S 0794 General Bill, By Hawkins and Courson
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 13-1-55 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR AN ANNUAL ACCOUNTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF,
 INTER ALIA, THE DEPARTMENT'S ECONOMIC EFFORTS FOR THE YEAR, COMPARISONS TO
 PAST STATE EFFORTS AND THOSE OF OTHER STATES, RELATIVE SUCCESSES AS AGAINST
 DEPARTMENT PROJECTIONS, AND PLANS FOR FUTURE EFFORTS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE
 ANNUAL ACCOUNTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY INCLUDES THE RECEIPT AND USE OF
 PRIVATE FUNDS BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION BY
 DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.

   12/12/01  Senate Prefiled
   12/12/01  Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry
   01/08/02  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-28
   01/08/02  Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry SJ-28

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 13-1-55 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR AN ANNUAL ACCOUNTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF, INTER ALIA, THE DEPARTMENT'S ECONOMIC EFFORTS FOR THE YEAR, COMPARISONS TO PAST STATE EFFORTS AND THOSE OF OTHER STATES, RELATIVE SUCCESSES AS AGAINST DEPARTMENT PROJECTIONS, AND PLANS FOR FUTURE EFFORTS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY INCLUDES THE RECEIPT AND USE OF PRIVATE FUNDS BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION BY DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.

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

SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) knowledge of the economy of this State plays a central role in its legislative process;

(2) members of the General Assembly require a comprehensive understanding of the present economic health and the potential of economic growth of this State to represent the people of South Carolina effectively;

(3) economic position of this State in relation to its neighbor states; and

(4) this requisite knowledge and understanding of the state of the economy of South Carolina demands that the members of the General Assembly receive regular, comprehensive reports of the program, goals, and strategies of the Department of Commerce.

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 13 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 13-1-55. Beginning with April 1, 2002, and annually after that, the Secretary of the Department of Commerce shall present to the General Assembly a report on the department's economic efforts during the previous calendar year, including an accounting in these areas of concern:

(1) all projects completed, including for each project, the:

(a) number of jobs created and average hourly wages or annual salaries;

(b) location; and

(c) elements of incentive packages used;

(2) all projects offered but not opened, including:

(a) an assessment of the reasons for failure of projects to open; and

(b) proposals for consideration by the General Assembly to assist the department in its negotiations;

(3) all factory and plant closings, including:

(a) the number of jobs lost;

(b) the location of each closed factory or plant;

(c) an assessment of the reasons for each closing;

(4) the department's strategies and recommendations for the coming year, including:

(a) an assessment of the relative risk of loss of factories, plants, and jobs in the State, and plans for preventing future closings of factories and plants and for preventing future losses of jobs;

(b) plans for:

(i) increasing the number of economic development proposals within the State;

(ii) drawing an increasing number of economic development proposals into the State; and

(iii) creating new incentives for economic development proposals; and

(5) the secretary's assessment of the performance of the department, including a comparison to:

(a) the department's performance over the past three two-year periods;

(b) the projections of the department; and

(c) economic development in neighboring states;

(6) all private funds received by the department and how the funds improve economic development; and

(7) all department employees who receive any type of public or private compensation in addition to their state-approved salary and benefits."

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and first applies with respect to an accounting of the department's economic efforts for calendar year 2001-2002.