coroners and deputy coroners, while leaving incumbents in office exempt from most new qualification changes.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes, the available record suggests a generally administrative and professionalization-oriented measure rather than a controversial policy change. The bill appears aimed at improving candidate screening and ensuring coroners have relevant investigative, medical, or forensic training. No formal opposition, amendments, or vote history is provided in the materials, so there is no documented split in sentiment from the available context.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the added pre-election background check requirement and the expanded credentialing standards for candidates, which could be viewed as improving public trust but also as creating additional barriers to candidacy. Another possible issue is the administrative burden on candidates, county election officials, political party committees, and SLED in collecting, filing, and reviewing background-check results and affidavits. The bill also continues a system in which coroners can be suspended for failing training requirements, which may raise concerns about state oversight versus county autonomy, though no specific objections are recorded in the provided materials.
Similar To
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 17-5-130, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.