South Carolina General Assembly
109th Session, 1991-1992

Bill 4321


                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               House
Bill Number:                    4321
Ratification Number:            296
Act Number:                     526
Primary Sponsor:                McAbee
Type of Legislation:            JR
Subject:                        Social Services Board, expiration
                                of members' terms
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   Mar 03, 1992
Computer Document Number:       BR1/2010.AC
Governor's Action:              S
Date of Governor's Action:      Mar 05, 1992
Introduced Date:                Jan 30, 1992
Date of Last Amendment:         Feb 27, 1992
Last History Body:              ------
Last History Date:              Oct 07, 1992
Last History Type:              Act No. 526
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   McAbee
                                Whipper
                                Keegan
                                Gonzales
                                Hallman
                                Rhoad
                                Koon
                                G. Bailey
                                G. Brown
                                Clyborne
                                Chamblee
                                McLeod
                                Sturkie
                                Fulmer
                                Rama
                                Sharpe
                                Boan
                                Waites
                                Rogers
                                Klapman
                                Keyserling
                                Tucker
                                Jennings
                                Townsend
                                Smith
                                Corning
                                Shirley
                                Glover
                                Harrison
                                Jaskwhich
                                Wells
                                Riser
                                Ross
                                Mattos
                                Kirsh
                                McElveen
                                Shissias
                                Wilkins
                                Corbett
                                Huff
                                Haskins
                                Hodges
                                Meacham
                                P. Harris
                                A.
                                Young
                                L. Elliott
                                Sheheen
                                Littlejohn
                                White
                                Beatty
                                Felder
                                Phillips
                                Taylor
                                Inabinett
                                Cole
                                McCraw
                                Byrd
                                H. Brown
                                Kennedy
                                D. Elliott
                                Fair
                                Wofford
                                Carnell
                                D. Williams
                                Bruce
                                Bennett
                                Scott
                                Kempe
                                D.
                                Martin
                                Stone
                                Hendricks
                                Marchbanks
                                J.
                                Brown
                                Cork
                                Foster
                                Snow
                                Altman
                                L. Martin
                                Harvin
                                Kinon
                                Houck
                                Cato
                                McGinnis
                                Baker
                                Delleney
                                Wilkes
                                Farr
Type of Legislation:            Joint Resolution

History


 Bill  Body    Date          Action Description              CMN
 ----  ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---
 4321  ------  Oct 07, 1992  Act No. 526
 4321  ------  Mar 05, 1992  Signed by Governor
 4321  ------  Mar 04, 1992  Ratified R 296
 4321  Senate  Mar 03, 1992  Concurred in House amendment,
                             enrolled for ratification
 4321  House   Feb 27, 1992  Senate amendments amended,
                             returned to Senate
 4321  Senate  Feb 20, 1992  Amended, read third time,
                             returned to House with
                             amendments
 4321  Senate  Feb 19, 1992  Read second time, ordered to
                             third reading with notice of
                             general amendments, carrying
                             over all amendments to third
                             reading
 4321  Senate  Feb 13, 1992  Committee Report: Favorable     08
                             with amendment
 4321  Senate  Feb 06, 1992  Introduced, read first time,    08
                             referred to Committee
 4321  House   Feb 05, 1992  Read third time, sent to
                             Senate
 4321  House   Feb 04, 1992  Read second time
 4321  House   Jan 30, 1992  Introduced, read first time,
                             placed on Calendar without
                             reference

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(R296, H4321)

A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT THE TERMS OF OFFICE FOR THE PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES ARE TERMINATED; TO TRANSFER TEMPORARILY ALL POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD TO THE STATE BUDGET AND CONTROL BOARD; TO DIRECT THE BUDGET AND CONTROL BOARD TO APPOINT AN INTERIM COMMISSIONER; TO PROVIDE THAT THE CURRENT COMMISSIONER SHALL REMAIN AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY RESTRUCTURING OF THE DEPARTMENT MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW AND CERTAIN CHANGES APPROVED BY THE BUDGET AND CONTROL BOARD; TO PROVIDE THAT THE COUNTY BOARDS OF SOCIAL SERVICES ARE ONLY ADVISORY TO THE COUNTY DIRECTORS; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL SERVICES ARE TEMPORARILY UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

Whereas, the State Department of Social Services is the state's public welfare agency with a total budget of five hundred thirty-two million, one hundred six thousand, six hundred fifty-eight dollars; and

Whereas, the State Department of Social Services provides critical services to the state's most needy and vulnerable citizens and has a projected budget deficit in excess of fifteen million dollars; and

Whereas, the General Assembly is gravely concerned with the inability of the current South Carolina Board of Social Services to fulfill its basic statutory duties and its inability to work effectively with the agency's own employees, to cooperate with other agencies and branches of state government, and, importantly, to cooperate with and assist the General Assembly and the Executive Branch in efforts to help resolve the many financial and organizational problems of the State Department of Social Services; and

Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes the continuing divisions within the board and the failure of the commissioner and the board to work effectively in providing leadership, motivation, and purpose to the staff which is vital to ensuring proper oversight and accounting for the limited public resources allocated to this state agency; and

Whereas, the General Assembly recognizes that the inadequate management of this agency raises serious and legitimate doubt among the citizens of the State as to the ability of the incumbent leaders to fulfill the missions of this agency; and

Whereas, the lack of confidence in the leadership compels the General Assembly to act to avert a deepening crisis among the increasing number of our citizens who depend upon the services provided by this agency and the taxpayers who demand and rightly should expect the public resources to be properly managed and accounted for; and

Whereas, the continued independence of forty-six separate county operations of the State Department of Social Services does not allow for uniformity in and coordination of services or accountability; and

Whereas, in order to provide uniformity in and coordination of services and to assure accountability of the county operations of the departments of social services, it is necessary to place all county directors of the local departments of social services in a chain of authority directly under the State Commissioner of Social Services; and

Whereas, the General Assembly acknowledges that it is charged by statute with the responsibility to elect the members of the South Carolina Board of Social Services, and the General Assembly also recognizes that it is charged by Section 1, Article XII of the Constitution of South Carolina to provide for appropriate agencies; and

Whereas, Commissioner James L. Solomon, Jr., has announced his retirement from the State Department of Social Services effective June 30, 1992. Now, therefore,

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

Powers of board transferred; authority of county boards and directors revised

SECTION 1. The terms of office of the present members of the South Carolina Board of Social Services are terminated on the effective date of this resolution.

All powers and duties of the South Carolina Board of Social Services are transferred temporarily to the State Budget and Control Board until the General Assembly again may address this matter.

The Budget and Control Board shall appoint an interim commissioner to assume the responsibilities of the current State Commissioner of Social Services, James L. Solomon, Jr. Upon the effective date of this resolution, Mr. Solomon shall remain an employee of the department at his current salary, receive full benefits, and serve in a consulting capacity to the interim commissioner and report directly to him until the effective date of his retirement. The interim commissioner shall report to the Budget and Control Board and serves at the pleasure of the board. Restructuring or reorganization of the department must be consistent with existing law. An internal structural or organizational change during this interim period must be approved by the Budget and Control Board.

The county boards of social services serve only in an advisory capacity to the county directors. The directors of the county departments of social services are placed temporarily under a chain of authority directly under and answerable to the State Commissioner of Social Services until the General Assembly takes other action on this matter.

Time effective

SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

In the Senate House March 4, 1992.

Nick A. Theodore,

President of the Senate

David M. Beasley,

Speaker Pro Tempore of the

House of Representatives

Approved the 5th day of March, 1992.

Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.,

Governor

Printer's Date -- March 20, 1992 -- S.

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