2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 13 - Planning, Research and Development › Chapter 17 - South Carolina Research Authority › Section 13-17-40. Members of board; terms; vacancies; compensation; annual reports; meetings.

(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, President of the Medical University of South Carolina, President of South Carolina State College, President of the University of South Carolina, Director of Savannah River National Laboratory, President of Francis Marion University, Chairman of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, Governor of South Carolina or his designee, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee or his designee, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or his designee, and the Secretary of Commerce or his designee.
(2) The Governor shall name the chairman who must not be a public official and who serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The remaining ten trustees must be elected by the board of trustees from a list of nominees submitted by an ad hoc committee named by the chairman and composed of the members serving as elected trustees. Each of the Congressional Districts of South Carolina must have at least one of the ten trustees.
(3) Terms of elected trustees are for four years, and half expire every two years. An elected trustee may not serve more than two consecutive four-year elected terms. Vacancies must be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of original appointment. A vacancy occurs upon the expiration of the term of service, death, resignation, disqualification, or removal of a trustee.
(B)(1)(a) The President of Clemson University or his designee, the President of the Medical University of South Carolina or his designee, the President of the University of South Carolina at Columbia or his designee, the President of South Carolina State University or his designee, the Governor or his designee, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee or his designee, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or his designee, and the chairman of the board of trustees shall serve on the executive committee of the SCRA.
(b) A designee of one of the four university presidents must be an individual serving in no less than a vice president or comparable role and shall report directly to the president, with such determination to be made in the sole discretion of the designating president. Each university president may designate only one person for each calendar year, except in the case of the designee's death, incapacity, or termination of employment, in which case the designating university president may replace the designee for the remainder of the calendar year. Any university president is authorized in any event to participate, in any meeting or otherwise, in person rather than through a previously named designee.
(c) The executive committee shall elect two additional members of the executive committee, who shall be trustees at the time of their election, and one additional member, who is not required to be a trustee at the time of his election, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the executive committee then serving.
(d) The executive committee has all powers and authority of the board of trustees. The board shall have an advisory role only and shall advise the executive committee of the actions recommended by the board.
(2) Terms of elected executive committee members are for four years, and the term of at least one executive committee member shall expire every two years. An elected executive committee member may not serve more than two consecutive four-year elected terms. A vacancy must be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of original election, and occurs upon the expiration of the term of service, death, resignation, disqualification, or removal of an elected executive committee member. An elected executive committee member who must be a trustee at the time of his election need not continue to be a trustee in order to complete his term as an executive committee member. An elected executive committee member may be removed from office by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the executive committee members serving.
(3) The executive committee shall appoint a business and science advisory board to include representatives from each research university, the venture capital industry, relevant industry leaders, and the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the advisory board is to advise the board of trustees when requested by it. The advisory board shall ensure that the authority has the input of the research and business communities in implementing its programs and services.
(C) A trustee may not receive a salary for his services as a trustee; however, a trustee must be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in service to the authority.
(D) The board annually shall submit a report to the General Assembly including information on all acts of the board of trustees together with a financial statement and full information as to the work of the authority.
(E) The board shall hire an executive director of the SCRA who has administrative responsibility for the SCRA. The executive director shall maintain, through a designated agent, accurate and complete books and records of account, custody, and responsibility for the property and funds of the authority and control over the authority bank account. The executive director, with the approval of the board, has the power to appoint officers and employees, to prescribe their duties, and to fix their compensation. The board of trustees shall select a reputable certified public accountant to audit the books of account at least once each year.
(F) Regular meetings of the board of trustees must be held at a time and place the chairman may determine. Special meetings of the board of trustees may be called by the chairman when reasonable notice is given.
HISTORY: 1983 Act No. 50 Section 2, eff April 29, 1983; 1984 Act No. 309, Section 2, eff March 23, 1984; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 6, effective January 1, 1992, and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991; 2002 Act No. 172, Section 2, eff February 8, 2002; 2005 Act No. 133, Section 1, eff June 7, 2005; 2006 Act No. 319, Section 4, eff June 1, 2006; 2007 Act No. 83, Section 7, eff June 19, 2007; 2012 Act No. 209, Section 2, eff June 7, 2012; 2012 Act No. 279, Section 7, eff June 26, 2012; 2022 Act No. 172 (S.635), Section 1.A, eff May 16, 2022.
Editor's Note
1991 Act No. 248, Section 6, codified as Section 2-13-65, effective January 1, 1992, and governs only transactions which take place after December 31, 1991, provides as follows:
"The Code Commissioner is directed to delete all references to legislative members serving in any capacity as a member of a state board or commission, except as allowed by Section 8-13-770 of the 1976 Code."
2006 Act No. 319, Section 1, provides as follows:
"This act may be cited as the 'Industry Partners Act'."
2012 Act No. 279, Section 33, provides as follows:
"Due to the congressional redistricting, any person elected or appointed to serve, or serving, as a member of any board, commission, or committee to represent a congressional district, whose residency is transferred to another district by a change in the composition of the district, may serve, or continue to serve, the term of office for which he was elected or appointed; however, the appointing or electing authority shall appoint or elect an additional member on that board, commission, or committee from the district which loses a resident member as a result of the transfer to serve until the term of the transferred member expires. When a vacancy occurs in the district to which a member has been transferred, the vacancy must not be filled until the full term of the transferred member expires. Further, the inability to hold an election or to make an appointment due to judicial review of the congressional districts does not constitute a vacancy."
2022 Act No. 172, Section 1.B, provides as follows:
"[SECTION 1.]B. The initial term of the member of the executive committee of the South Carolina Research Authority Board of Trustees who is not required to be a trustee at the time of his election, pursuant to Section 13-17-40(B)(1), as amended by this act, begins on July 1, 2021, and ends on July 1, 2024."
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 172, Section 1.A, in (B), rewrote (1), and in (2), in the first sentence, substituted "the term of at least one executive committee member shall" for "half", and in the fourth sentence, inserted "who must be a trustee at the time of his election".