(A)(1) A public official occupying statewide office, a member of his immediate family, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated may not knowingly represent another person before a governmental entity, except as otherwise required by law.

(2) A member of the General Assembly, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated may not knowingly represent another person before a governmental entity, except:

(a) as required by law;

(b) before a court under the unified judicial system; or

(c) in a contested case, as defined in § 1-23-310, excluding a contested case for a rate or price fixing matter before the South Carolina Public Service Commission or South Carolina Department of Insurance, or in an agency’s consideration of the drafting and promulgation of regulations under Chapter 23 of Title 1 in a public hearing.

(3) A public member occupying statewide office, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated may not knowingly represent another person before the same unit or division of the governmental entity for which the public member has official responsibility, except as otherwise required by law.

(4) A public official, public member, or public employee of a county may not knowingly represent a person before an agency, unit, or subunit of that county for which the public official, public member, or public employee has official responsibility except:

(a) as required by law; or

(b) before a court under the unified judicial system.

(5) A public official, public member, or public employee of a municipality may not knowingly represent a person before any agency, unit, or subunit of that municipality for which the public official, public member, or public employee has official responsibility except as required by law.

(6) A public employee, other than those specified in items (4) and (5) of this subsection, receiving compensation other than reimbursement or per diem payments for his official duties, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated may not knowingly represent a person before an entity on the same level of government for which the public official, public member, or public employee has official responsibility except:

(a) as required by law;

(b) before a court under the unified judicial system; or

(c) in a contested case, as defined in § 1-23-310, excluding a contested case for a rate or price fixing matter before the South Carolina Public Service Commission or the South Carolina Department of Insurance, or in an agency’s consideration of the drafting and promulgation of regulations under Chapter 23 of Title 1 in a public hearing.

(7) The restrictions set forth in items (1) through (6) of this subsection do not apply to:

(a) purely ministerial matters which do not require discretion on the part of the governmental entity before which the public official, public member, or public employee is appearing;

(b) representation by a public official, public member, or public employee in the course of the public official’s, public member’s, or public employee’s official duties;

(c) representation by the public official, public member, or public employee in matters relating to the public official’s, public member’s or public employee’s personal affairs or the personal affairs of the public official’s, public member’s, or public employee’s immediate family.

(8) A state, county, or municipal public official, public member, or public employee, including a person serving on an agency, unit, or subunit of a governmental entity shall not be required to resign or otherwise vacate his seat or position due to a conflict of interest that arises under this section as long as notice of the possible conflict of interest is given and he complies with the recusal requirements of § 8-13-700(B). A governmental entity includes, but is not limited to, a planning board or zoning commission.

(9) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a governmental entity shall not prohibit a state, county, or municipal public official, public member, or public employee, including a person serving on an agency, unit, or subunit of a governmental entity from service in office or employment based solely on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or occupation.

(B) A member of the General Assembly, when he, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated represents a client for compensation as permitted by subsection (A)(2)(c), must file within his annual statement of economic interests a listing of fees earned, services rendered, names of persons represented, and the nature of contacts made with the governmental entities.

(C) A member of the General Assembly may not vote on the section of that year’s general appropriation bill relating to a particular agency or commission if the member, an individual with whom he is associated, or a business with which he is associated has represented any client before that agency or commission as permitted by subsection (A)(2)(c) within one year prior to such vote. This subsection does not prohibit a member from voting on other sections of the general appropriation bill or from voting on the general appropriation bill as a whole.