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Amt. No.1 (3210C001.NBD.DG20)
Amt. No.2 (3210C014.NBD.DG20)
September 16, 2020
H. 3210
Introduced by Reps. Loftis, Clyburn, Collins, Burns, Clary, W. Cox, Morgan, Hyde, Stringer, Elliott, B. Cox, Gagnon, Caskey, Bannister, Willis, Sottile, Stavrinakis, Daning, Blackwell, Taylor, Forrester, Fry, West, Finlay, Simrill, V.S. Moss, Bryant, Bales, D.C. Moss, Erickson, Herbkersman and Whitmire
S. Printed 9/15/20--S.
Read the first time April 10, 2019.
TO AUTHORIZE THE EXPENDITURE OF FEDERAL FUNDS DISBURSED TO THE STATE IN THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT, AND TO SPECIFY THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FUNDS MAY BE EXPENDED.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The State of South Carolina received funds from the federal "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act" (hereinafter referred to as the CARES Act). A portion of those funds have been reimbursed for authorized expenditures pursuant to Act 142 of 2020. The source of revenue authorized for expenditure and reimbursement in SECTION 3 is the remaining portion of the CARES Act funds that remain on deposit in the Coronavirus Relief Fund established and maintained by the Executive Budget Office pursuant to Act 135 of 2020.
SECTION 2. (A) Unless specified otherwise in this act, the expenditure authorizations contained in SECTION 3(A), (C), and (F) are supplemental to the expenditure authorizations for the same purposes as contained in Act 142 of 2020. The remaining expenditure authorizations contained in SECTION 3 are for the maximum amounts that may be reimbursed by the Executive Budget Office from the Coronavirus Relief Fund.
(B) State agencies, institutions of higher education, including not for profit independent colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, and technical colleges, counties, municipalities, and special purpose districts shall maximize the use of federal funds made available in this act wherever possible within the allowable uses. If any reimbursement to any recipient, or subrecipient, resulting from an authorization contained herein is disallowed by federal law, then the recipient or subrecipient shall promptly return the funds disbursed to the Executive Budget Office for deposit in the Coronavirus Relief Fund.
SECTION 3. State agencies and higher education institutions are authorized to expend federal funds in the Coronavirus Relief Fund if the expenditure is in compliance with the CARES Act.
The Executive Budget Office is authorized to reimburse from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, up to the amounts listed below in each category, expenditures compliant with the CARES Act by the following sectors: state agencies, institutions of higher learning, including not for profit independent colleges and universities and historically black colleges and universities, counties, municipalities, and special purpose districts.
(A) Department of Health and Environmental Control
Statewide Testing and Monitoring $ 73,022,613;
(B) Medical University of South Carolina
Statewide Testing $ 20,150,000;
(C) Department of Employment and Workforce
Unemployment Trust Fund $450,000,000;
(D) Department of Administration
Nonprofit Relief Program $ 25,000,000;
(E) Department of Administration
Minority and Small Business
Relief Program $ 50,000,000;
(F) Department of Administration
State, Local Government, Not for Profit Independent Colleges and Universities
and Historically Black Colleges and Universities $130,000,000.
SECTION 4. The Department of Education is authorized to utilize unexpended authorizations contained in SECTION 3(B) of Act 142 of 2020 for the costs associated with the following:
(1) school safety measures taken in response to COVID-19 including, but not limited to, purchasing masks, gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer, face shields, cleaning solutions, plexiglass, and other cleaning equipment and supplies;
(2) additional expenses incurred by Virtual SC in response to COVID-19;
(3) hire or contract for school nurse services for those schools that do not have a full-time school nurse;
(4) tutoring, supplemental services, and support services to include services for unengaged students; interventionists; and after school learning extensions that prioritize face-to-face instruction focused on students with identified reading or math difficulties and students with IEPs to address deficits resulting from COVID-19;
(5) technology purchases of devices and connectivity equipment to support online learning resulting from COVID-19.
It is the intent of the General Assembly that reimbursements for item (1) - school safety measures - be the Department's first priority for reimbursement.
SECTION 5. State agencies may apply for reimbursement in a similar manner as set forth in SECTION 6 of Act 142 of 2020.
SECTION 6. (A) There is established through the SC CARES Grant Management Program a nonprofit entity reimbursement grant program. The program shall award grants to qualifying nonprofit entities in an amount equal to two-months' payroll expenses immediately before March 1, 2020. A qualifying nonprofit entity may receive a grant in an amount between two thousand five hundred dollars and twenty-five thousand dollars. Nonprofit entities must apply for grants no later than November 1, 2020.
