The Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry proposes the following amendment (SR-621.JG0002S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 39-79-100(A)(1), (2), and (3) and inserting:

  (1) four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two of which must be members of the House of Representatives;
  (2) four members appointed by the President of the Senate, two of which must be members of the Senate; and
  (3) seven members appointed by the Governor:
   (a) the Secretary of the Department of Commerce or his designee;
   (b) the Commissioner of Agriculture or his designee;
   (c) two representatives of state institutions of higher education;
   (d) two members representing Irish Americans in South Carolina or Irish-American communities; and
   (e) one representative of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce or a trade organization.

Amend the bill further, SECTION 1, by striking Section 39-79-100(G)(3) and inserting:

  (3) The South Carolina-Ireland Trade Commission is authorized to raise funds, through direct solicitation or other fundraising events, alone, or with other groups, and accept gifts, grants, and bequests from individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental agencies, and public and private organizations and institutions, to defray the commission's administrative expenses and to carry out its purposes as set forth in this chapter. The funds, gifts, grants, or bequests received pursuant to this section must be deposited in an account with the State Treasurer and allocated and annually appropriated to the Department of Commerce to defray the commission's administrative expenses and carry out its purposes. The Department of Commerce may use funds appropriated for Foreign Operations to fund the administrative expenses and carry out the purposes of the commission to the extent that sufficient non-appropriated funds are not available. Foreign Operations appropriations may also be used for any non-administrative expenses of the commission with approval of the Secretary of Commerce. Expenditures made for the purposes of administering the commission and fulfilling its purposes shall be exempt from the provisions of Title 11, Chapter 35 of the Code.