Bill > H4533

This bill, known as the "Defend the Guard Act," amends the South Carolina Code of Laws to prohibit the South Carolina National Guard from being deployed into active-duty combat operations unless the U.S. Congress has either declared war or taken official action to call forth the National Guard for specific purposes such as executing the laws of the union, repelling an invasion, or suppressing an insurrection. The bill defines "active-duty combat" and "official declaration of war" to clarify the conditions under which the National Guard can be deployed. The Governor is required to take necessary actions to comply with the provisions of this act, though the bill does not limit the Governor's ability to consent to National Guard deployments for civil authority missions within the U.S. and its territories.