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A12, R33, S340
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Finance Committee
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ggs\22821htc03.doc
Introduced in the Senate on February 6, 2003
Introduced in the House on February 19, 2003
Last Amended on March 25, 2003
Passed by the General Assembly on March 26, 2003
Governor's Action: April 21, 2003, Signed
Summary: Retirement Systems Claims Procedures Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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2/6/2003 Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar without
reference SJ-1
2/12/2003 Senate Amended SJ-20
2/12/2003 Senate Read second time SJ-20
2/13/2003 Scrivener's error corrected
2/18/2003 Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-14
2/19/2003 House Introduced and read first time HJ-13
2/19/2003 House Referred to Committee on Ways and Means HJ-13
3/19/2003 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Ways and
Means HJ-6
3/25/2003 House Amended HJ-27
3/25/2003 House Read second time HJ-28
3/26/2003 House Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
HJ-17
3/26/2003 Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled SJ-38
4/16/2003 Ratified R 33
4/21/2003 Signed By Governor
5/1/2003 Copies available
5/1/2003 Effective date See Act for effective date
5/12/2003 Act No. 12
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
2/6/2003
2/6/2003-A
2/10/2003
2/12/2003
2/13/2003
3/19/2003
3/25/2003
(A12, R33, S340)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING CHAPTER 21 TO TITLE 9 ENACTING THE SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS CLAIMS PROCEDURES ACT SO AS TO PROVIDE THE REMEDIES AVAILABLE IN A DISPUTE OR CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS AND A MEMBER OR DESIGNATED BENEFICIARY OF A MEMBER OF ANY OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ESTABLISHED IN TITLE 9; TO AMEND SECTION 9-11-10, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS OF "POLICE OFFICER" FOR PURPOSES OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE OFFICERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM, SO AS TO INCLUDE WITHIN THE DEFINITION AN EMPLOYEE AFTER JANUARY 1, 2000, OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH HIRED AS A PEACE OFFICER, AND TO AMEND SECTION 24-1-280, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE STATUS AS A PEACE OFFICER OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE WHO ARE HIRED TO PERFORM DUTIES RELATING TO CUSTODY, CONTROL, TRANSPORTATION, AND RECAPTURE, SO AS TO INCLUDE IN THAT STATUS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH HIRED TO PERFORM SIMILAR DUTIES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Procedure for claims
SECTION 1. Title 9 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
The South Carolina Retirement Systems Claims Procedures Act
Section 9-21-10. This chapter may be cited as the 'South Carolina Retirement Systems Claims Procedures Act'.
Section 9-21-20. As used in this chapter:
(1) 'Administrative Law Judge Division' means the Administrative Law Judge Division created pursuant to Section 1-23-500.
(2) 'Board' means the State Budget and Control Board.
(3) 'Claimant' means a member or a member's designated beneficiary who has filed a claim pursuant to this chapter.
(4) 'Director' means the Director of the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers System, the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, and the Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors.
(5) 'Exhaustion of agency remedy' means that the member has:
(a) filed a timely claim pursuant to Section 9-21-50 containing the information required pursuant to that section;
(b) participated in the agency claims procedure established by the board; and
(c) obtained a final retirement system decision.
(6) 'Member' means a participant in the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers System, the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, the Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors, or a person claiming the status and entitlements of a 'member'.
(7) 'Member's designated beneficiary' or 'beneficiary' means a person designated by a participant in the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers System, the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, or the Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors to receive a benefit from the retirement systems or a person claiming the status and entitlements of a 'member's designated beneficiary'.
(8) 'South Carolina Retirement Systems' or 'retirement systems' means the division of the board administering the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers System, the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, and the Retirement System for Judges and Solicitors.
Section 9-21-30. This chapter applies to a controversy or dispute between a member or a member's designated beneficiary and the retirement systems which arises pursuant to or by virtue of any of the provisions of this title. The procedures set forth in this chapter constitute the exclusive remedy for a dispute or controversy between the retirement systems and a member or a member's designated beneficiary arising pursuant to or by virtue of Title 9 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976. A claim presenting a dispute or controversy arising pursuant to or by virtue of this title must be resolved in accordance with the procedures and provisions provided in this chapter.
