A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 1-6-37 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE INSPECTOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE A COUNTY, MUNICiPALITY, OR NONPROFIT ENTITY THAT RECEIVES STATE FUNDS, AND TO SPECIFY THE MANNER IN WHICH INVESTIGATIONs MAY BE INITIATED; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 1-6-10, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF "AGENCY", SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 6, Title 1 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 1-6-37.  (A)  The State Inspector General may only initiate, supervise, and coordinate an investigation of a county, municipality, or nonprofit entity receiving public funding in the year the investigation began upon the request of:

       (1) the Governor; or

       (2) the majority of the membership of the legislative delegation of the county in which the subject of the investigation is located, as determined by a weighted vote of that delegation.

    (B) A request to investigate pursuant to this section must be transmitted in writing to the Office of the State Inspector General.  The request for the investigation must articulate the basis of any alleged wrongdoing.

    (C) Any report generating recommendations from the Inspector General regarding investigations conducted pursuant to this section must be transmitted to the Governor, the appropriate legislative delegation, and the chairman of the local governing body or chief executive of the nonprofit entity, as applicable.

    (D) By December thirty-first of each year, the Inspector General shall report to the General Assembly the number of requests for investigations that the office has received, the number of investigations requested by each individual or entity making the request, and the status of those requests.

    (E) Any information relating to the investigation initiated by the Inspector General shall remain confidential for a period not to exceed ten days after the report is finalized and published.

 

SECTION 2.  Section 1-6-10(1) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 

    (1) "Agency" means an authority, board, branch, commission, committee, department, division, or other instrumentality of the executive department of state government, including administrative bodies and bodies corporate and politic established as an instrumentality of the State.  For the purpose of this chapter, "Agency" also includes public schools, public school districts, public charter schools, public charter school authorizers, and any voluntary association that establishes and enforces bylaws or rules for interscholastic sports competition for public secondary schools in the State. "Agency" also includes nonprofit entities that receive state funds, subject to the provisions of Section 1-6-37. "Agency" does not include:

       (a) the judicial department of state government;

       (b) quasi-judicial bodies of state government;

       (c) the legislative department of state government; or

       (d) political subdivisions, unless except as provided in Section 1-6-37 or as otherwise provided herein.

 

SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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