South Carolina H 4601: I-95 Corridor Authority Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4601 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4601

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 54 TO TITLE 11 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE "I-95 CORRIDOR 
AUTHORITY ACT" AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION, DUTIES, AND POWERS OF THE 
AUTHORITY.

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

SECTION 1. Title 11 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 CHAPTER 54

 I-95 Corridor Authority Act

 Section 11-54-5. This chapter may be cited as the "I-95 Corridor 
Authority Act."

 Section 11-54-10. There is established 
the I-95 Corridor Authority. The authority must:

 (1) carry out economic development, 
health, and educational improvement activities which, in the opinion of the 
authority, will improve the economic conditions in its member counties and are 
located in a member county or an adjacent qualified census tract.

 (2) report to 
the General Assembly, at least annually, on the progress made related to its 
charge, any modification of the laws of this State needed to allow the 
authority to better fulfill its charge, programs, and operations.

 Section 11-54-15. The authority is a 
public body, politic and corporate, and an agency of the State and may:

 (1) adopt bylaws, procedures, and 
regulations for the directors, officers, and employees and for implementation 
and operation of the programs authorized by this act;

 (2) sue and be sued in its own name;

 (3) enter into contracts, agreements, 
and instruments and make offers to contract with persons, partnerships, firms, 
corporations, agencies, or entities, whether public or private, considered 
desirable in the furtherance of its purpose;

 (4) acquire by purchase, donation, 
exchange, or otherwise, hold, improve, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise, 
encumber, manage, lease, convey, transfer, or dispose of any real or personal 
property, whether tangible or intangible, together with rights and privileges 
as may be incidental and appurtenant thereto. To the extent that administrative 
funds are involved, the authority must comply with the provisions of the South 
Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code. To the extent that the liability of the 
authority is limited to program funds, any acquisition or disposition may be 
pursuant to public or private sale upon terms and conditions as the authority 
may approve in accordance with prudent business practices;

 (5) appoint officers, agents, 
employees, and consultants, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation; 
and

 (6) participate in and cooperate with 
any agency or instrumentality of the United States and with any agency or 
political subdivision of this State in the administration of any of the 
programs authorized by this act.

 Section 
11-54-20. The member counties of the authority consist of Allendale, Bamberg, 
Barnwell, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, 
Hampton, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, and Williamsburg.

 Section 
11-54-25. (A) The authority is 
governed by a board of directors that is composed of fifteen members. The 
members must be appointed as follows:

 (1) five members appointed by the 
senators whose districts include the member counties;

 (2) five members appointed by the 
representatives whose districts include the member counties; and

 (3) five members appointed by the 
Governor, one of whom is designated as chairperson.

 No 
member may be a legislator or a member of a legislator's family. No two members 
designated in items (1) through (3) may reside in the same county. At least 
three of the five members selected in each of items (1) through (3) shall 
reside in a member county or adjacent qualified census tract. All members 
designated in items (1) through (3) must have sufficient experience in the 
fields of education, economic development, healthcare, or business management 
to deem them qualified as determined by the appointing senators, 
representatives, or chairman.

 (B) Except as provided in subsection 
(C), members must serve a three-year term and must be limited to two terms. Any 
vacancy on the authority must be filled in the same manner as the original 
appointment. Members of the authority shall serve without mileage, per diem, 
and subsistence.

 (C) Initial appointments to the 
authority pursuant to subsection (A)(3) must be made within sixty days of the 
enactment of this section. Appointments pursuant to subsection (A)(1) and (2) 
must be made from sixty to one hundred twenty days of the enactment of this section.

 Five 
appointees shall serve for a one-year term and five appointees shall serve for 
a two-year term, all determined by lot at the first called meeting except for 
the chairman who