(B)(1) Applications for grants shall be made to the panel established in item (2). An applicant shall provide the panel with information concerning the applicant's expenditures for which the applicant seeks a grant. Grants must be awarded for qualifying expenditures in amounts determined by the panel. The panel may award a grant only if the qualifying nonprofit entity experiences an interruption in business due to COVID-19. First, priority must be given to applicants that did not receive other assistance, such as a Paycheck Protection Program loan or other CARES funds. Then, priority must be given to applications for entities that provide: (1) food assistance, including prepared meals; (2) rent or mortgage assistance; (3) mental health counseling; (4) health care services, including access to health care supplies, mental health, and behavioral health; and (5) arts and cultural items or activities.
(2)(a) Applications for grants shall be evaluated and awarded by a panel consisting of:
(i) the Director of the Department of Social Services, or his designee;
(ii) the Director of the Department of Mental Health, or his designee;
(iii) the Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, or his designee;
(iv) the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, or his designee;
(v) the Director of the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, or his designee;
(vi) the Secretary of State, or his designee;
(vii)the Director of the South Carolina Arts Commission, or his designee;
(viii) the Director of the Department of Archives and History, or his designee; and
(ix) the Executive Director of the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority, or his designee.
(b) The panel shall meet as often as is necessary to fulfill its obligations as provided herein. The panel may utilize remote technology for meetings or other activities as necessary. The Department of Administration shall assist with the coordination of the panel's meetings.
(c) The panel shall develop an application and establish criteria for the evaluation of applications that is consistent with the requirements contained herein, including the priorities identified in subsection (B)(1). During its evaluation of applications, the panel shall give consideration to the geographic distribution of services provided by the qualifying expenditures so that grants are awarded on a statewide basis.
(d) The Department of Administration shall provide staff support for the panel. The Department of Administration, in conjunction with SC CARES Act Grant Management Program, shall confirm that all reimbursement requests in the grant applications comply with federal CARES Act requirements.
(C) For the purposes of the nonprofit entity reimbursement grant program, 'qualifying nonprofit entity' means a 501(c)(3) with twenty-five or fewer employees that has been operating in South Carolina for at least six months prior to the Governor's initial COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on March 13, 2020. However, if the nonprofit entity provides food assistance, then the nonprofit may have more than twenty-five employees and still be considered a qualifying nonprofit entity.
SECTION 7. (A) There is established through the SC CARES Grant Management Program a minority and small business enterprise reimbursement grant program. The program shall award grants to qualifying minority and small business enterprises to reimburse the qualifying business enterprise for some, or all, of the costs associated with qualifying expenditures incurred or expected to be incurred. A qualifying minority or small business enterprise may receive a grant in an amount up to twice its monthly payroll before COVID-19, including the owners draw, or twice its monthly rent or mortgage expenses before COVID-19, whichever is greater; however, the grant maximum is twenty-five thousand dollars. Additionally, if twice the monthly payroll or twice the monthly rent or mortgage expense of a qualifying business enterprise is less than five thousand dollars, then the qualifying business enterprise may be awarded a grant for qualifying expenses either incurred or expected to be incurred that, when added to the greater of twice its monthly payroll or rent or mortgage expense, is equal to at least five thousand dollars. Minority and small business enterprises must apply for grants no later than November 1, 2020.
(B)(1) Applications for grants must be made to the SC CARES Act Grant Management Program. An applicant shall provide the SC CARES Act Grant Management Program with evidence of business interruption due to COVID-19, the applicant's monthly payroll or rent or mortgage expense, and information concerning the applicant's expenditures for which the applicant seeks a grant. The grant manager shall evaluate grant applications to confirm that all reimbursement requests in the grant applications comply with federal CARES Act requirements and that the applicant has provided the necessary evidence and information. The grant manager also shall determine the total amount of the grant that the applicant is qualified to receive. Once the grant manager has made the appropriate confirmations and determinations, the application must be forward to the panel established in item (3).
(2) Grants may be awarded only if the qualifying minority or small business experiences an interruption in business due to COVID-19. Priority must be given to minority businesses, to applicants that did not receive other assistance, such as a Paycheck Protection Program loan or other CARES funds, to businesses with fifteen or fewer employees, and to businesses that demonstrate the greatest financial need.
(3)(a) Priorities must be assigned to minority and small business enterprises by a panel consisting of:
(i) the Director of the Commission for Minority Affairs, or his designee;
(ii) the Secretary of Commerce, or his designee; and
(iii) the Director of the Department of Revenue, or his designee.
(b) In addition to assigning priorities, the Panel also must make an initial determination of which applicants meet the definitions set forth in subsection (C). Once the panel has made such determinations and has assigned priorities, the Panel shall award grants in the amounts determined by the SC CARES Act Grant Management Program and in accordance with this SECTION.
(C) For the purposes of the minority and small business enterprise reimbursement grant program:
(1) 'Economically disadvantaged individuals' means those socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same business area who are not socially disadvantaged.
