South Carolina § 6-29-1340 - Educational requirements; time-frame for completion; subjects.

§ 6-29-1340. Educational requirements; time-frame for completion; subjects.

(A) Unless expressly exempted as provided in Section 6-29-1350, each appointed official and professional employee must:

(1) no earlier than one hundred and eighty days prior to and no later than three hundred and sixty-five days after the initial date of appointment or employment, attend a minimum of six hours of orientation training in one or more of the subjects listed in subsection (C); and

(2) annually, after the first year of service or employment, but no later than three hundred and sixty-five days after each anniversary of the initial date of appointment or employment, attend no fewer than three hours of continuing education in any of the subjects listed in subsection (C).

(B) An appointed official or professional employee who attended six hours of orientation training for a prior appointment or employment is not required to comply with the orientation requirement for a subsequent appointment or employment after a break in service. However, unless expressly exempted as provided in Section 6-29-1350, upon a subsequent appointment or employment, the appointed official or professional employee must comply with an annual requirement of attending no fewer than three hours of continuing education as provided in this section.

(C) The subjects for the education required by subsection (A) may include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) land use planning;

(2) zoning;

(3) floodplains;

(4) transportation;

(5) community facilities;

(6) ethics;

(7) public utilities;

(8) wireless telecommunications facilities;

(9) parliamentary procedure;

(10) public hearing procedure;

(11) administrative law;

(12) economic development;

(13) housing;

(14) public buildings;

(15) building construction;

(16) land subdivision; and

(17) powers and duties of the planning commission, board of zoning appeals, or board of architectural review.

(D) In order to meet the educational requirements of subsection (A), an educational program must be approved by the advisory committee.

HISTORY: 2003 Act No. 39, SECTION 14, eff June 2, 2003.