COMMITTEE REPORT
February 9, 2022
S. 956
Introduced by Senators Peeler, Alexander, Hutto, Young and Setzler
S. Printed 2/9/22--S.
Read the first time January 11, 2022.
To whom was referred a Joint Resolution (S. 956) to appropriate settlement funds paid to this State by the federal government for storing plutonium at the Savannah River Site., etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the Joint Resolution, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
SECTION 1. The source of revenue appropriated in this Section is the August 31, 2020 settlement of the lawsuit between the State of South Carolina and the United States Department of Energy ("DOE") concerning the termination of the Mixed Dioxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site ("SRS") and the DOE's failure to remove the plutonium stored at the SRS which is located in Aiken, Barnwell, and Allendale Counties ("SRS Settlement"). The expenditure authorizations contained in this Section are for the maximum amounts that may be disbursed or expended by the receiving government entity. All disbursals and expenditures must be made in compliance with the provisions contained in this act. The receiving entities are:
(1) Department of Administration
Savannah River Site Primary and Perimeter
Counties.........................................$393,698,276
(2) County Transportation Committees...........$131,301,724
SECTION 2. (A) There is established in the State Treasury an account to be known as the SRS Settlement Account. The account is separate from the general fund of the State and all other funds and accounts. The account shall consist of the settlement funds appropriated to the Department of Administration pursuant to SECTION 1(1) of this act. The funds in the SRS Settlement Account shall be used to fund the projects identified in subsections (C) and (D).
(B) Counties in which projects identified in subsections (C) and (D) are located must submit a written request for funds appropriated in the county to the Executive Budget Office. Funds in the SRS Settlement Account may be released to fund an eligible project at the direction of the Executive Budget Office upon the Executive Budget Office's receipt of a written request from the receiving county. Prior to disbursal, the Executive Budget Office shall report each request for disbursement to the Joint Bond Review Committee and the legislative delegation representing the county. Upon receipt of funds, the counties must expeditiously distribute the funds.
(C) Of the funds appropriated in SECTION 1(1), the following amounts shall be made available to the named primary counties for the named eligible projects:
(1) Aiken County:
(a) City of Aiken - SRS Corridor/Whiskey Road
(Powderhouse Connector Road) congestion
relief..........................................................$29,500,000
(b) North Augusta/Aiken County - New Savannah Bluff
Lock and Dam Redevelopment.................$20,000,000
(c) USC Aiken - National Guard Dreamport facility
(coordination with US Cyber
Command)....................................................$9,800,000
(d) Aiken County - Improvements to Sage Mill Industrial
Park to include water and sewer
upgrades.......................................................$5,000,000
(e) Aiken County - Industrial Park Project in eastern Aiken
County (land and infrastructure)................$10,000,000
(f) Aiken County - Off-site infrastructure Improvements for SRS/National Lab, including the Aiken
Technology/Innovation Corridor................$20,000,000
(g) Aiken County - Upgrades to Horse Creek Wastewater
Treatment Plant (expansion for future
growth).......................................................$10,000,000
(h) Aiken County - Water line along Highway 39 from
Wagener to Monetta with two elevated storage
tanks and three pump stations....................$4,000,000
(i) Aiken County - Water line from Beech Island to
Jackson with elevated storage tanks and pump
stations..............................................$6,000,000
(j) Aiken County - Public Safety Infrastructure/County
Fire Suppression.....................................$4,000,000
(k) North Augusta - Cyber Initiative infrastructure
investment to complement Fort Gordon Army Cyber
Command and Georgia Cyber Command...$15,000,000
(l) North Augusta - Regional Solid Waste Transfer
Station...............................................$2,000,000
(m) City of Aiken/Aiken County - Redevelopment and
economic development in downtown and
Aiken's Northside toward I-20................$25,000,000
(n) Aiken County - Highway 19 Corridor
Business/Economic Development Improvements
(New Ellenton) and Downtown Water/Sewer
Infrastructure (Wagener, Jackson, Burnettetown and Salley)....................................................$5,000,000
(o) Aiken Technical College - Nursing School
Facility ...................................................$9,950,000
(p) Aiken Technical College - Welding Lab .....$1,500,000
(q) Aiken County Public School District - New Career and
