Title 13, Planning, Research and Development

There is established the Tri-County Coliseum Commission (Commission) for the purpose of providing an agency through which a coliseum facility may be provided for the citizens of the State through the joint participation of any other commissions, counties, municipalities, public o…

The Commission shall consist of eleven members and shall be composed of as follows: (a) three members appointed annually, one from each county council of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties; (b) three members appointed at large from the legislative delegation for a three…

The Commission shall elect one of its members as chairman, one as vice-chairman, and one of its members, or any other competent person, as secretary of the Commission. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Commission shall serve for a term of one year and until their successors a…

The Commission shall have the authority to plan, establish, equip, staff, operate, regulate and protect a coliseum facility within the territory to be designated in Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester Counties; to contract, sue and be sued in its own name; to make by-laws for the …

The Tri-County Coliseum Commission is authorized to promulgate regulations governing the use of roads, streets, parking facilities and all other facilities upon the lands of the Tri-County Coliseum Commission. Such regulations are declared to be applicable to the roads, streets a…

There is created a body corporate and politic to be known as the South Carolina Research Authority or as the SCRA.

Nothing contained in the provisions of this chapter, at any time or in any manner, shall involve the credit and taxing power of the State, or of any of its political subdivisions; nor shall any of the securities or other evidences of indebtedness authorized to be issued in and by…

The authority may assist public and private universities in South Carolina in their efforts to identify and attract nationally prominent academic researchers and professors to accept positions in our schools following established university procedures. This assistance includes co…

The authority shall identify subject areas of common interest to the public and private sectors and shall promote the use of South Carolina universities to perform research for private industries.

The authority may establish, in cooperation with the state's colleges and universities, a statewide professional research organization to promote social, professional, and business relationships among researchers in the public and private sectors of the State. The organization es…

The authority may not interfere in the relationships colleges and universities have established or may establish in the future with industry. The authority may not infringe upon or compete with the rights of faculty members to pursue their own research interests or to secure fund…

The authority and its employees are exempt from the application of Title 8 (Public Officers and Employees), except for Chapter 5 (Nepotism), and Chapter 13 (Ethics and Disclosure), and Title 9 (State Retirement Systems).

The authority is authorized to establish not-for-profit corporations it considers necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter. These corporations have the powers provided to corporations under applicable corporate law including, but not limited to, the abil…

The SCRA (authority) is organized to enhance the research capabilities of the state's public and private universities, to establish a continuing forum to foster greater dialogue throughout the research community within the State, and to promote the development of high technology …

(A)(1) The SCRA shall consist of a board of twenty-four trustees that includes the following ex officio members: President of the Council of Private Colleges of South Carolina, Chairman of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, President of Clemson University, Preside…

The board of trustees has full power and authority to manage the business and affairs of the authority and to take action as it considers advisable, necessary, or convenient in carrying out its powers granted by this chapter and any other law including the following powers: (1) t…

The board of trustees shall exercise the powers of the authority except where a power has been given to the executive committee by law or by delegation of authority by the board of trustees. A majority of the aggregate number of the members of the executive committee plus the ele…

As used in this chapter, "research park" is defined as the Clemson Research Park located in Anderson County, the Carolina Research Park in Columbia, any park developed at Line Street and Hagood Avenue in downtown Charleston, and any park mutually designated by the SCRA and the pa…

The South Carolina Research Division (SCRD) may operate existing research parks in cooperation with Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina at Columbia. The authority may establish and operate additional research parks an…

Negotiations with a prospective industry or business concern considering a research park or South Carolina as a facility site are confidential information and must not be disclosed without the permission of the industry or business concern. Information relating to pending or inco…

(A) The SCRIC shall establish three Research Innovation Centers (innovation centers) in South Carolina. The innovation centers shall: (1) enhance the research and technology transition capabilities of the state's three research universities; (2) establish a continuing forum to fo…

(A) There is established within each of the three South Carolina Research Innovation Centers (SCRIC) established in Section 13-17-87 a target program of excellence reflecting the basic research currently undertaken at each center and serving as the focal point of the state's appl…

A provision of this chapter may not be construed to authorize the SCRA to commit the credit and taxing power of the State. Where the SCRA establishes, controls, funds, supports, or is otherwise involved with a nonprofit entity or appoints some or all of the directors of a nonprof…

It is found and declared that the project authorized by this chapter is in all respects for the benefit of all the people of the State, for the improvement of their welfare and material prosperity, and is a public purpose and a corporation owned completely by the people of the St…

There is created the Midlands Authority of South Carolina, referred to in this chapter as the "authority". The governing body of the authority consists of a nine member board appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for terms of four years and until t…

The bonds must be sold at public or private sale upon terms and conditions as the State Fiscal Accountability Authority considers advisable.

