South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 13 - Ethics, Government Accountability, And Campaign Reform
Section 8-13-715. Speaking engagements of public officials, members or employees; only expense reimbursement permitted; authorization for reimbursement of out-of-state expenses.

(A) A public official, public member, or public employee acting in an official capacity may not receive anything of value for speaking before a public or private group. A public official, public member, or public employee is not prohibited by this section from accepting a meal provided in conjunction with a speaking engagement where all participants are entitled to the same meal and the meal is incidental to the speaking engagement. Notwithstanding the limitations of Section 2-17-90, a public official, public member, or public employee may receive payment or reimbursement for actual expenses incurred for a speaking engagement. The expenses must be reasonable and must be incurred in a reasonable time and manner in which to accomplish the purpose of the engagement. A public official, public member, or public employee required to file a statement of economic interests under Section 8-13-1110 must report on his statement of economic interests the organization which paid for or reimbursed actual expenses, the amount of such payment or reimbursement, and the purpose, date, and location of the speaking engagement. A public official, public member, or public employee who is not required to file a statement of economic interests but who is paid or reimbursed actual expenses for a speaking engagement must report this same information in writing to the chief administrative official or employee of the agency with which the public official, public member, or public employee is associated.
(B) If the expenses are incurred out of state, the public official, public member, or public employee incurring the expenses must receive prior written approval for the payment or reimbursement from:
(1) the Governor, in the case of a public official of a state agency who is not listed in an item in this section;
(2) a statewide constitutional officer, in the case of himself;
(3) the President of the Senate, in the case of a member of the Senate;
(4) the Speaker of the House, in the case of a member of the House of Representatives; or
(5) the chief executive of the governmental entity in all other cases.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 248, Section 3, eff January 1, 1992 and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 1995 Act No. 6, Section 21, effective upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature January 12, 1995) and applies only to transactions occurring on or after January 1, 1995; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 35, eff January 31, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 1, Section 35, inserted the (A) and (B) designators; and, in (B)(3), substituted "President of the Senate" for "President Pro Tempore of the Senate".

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