The bill proposes an amendment to Section 7, Article VI of the South Carolina Constitution, which currently mandates that the Commissioner of Agriculture be an elected state officer. The amendment seeks to remove the requirement for election and instead stipulates that the Commissioner of Agriculture will be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. This appointment will take effect upon the expiration of the term of the current Commissioner serving at the time of the amendment's ratification. The term for the appointed Commissioner will be four years, aligning with the Governor's term.
Additionally, the amendment requires the General Assembly to establish laws governing the duties, compensation, qualifications for the office, the appointment process, and the removal procedures for the Commissioner of Agriculture. The proposed amendment will be presented to voters in the next general election, allowing them to decide whether to approve the changes to the constitutional status of the Commissioner of Agriculture.