South Carolina S 980: Special Purpose Districts Retirement

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 980 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 05, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 980

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 9-20-10, RELATING TO STATE OPTIONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM DEFINITIONS, SO 
AS TO INCLUDE SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS IN THE DEFINITION OF "EMPLOYER".

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

SECTION 1. Sections 9-20-10 (1) and (2) of the S.C. Code are 
amended to read:

 (1) "Employer" means:

 (a) 
a school district that receives funding from the State from the annual 
appropriation to the Department of Education for Aid to School 
Districts-Employer Contributions in the annual general appropriations act;

 (b) 
a four-year and postgraduate institution of higher education supported and 
under the control of the State;

 (c) 
a technical college supported and under the control of the State;

 (d) 
the State or any of its departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions, and 
institutions, provided that such entity does not meet the definition of item 
(1)(a), (b), or (c) of this section.; or

 (e) a special purpose district, as 
defined in Section 6-11-1610, that participates as an employer in the South 
Carolina Retirement System.

 (2) 
"Eligible employee" means:

 (a) 
a person hired on or after July 1, 2001, by an employer as defined in Section 
9-20-10(1)(a) to fill a permanent full-time position;

 (b) 
a person hired on or after July 1, 2002, by an employer as defined in Section 
9-20-10(1)(b), (c), or (d) to fill a permanent full-time position;

 (c) 
a person hired on or after July 1, 2003, by an employer as defined in Section 
9-20-10(1)(a), (b), (c), or (d) to fill a temporary 
position or a part-time permanent position;

 (d) 
a person employed by an employer as defined in Section 9-20-10(1) who, as of 
June 30, 2001, was a participant of the Optional Retirement Program for 
Teachers and School Administrators or who, as of June 30, 2002, was a 
participant of the Optional Retirement Program for Publicly Supported Four-Year 
and Postgraduate Institutions of Higher Education; or

 (e) 
an employee, hired on or after January 1, 2003, by the State or any of its 
departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions, or institutions who is not covered 
by the State Employee Grievance Procedure but who is eligible to participate in 
either the South Carolina Retirement System or the Police Officers Retirement 
System.; or

 (f) an employee, hired after June 30, 
2027, by an employer as defined in Section 9-20-10(1)(e).

 However, an employee 
who exercises an option to not participate in the South Carolina Retirement 
System under Section 9-1-550 is not eligible to participate in the State 
Optional Retirement Program.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on March 05, 2026 at 11:44 AM