The COMMITTEE on JUDICIARY proposed the following amendment (JUD4048.003):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting therein the following:

/ SECTION1. Chapter 11, Title 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 1-11-445 (A) The State of South Carolina, by and through its agencies, departments, and instrumentalities, must defend the state agency, department, or instrumentality, and the members of a governing board of the state agency, department, or instrumentality, as applicable, against an uninsured claim or suit that arises out of or by virtue of the performance of official duties on behalf of the state agency, department, or instrumentality, and must indemnify them for an uninsured loss or judgment incurred by them as a result of the claim or suit, without regard to whether the claim or suit is brought against them in their individual or official capacities, or both. The State also must defend directors, officers and employees of the entity, and legislative employees performing duties for the entity, against an uninsured claim or suit that arises out of or by virtue of the performance of official duties unless the director, officer, employee, or legislative employee was acting in bad faith, including, but not limited to, acting outside the scope of his official duties, or that the actions constituted actual fraud, actual malice, intent to harm, or a crime involving moral turpitude. The State shall indemnify these directors, officers, employees, and legislative employees for a loss or judgment incurred by them as a result of such uninsured claim or suit, without regard to whether the claim or suit is brought against them in their individual or official capacities, or both. This commitment to defend and indemnify extends to members of the entity, the entity's officers, the entity's director, the entity's employees, and legislative employees after they have left their employment with the entity or the General Assembly, as applicable, if the uninsured claim or suit arises out of or by virtue of their performance of official duties on behalf of their employer.

(B) The term 'instrumentality' as used in this section includes an entity where a specific duty or function is imposed on the entity by law and includes any function where the entity must exercise a port ion of the state's sovereignty. Entities to which this provision applies include, but are not limited to, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, the Judicial Merit Selection Commission, the Public Utilities Review Committee, the Retirement Systems Investment Panel, and all joint special legislative committees.

(C) The provisions of subsection (A) also apply to employees and officers while acting within the scope of their employment when administering any South Carolina statute which has not been held to be unconstitutional or unlawful by a final decision of a court of competent jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a final decision is the decision of a court declaring the South Carolina statute unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful , and from which the appropriate officials of this State may not or do not take an appeal or request a rehearing.

(D) This section does not waive any defense, immunity, limitation or jurisdictional bar, including, but not limited to, the Tort Claims Act. This section does not affect the terms or conditions of any applicable policy of insurance."

SECTION2. Sections 1-11-440 and 12-4-325 are repealed on the effective date of this act.

SECTION3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /