H 4947 General Bill, By Atwater, K.R. Crawford, Toole, Bedingfield, Stringer, 
Putnam and Gagnon
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN REGARD TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SO AS TO
 PROVIDE THAT THE DEFINITION OF A "PUBLIC BODY" INCLUDES ANY ENTITY WHICH BY
 LAW IS PERMITTED TO OFFER ITS EMPLOYEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN
 EITHER THE STATE HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN OR IN ONE OF THE STATE
 RETIREMENT SYSTEMS, OR BOTH, AND WHICH THE ENTITY THEN OFFERS TO ITS EMPLOYEES
 THESE OPPORTUNITIES THEREBY CONFERRING UPON THESE EMPLOYEES BENEFITS SUPPORTED
 IN PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS.

   03/20/14  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 17)
   03/20/14  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 17)

TO AMEND SECTION 30-4-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN REGARD TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEFINITION OF A "PUBLIC BODY" INCLUDES ANY ENTITY WHICH BY LAW IS PERMITTED TO OFFER ITS EMPLOYEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER THE STATE HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN OR IN ONE OF THE STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS, OR BOTH, AND WHICH THE ENTITY THEN OFFERS TO ITS EMPLOYEES THESE OPPORTUNITIES THEREBY CONFERRING UPON THESE EMPLOYEES BENEFITS SUPPORTED IN PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 30-4-20(a) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(a) 'Public body' means any department of the State, a majority of directors or their representatives of departments within the executive branch of state government as outlined in Section 1-30-10, any state board, commission, agency, and authority, any public or governmental body or political subdivision of the State, including counties, municipalities, townships, school districts, and special purpose districts, or any organization, corporation, or agency supported in whole or in part by public funds or expending public funds, including committees, subcommittees, advisory committees, and the like of any such body by whatever name known, and includes any quasi-governmental quasigovernmental body of the State and its political subdivisions, including, without limitation, bodies such as the South Carolina Public Service Authority and the South Carolina State Ports Authority. Committees of health care facilities, which are subject to this chapter, for medical staff disciplinary proceedings, quality assurance, peer review, including the medical staff credentialing process, specific medical case review, and self-evaluation, are not public bodies for the purpose of this chapter. A public body also includes any entity not otherwise considered a public body under this chapter but which by law is permitted to offer its employees the opportunity to participate in either the state health and dental insurance plan or in one of the state retirement systems, or both, and which the entity then offers to its employees these opportunities thereby conferring upon those employees benefits supported in part by public funds."

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