South Carolina H 5321: Rep. Gary Simrill, farewell

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5321 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 04, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5321

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH 
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING CHAPTER 38 TO TITLE 6 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE "HORSE 
CREEK REGIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY"; TO PRESCRIBE ITS SERVICE TERRITORY IN 
AIKEN, EDGEFIELD, AND SALUDA COUNTIES; TO ESTABLISH THE AUTHORITY'S FUNCTIONS 
AND POWERS REGARDING WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE SERVICES; TO AUTHORIZE CONTRACTS 
WITH THE COUNTIES AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS WITHIN AIKEN, ALLENDALE, BAMBERG, BARNWELL, 
CALHOUN, EDGEFIELD, MCCORMICK, ORANGEBURG, AND SALUDA COUNTIES; AND TO DISSOLVE 
THE AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY AND REQUIRE ALL AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC 
SERVICE AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS, ASSETS, AND LIABILITIES TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE 
HORSE CREEK REGIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY.

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

SECTION 1. Title 6 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

CHAPTER 38

Horse Creek Regional Public Service Authority

 Section 
6-38-10. This chapter may be cited as the "Horse Creek Regional Public Service 
Authority."

 Section 
6-38-20. (A) The Horse Creek Regional 
Public Service Authority, also referred to as "regional authority," is a body 
corporate and politic whose function is to provide wastewater and sewage 
services, within its service area. To that end, the regional authority is 
empowered to construct such reservoirs, wells, treatment facilities, impounding 
dams or dikes, canals, conduits, aqueducts, tunnels, water distribution 
facilities, water mains and water lines, and appurtenant facilities, as in the 
opinion of the authority as may be considered necessary, and to acquire such 
land, rights of way, easements, machinery, apparatus, and equipment as is 
considered useful.

 (B) The 
regional authority is empowered to acquire, construct, operate, maintain, 
improve, and enlarge facilities which provide for the collection, treatment, 
disposal, and recycling of wastewater and sewage at any point within its 
service area, wherever such facilities are found by the authority to be 
necessary for the public health and the protection of the environment; to make 
such facilities available to private persons, private corporations, and governmental 
entities as authorized by this chapter; and to finance the cost of such 
facilities by the means made available to the authority by the provisions of 
this chapter.

 (C) In 
order to perform services and functions related to the provision of wastewater 
and sewage collection, treatment, disposal, recycling, and related public works 
activities, the regional authority is authorized to contract with any of the 
following counties and any political subdivision therein: Aiken, Allendale, 
Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, McCormick, Orangeburg, and Saluda counties.

 (D) 
Without in any way limiting the provisions of this section, the service 
territory of the regional authority shall be Aiken, Edgefield, and Saluda counties.

 Section 
6-38-30. (A) The regional authority shall 
be comprised of nine members, six of whom shall be resident electors of Aiken 
County, two of whom shall be resident electors of Edgefield County, and one of 
whom shall be a resident elector of Saluda County. No more than five members 
may be elected public officials.

 (B) The 
Aiken County members of the regional authority shall be appointed by the 
Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the Legislative Delegation of 
Aiken County.

 (C) The 
Edgefield County members of the regional authority shall be appointed by the 
Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the Legislative Delegation of 
Edgefield County.

 (D) The 
Saluda County members of the regional authority shall be appointed by the 
Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the Legislative Delegation of 
Saluda County.

 (E)(1) The terms of office for all regional 
authority members and their successors shall be for four years. All members 
shall hold office until their successors have been appointed and qualify. Any 
vacancy occurring for any reason among the members of the regional authority 
shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the same procedure 
for appointment.

 (2) 
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (E)(1), of those members 
originally appointed, three of the resident electors of Aiken County and one 
member of Edgefield County shall be appointed for a term of two years and three 
members from Aiken County, one member of Edgefield County and one member of 
Saluda County shall be appointed for four years. Following the original terms 
described in this item, all member terms shall be for four years.

 (F) The 
members of the regional authority may fix or