Section 9-21-40. A claim brought pursuant to this chapter must be prosecuted by the member or the member's designated beneficiary, respectively, or by an attorney authorized by the member or the designated beneficiary, respectively. A member or member's designated beneficiary may not bring a claim under this chapter as a representative of any other member or any other member's designated beneficiary unless acting as the guardian ad litem for the real party in interest. A claim may not be prosecuted on behalf of a class.
Section 9-21-50. (A) A member or the member's designated beneficiary shall file a claim concerning an administrative decision by the retirement systems arising pursuant to or by virtue of this title that adversely affects the personal interest of the member or the member's designated beneficiary by the filing of a written claim with the director within one year of the decision by the retirement systems.
(B) The written claim must set forth:
(1) the name, address, and social security number of the member; and if brought by the member's designated beneficiary, the name and social security number of the beneficiary;
(2) the basis of the claimant's dispute with the retirement systems;
(3) a statement of facts supporting the claimant's position;
(4) a statement outlining the reasons for the claim, including any law or authority upon which the claimant relies; and
(5) any other relevant information that the retirement systems may reasonably prescribe.
(C) The retirement systems must resolve a claim filed pursuant to this chapter in accordance with the procedures established by the board. These procedures for review of claims must be adopted by the board in public session and made available to members. These procedures for dispute resolution adopted by the board must include and provide for an opportunity for the claimant to present the claim either in writing or in a conference, or both, before the issuance of a final agency determination. In addition, the procedures must provide for informing the claimant of the evidence or information that was relied upon by the retirement systems in making its final decision. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the procedures established by the board are not governed by either Article 1 or 3 of Chapter 23 of Title 1.
(D) A claimant is not entitled to receive retroactive retirement benefits or any other monetary relief for a period that exceeds one year from the date of the filing of the claim under this chapter.
(E) The retirement systems must make a determination concerning the claim at the conclusion of the internal agency process.
(F) A retirement system's final decision that is adverse to the claimant must be in writing and must:
(1) be sent by mail to the address provided the retirement systems by the claimant or delivered to the claimant;
(2) explain the basis of the retirement systems' decision; and
(3) inform the claimant of the claimant's right to file an appeal with the Administrative Law Judge Division.
Section 9-21-60. Upon exhaustion of the agency remedy set out in this chapter, a claimant may seek review of the retirement systems' final decision by filing a request for a contested case hearing with the Administrative Law Judge Division within thirty calendar days after the claimant receives the retirement systems' final decision. The Administrative Law Judge Division must review the decision of the retirement systems de novo in accordance with its rules of procedure. If a claimant requests consideration by the Administrative Law Judge Division before having exhausted the claimant's agency remedy, the Administrative Law Judge Division must dismiss the request without prejudice.
Section 9-21-70. A claimant may appeal a decision of the Administrative Law Judge Division in a case brought pursuant to this chapter to the Richland County Court of Common Pleas. Appeals of Administrative Law Judge Division decisions must be made in accordance with Section 1-23-610(C). If a claimant brings an action covered by this chapter in the court of common pleas other than an appeal of an Administrative Law Judge decision, the court must dismiss the case without prejudice."
Peace officer status
SECTION 2. Section 9-11-10(23)(b) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(b) an employee after January 1, 2000, of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, or the South Carolina Department of Mental Health who, by the terms of his employment, is a peace officer as defined by Section 24-1-280."
Peace officer status
SECTION 3. Section 24-1-280 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 24-1-280. An employee of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Department of Mental Health whose assigned work location is one of the correctional facilities of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, while performing his officially assigned duty relating to the custody, control, transportation, or recapture of an inmate within the jurisdiction of his department, or an inmate of any jail, penitentiary, prison, public work, chain gang, or overnight lockup of the State or any political subdivision of it not within the jurisdiction of his department, has the status of a peace officer anywhere in the State in any matter relating to the custody, control, transportation, or recapture of the inmate."
Time effective
SECTION 4. This act takes effect on the later of July 1, 2003, or the effective date of procedures adopted by the State Budget and Control Board pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 21, Title 9 of the 1976 Code as added by this act and applies for disputes arising on or after that date.
Ratified the 16th day of April, 2003.
Approved the 21st day of April, 2003.
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