(2) 'Minority business enterprise' means a business with twenty-five or fewer employees that has been operating in South Carolina for at least six months prior to the Governor's initial COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on March 13, 2020, and is owned by an individual who is a United States citizen and who is economically and socially disadvantaged.
(3) 'Small business enterprise' means a business with twenty-five or fewer employees that has been operating in South Carolina for at least six months prior to the Governor's initial COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on March 13, 2020.
(4) 'socially disadvantaged individuals' means those individuals who are members of the following groups: African Americans; Hispanic Americans; Native Americans (including individuals recognized as American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Native Hawaiians), and Asian Pacific Americans.
SECTION 8. The funds authorized for the Department of Health and Environmental Control pursuant to SECTION 3(A) must be utilized in the manner prescribed for the Statewide Testing Plan established in SECTION 7 of Act 142 of 2020.
SECTION 9. The funds authorized for the Medical University of South Carolina pursuant to SECTION 3(B) for statewide testing shall be utilized to continue the Medical University's COVID-19 at-risk testing initiative.
SECTION 10. (A)(1) State agencies, public institutions of higher learning, counties, municipalities, and special purpose districts are authorized to apply for reimbursement of expenditures necessary for the response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, including expenses for law enforcement and first responders, incurred or are expected to be incurred, between July 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020. Up to $5,000,000 may be used for Statewide Tourism Recovery Marketing and Destination Specific Tourism Recovery Marketing.
(2) Not for profit independent colleges and universities, including historically black colleges and universities, are authorized to apply for reimbursement of expenditures that were necessary for the response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, incurred or are expected to be incurred, between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020.
(B) If the Executive Budget Office determines that the amount of eligible expenditures through December 30, 2020, exceeds the remaining authorizations provided for in Act 142 of 2020 and Section 3(C) and (F) of this act, then the Executive Budget Office is authorized to prioritize the remaining reimbursements for expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 in the following order:
(1) institutions of higher learning, institutions of higher learning, including not for profit independent colleges and universities, for expenses related to providing virtual and in-person educational services for students enrolled for the fall 2020 semester;
(2) state agencies;
(3) county governments;
(4) municipal governments; and
(5) special purpose districts.
SECTION 11. To ensure that the State of South Carolina maximizes the use of federal funds authorized through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the Director of the Executive Budget Office is authorized to reallocate any unused authorization in a particular enumerated item in this act and in Act 142 of 2020 to any enumerated item for which approved reimbursements exceed the authorization. This reallocation may not be implemented prior to December 1, 2020. Should this condition be met in multiple authorizations, the Director shall reallocate any unused authorization according to the following prioritization:
(1) Department of Employment and Workforce - Unemployment Trust Fund;
(2) Department of Health and Environmental Control - Statewide Testing and Monitoring;
(3) Medical University of South Carolina - Statewide Testing;
(4) State Department of Education - Uses Authorized in SECTION 4 of this act;
(5) Department of Administration - State, Local Government, Not for Profit Independent Colleges and University Expenditures;
(6) Department of Administration - Minority and Small Business Relief Program;
(7) Department of Administration - Nonprofit Relief Program;
(8) Department of Administration - Executive Budget Office Hospital Relief Program;
(9) Adjutant General - Emergency Management Division Personal Protective Equipment Stockpile and Supply Chain;
(10) Office of Regulatory Staff - Broadband Mapping and Planning, Infrastructure, and Mobile Hotspots.
SECTION 12. In order to address the extraordinary challenges facing Patriots Point Development Authority due to COVID-19, the Authority shall utilize the $1,000,000 authorized by proviso 52.2 and the $1,700,000 appropriated by proviso 118.16, Item (45), both of Act 91 of 2019, for agency operating expenses. The Department of Administration shall assist Patriots Point in the development of a long-term financial strategy and operational plan. The provisions of this SECTION shall remain in effect until replaced by a subsequent act of the General Assembly.
SECTION 13. The funds allocated to the Department of Employment and Workforce for the unemployment trust fund from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund shall be utilized to offset the unexpected losses to the unemployment trust fund between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020, resulting from the pandemic and to set the total effective rates for 2021 rate classes at the same total effective rates as 2020 rate classes.
SECTION 14. Due to the strains caused by COVID-19, for Fiscal Year 2020-21, the earnings limitation imposed pursuant to Section 9-1-1790 and Section 9-11-90 of the 1976 Code does not apply to retired members of the South Carolina Retirement System or the Police Officers Retirement System who return to covered employment to participate in the state's public health preparedness and response to the COVID-19 virus. To the extent allowed by the CARES Act, the Public Employee Benefit Authority may apply to have its implementation costs to be reimbursed.
SECTION 15. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
SECTION 16. The provisions of this act take effect upon approval of the Governor.
This web page was last updated on September 16, 2020 at 7:39 PM