Current Status Bill Number:237 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970122 Primary Sponsor:Passailaigue All Sponsors:Passailaigue Drafted Document Number:res1232.elp Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee 12 SLCI Subject:Marketplace Program, Development Division of Commerce Department; assist in-state businesses and corporations
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
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Senate 19970122 Introduced, read first time, 12 SLCI
referred to Committee
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TO AMEND ARTICLE 3, CHAPTER 1, TITLE 13, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, DIVISION OF STATE DEVELOPMENT, BY ADDING SECTION 13-1-390 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA MARKETPLACE PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMIES OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES BY INCREASING THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN IN-STATE BUSINESSES AND CREATING PROGRAMS TO ASSIST BUSINESSES IN IDENTIFYING IN-STATE SOURCES OF GOODS AND SERVICES, AND TO IDENTIFY NEW MARKETS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA FIRMS TO PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds and declares that substantial benefits in increased employment and business activity can be obtained by assisting businesses in identifying opportunities to purchase the goods and services they need from South Carolina suppliers rather than from out-of-state suppliers and in identifying new markets for South Carolina firms to provide goods and services. The replacement of out-of-state imports with services and manufactured goods produced in-state can be an important source of economic growth in a local community, especially in rural areas. Businesses in the State are often unaware that goods and services they purchase from out-of-state suppliers are available from in-state firms with substantial advantages in responsiveness, service, and price. Increasing the economic partnerships between businesses in South Carolina can build bridges between urban and rural communities and can result in the identification of additional opportunities for successful economic development initiatives. Providing additional information to businesses regarding in-state sources of goods and services can be a particularly valuable component of revitalization strategies in economically distressed areas. The legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the State to strengthen the economies of local communities by increasing the economic partnerships between in-state businesses and creating programs to assist businesses in identifying in-state sources of goods and services, and in addition to identify new markets for South Carolina firms to provide goods and services.
SECTION 2. Article 3, Chapter 1, Title 13 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 13-1-390. (A) There is established the South Carolina Marketplace Program within the Division of State Development. The program shall assist businesses to competitively meet their needs for goods and services within South Carolina by providing information relating to the replacement of imports or the fulfillment of new requirements with South Carolina products produced in this State. The program must place special emphasis on strengthening rural economies in economically distressed areas of the state meeting the criteria of a `least developed area' as defined in Section 12-6-3360 (B)(1).
(B) The division shall contract with governments, industry associations, or local nonprofit organizations to foster cooperation and linkages between developed and undeveloped areas, between urban and rural areas, and between South Carolina and other Southeastern states. The division may enter into joint contracts with multiple nonprofit organizations. Contracts may include provisions for charging service fees of businesses that participate in the program. The division must award contracts based on a competitive bidding process. The contracts with governments, industry associations, or local nonprofit organizations may be for the performance of the following services for the South Carolina Marketplace Program:
(1) contacting South Carolina businesses to identify goods and services they are currently buying or are planning in the future to buy out-of-state and determine which of these goods and services could be purchased on competitive terms within the State;
(2) identifying locally sold goods and services that are currently provided by out-of-state businesses;
(3) determining, in consultation with local business, goods and services for which the business is willing to make contract agreements;
(4) advertising market opportunities described in item (3) of this subsection;
(5) receiving bid responses from potential suppliers and sending them to that business for final selection;
(6) establishing linkages with federal, regional, and Southeast governments, industry associations, and nonprofit organizations to foster buying leads and information benefiting South Carolina suppliers and industry and trade associations; and
(7) providing other services deemed necessary by the division to accomplish the purposes of this section.
(C) The division shall also perform the following activities in order to promote the goals of the program:
(1) prepare promotional materials or conduct seminars to inform communities and organizations about the South Carolina Marketplace Program;
(2) provide technical assistance to communities and organizations interested in developing an import replacement program;
(3) develop standardized procedures for operating the local component of the South Carolina Marketplace Program;
(4) provide continuing management and technical assistance to local contractors; and
(5) report by December thirty-first of each year to the Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives describing the activities of the South Carolina Marketplace Program."
SECTION 3. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.