A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 57-5-1630, RELATING TO THe EXTENSION OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE department of transportation COMMISSION IS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PREAPPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT EXTENSIONS AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMISSION MUST RATIFY EXTENSIONS AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.

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

SECTION 1.   Section 57-5-1630 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

   Section 57-5-1630.   Unless approved in advance by the commission, noNo construction contract may be extended to include work not contemplated in the original award, except within the limitations imposed by the contract. Where in the judgment of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation it is in the public's interest and prices advantageous to the department are obtained, the department may extend contracts to include additional work. in advance of the approval of the commission, if on the other hand to delay an extension until the next commission meeting an advantage to the department would be lost, but in In every case, the commission must ratify theevery contract extension must be subject to approval by the commission at the next succeeding commission meeting. The extension of a contract to include additional work in advance of the approval of the commission may not exceed fifty percent of the total amount of the original contract being so extended or the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars, whichever amount is less. Advertisement in the case of extensions of contracts under this section shall consist of detailed reports of the transactions made public at open meetings of the commission.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----