The board of the authority or its proper administrative officers shall file with the State Treasurer within thirty days from the date of their issuance a complete description of all obligations entered into by the board with the rates of interest, maturity dates, annual payments,…

All provisions of a resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds in accordance with this chapter and any covenants and agreements constitute legally binding contracts between the authority and the several holders of the bonds, regardless of the time of issuance of the bonds, …

The bonds authorized by this chapter are limited obligations of the authority. The principal and interest are payable solely out of the revenues derived by the authority, including any revenues that may be derived by the authority pursuant to the financing agreement with respect …

All funds of the authority must be invested by the State Treasurer and, upon approval and designation by the State Treasurer of a financial institution or institutions, all funds must be deposited in such institutions by the board in accordance with policies established by the bo…

The authority may retain any unexpended funds at the close of the fiscal year of the State regardless of the source of the funds and expend the funds in subsequent fiscal years.

(A) Prior to undertaking any project authorized by Section 13-19-40, the board of the authority shall make a determination: (1) that the project will serve the purposes of this chapter; (2) that the project is anticipated to benefit the general public welfare of the locality by p…

The proceeds from the sale of any bonds issued under authority of this chapter may be applied only for the purpose for which the bonds were issued, except any premium and accrued interest received in any sale must be applied to the payment of the principal of or the interest on t…

The regulations of the authority must be promulgated in accordance with Chapter 23 of Title 1.

The authority may establish profit or not-for-profit corporations as the authority considers necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Officials or employees of the authority may act as officials or employees of any corporations created pursuant to this section without…

The members of the board shall elect one member as chairman and one as vice-chairman and shall also elect a secretary. The board shall establish other offices, committees, and positions under its bylaws as it considers necessary. The board shall meet upon the call of its chairman…

The property of the authority is not subject to any taxes or assessments, but the authority shall negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes with the appropriate taxing authorities.

Notwithstanding any provision of law or regulation, the authority continues to be an "agency" for purposes of Chapter 78 of Title 15; however, the authority is not considered to be an "agency" or "state agency" or any other form of state institution for purposes of Sections 2-7-6…

If a term or provision of a section of this chapter is found to be illegal or unenforceable, the remainder of this chapter nonetheless remains in full force and effect and the illegal or unenforceable term or provision is deleted and severed from this chapter.

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to provide for the regulation of the generation, transmission, distribution, or provision of electricity at wholesale, retail, or in any other capacity. The provisions of this chapter shall not modify or abridge the rights, duties, and pri…

The board of the authority has all the rights and powers of a body politic and corporate and body corporate of this State, including without limitation, all the rights and powers necessary or convenient to manage the business and affairs of the authority and to take action as it …

The authority may exercise any of the powers and duties conveyed under Section 13-19-30 in the entire area of a county or portion of a county which borders the counties represented by members as set forth in Section 13-19-10.

In furtherance of its purposes, the authority may issue revenue bonds, the interest on which may or may not be excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes, for the purpose of raising funds needed from time to time for the financing or refinancing, in whole or in …

The authority may issue revenue bonds for the purpose of financing or refinancing, in whole or in part, the cost of the following projects: (a) purchasing real estate; (b) constructing, reconstructing, or improving roads, bridges, culverts, or other transportation facilities; (c)…

Revenue bonds issued under this chapter for any project described in Section 13-19-40 must be authorized by resolution of the board of the authority. The resolution may contain provisions which are a part of the contract between the authority and the several holders of the bonds …

The bonds may be issued in one or more series, may bear a date, may mature at a time not exceeding forty years from their respective dates, may bear interest at the rate or rates per annum as approved by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, may be payable in a medium of pay…