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S. 308
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators McConnell, Thomas, Lourie, Sheheen, Land, Drummond, Setzler, Cromer, Richardson, Knotts, McGill, O'Dell, Alexander, Leatherman, Anderson, Leventis, Courson, Short, Peeler, Grooms, Malloy, Ford, Verdin, Martin, J. Verne Smith, Ritchie, Reese, Hawkins, Pinckney, Moore, Elliott and Gregory
Document Path: l:\s-jud\bills\mcconnell\jud0051.gfm.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3165
Introduced in the Senate on January 20, 2005
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary
Summary: State regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee has power to appoint an Advisory Committee
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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1/20/2005 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-5
1/20/2005 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-5
1/26/2005 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Rankin (ch), Martin, Mescher,
Elliott, Hutto
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 58-3-530, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE STATE REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES REVIEW COMMITTEE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS THE POWER TO APPOINT AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AT LEAST ONE OF WHOM MUST HAVE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EXPERIENCE, AND TO FURTHER PROVIDE THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS THE DUTY TO REVIEW CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CANDIDATES ARE QUALIFIED; AND TO AMEND SECTION 58-31-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY, SO AS TO ESTABLISH QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND TO PROVIDE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE DIRECTORS MUST BE APPOINTED.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 58-3-530(12) and (13) of the 1976 Code are amended to read:
"(12) to appoint a committee from the general public at large, at least one of whom must have electric cooperative experience, to advise the review committee on any of its powers and duties. Members must not be members of the General Assembly, members or employees of the Public Service Commission, or the executive director or employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff; and
(13) to undertake such additional studies or evaluations as the review committee considers necessary. ; and"
SECTION 2. Section 58-3-530 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding the following numbered subsection to read:
"(14) to review candidates for appointment to the South Carolina Public Service Authority Board of Directors as submitted by the Governor to determine whether the candidates meet the qualifications set forth in Section 58-31-20."
SECTION 3. Section 58-31-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 58-31-20. (A) Such The Public Service Authority shall consist consists of a board of eleven directors to be who shall have the qualifications stated in this section, as determined by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee pursuant to Section 58-3-530(14), prior to being appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate as follows: One from each congressional district of the State; one from each of the counties of Horry, Berkeley, and Georgetown who reside in authority territory and are customers of the authority and two shall be from the State at large, one of whom shall be chairman and the other of whom. At least six of the board members shall have had substantial experience with within the operations of electric cooperatives or substantial experience on an electric cooperative board. Each director shall serve for a term of seven years and until his successor is appointed and qualifies, except that the present directors, including the chairman, shall serve until their terms of office expire and the directors first appointed from Horry, Berkeley and Georgetown Counties shall be appointed for terms of five, six and seven years respectively as determined by lot, such terms to commence May 19, 1974 except as provided in this section. At the expiration of the term of each director and of each succeeding director, the Governor shall must appoint with the advice and consent of the Senate a successor, who shall hold office for a term of seven years, or until his successor has been appointed and qualified. In the event of a director vacancy occurring in the office of a director by due to death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall must appoint his the director's successor, only with the advice and consent of the Senate and he the successor-director shall hold office for the unexpired term. No director shall receive a salary for services as director until the Authority authority is in funds, but each director shall must be paid his actual expense in the performance of his duties hereunder, the same actual expense to be advanced from the contingent fund of the Governor until such time as the Public Service Authority is in funds, at which time the contingent fund shall be reimbursed. After the Public Service Authority is in funds, the compensation and expenses of each member of the board shall be paid from such funds, and the same shall compensation and expenses must be fixed by the advisory board hereinafter established. Members of the board of directors may be removed for cause by the advisory board or a majority thereof. No member of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina shall be eligible for appointment as director of the Public Service Authority during the term of his office. Not No more than two members from the same county shall serve as directors at any time.
(B) Candidates for appointment to the board must be screened by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee and, prior to confirmation by the Senate, must be found qualified by meeting the minimum requirements contained in subsection (C). The review committee must submit a written report to the Clerk of the Senate setting forth its findings as to the qualifications of each candidate. A candidate must not serve on the board even in an interim capacity until he is screened and found qualified by the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee.
(C) Each member must have:
(1) a baccalaureate or more advanced degree from:
(a) a recognized institution of higher learning requiring face-to-face contact between its students and instructors prior to completion of the academic program;
(b) an institution of higher learning that has been accredited by a regional or national accrediting body; or
(c) an institution of higher learning chartered before 1962; and
(2) a background of substantial duration and expertise in energy issues and, with regard to the six members referred to in subsection (A) of this section, substantial work experience within an electric cooperative or substantial experience on an electric cooperative board.
(D) For the assistance of the board of directors of said the Public Service Authority, there is hereby established an advisory board to be known as the advisory board of the South Carolina Public Service Authority, to be composed of the Governor of the State, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the Comptroller General, and the Secretary of State, as ex officio members, who shall must serve without extra compensation other than necessary traveling expenses. Said The advisory board shall must perform any duties imposed on them under this chapter, and shall must consult and advise with the board of directors on any and all matters which by the board of directors may be referred to the advisory board. The board of directors shall must make annual reports to the advisory board, which reports shall must be submitted to the General Assembly by the Governor, in which full information as to all of the acts of said board of directors shall be given, together with financial statement and full information as to the work of the Authority authority. The On July first of each year, the advisory board shall on July first of each year, must designate some reputable a certified public accountant or accountants, resident in the State, for the purpose of making a complete audit of the affairs of said Authority the authority, which said audit shall must be filed with the annual report of the board of directors."
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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