Technology Center and district-wide technology
upgrades....................................................$30,000,000
(2) Barnwell County - Construction of Consolidated High
School and Career Center and K-8 school for Williston
and Blackville...............................................$110,000,000
(3) Allendale County:
(a) Allendale School District - Capital Improvements to
Allendale High School and other district
buildings....................................................$15,000,000
(b) Allendale County - Renovate C.V. Bing High School to
consolidate law enforcement and other Town and
County facilities..........................................$4,500,000
(c) Allendale County - Purchase, permitting, and
development of potential industrial property
site..............................................................$5,000,000
(D) Of the funds appropriated in SECTION 1(1), the following amounts shall be made available to the named perimeter counties for the named eligible projects:
(1) Bamberg County:
(a) Bamberg County - Cross Rhodes Industrial Park Speculative Building.....................$4,000,000
(b) Bamberg County - Airport
Improvements......................................$2,336,207
(2) Colleton County - New speculative industrial shell
building and engineering of the primary road into the
Colleton Mega Site....................................$1,387,932
(3) Edgefield County:
(a) Piedmont Technical College - Center for
Advanced Manufacturing...............$15,000,000
(b) Edgefield County Law Enforcement
Center...................................................$4,000,000
(c) Edgefield County School District - Workforce
Development Training and
Equipment.........................................$1,600,000
(d) Fox Creek High School Athletic
Complex.....................................$1,000,000
(4) Hampton County - Purchase property adjacent to
Southern Carolina Industrial
Park........................................................$3,137,931
(5) Lexington County:
(a) Batesburg-Leesville Industrial Park - Site
Preparation for Parcel #1....................$1,250,000
(b) Saxe Gotha Industrial Park - Site Preparation for
Parcel #9..........................................$2,500,000
(c) Chapin Business and Technology Park at Brighton
- Site Preparation for Parcel #10.........$1,250,000
(d) Saxe Gotha Industrial Park - Phase III Roadway
and Water Expansion.......................$4,800,000
(e) Batesburg-Leesville Industrial Park - Construction
of Speculative Building on
Parcel #1............................................$2,100,000
(6) Orangeburg County:
(a) Orangeburg County - Western End Industrial
Speculative Building......................$4,000,000
(b) Orangeburg County - Property
Acquisition..............................................$500,000
(c) Orangeburg County - Holly Hill Services Center
Renovation.....................................$1,000,000
(d) Orangeburg County - Hidden Valley Road/Essex
Road Sewer.......................................$655,172
(7) Saluda County - Piedmont Technical College -
Workforce Development and Career
Training.....................................................$1,931,034
SECTION 3. (A) Except as provided in subsection (B), the funds appropriated in SECTION 1(2) to the County Transportation Committees shall be disbursed to the eligible counties pursuant to S.C. Code Section 12-28-2740(A).
(B) Counties in which projects funded in SECTION 2(C) are located are not eligible to receive funds appropriated to the County Transportation Committees by this act.
SECTION 4. The expenditure authorizations contained in this act are supplemental to the expenditure authorizations for receiving entities as contained in Act 94 of 2021, the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021-22, and future expenditure authorizations enacted by the General Assembly.
SECTION 5. Earnings and interest on accounts created pursuant to this act must be credited to the account and any balance at the end of the fiscal year carries forward to the account in the succeeding fiscal year for the same purpose.
SECTION 6. The General Assembly finds that the sections presented in this act constitute one subject as required by Article III, Section 17 of the South Carolina Constitution, in particular finding that each change and each topic relates directly to or in conjunction with other sections to the subject of appropriating funds received by the State pursuant to the SRS Settlement as clearly enumerated in the title.
The General Assembly further finds that a common purpose or relationship exists among the sections, representing a potential plurality but not disunity of topics, notwithstanding that reasonable minds might differ in identifying more than one topic contained in the act.
SECTION 7. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, then such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
SECTION 8. This act shall become law upon approval of the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
HARVEY S. PEELER, JR. for Committee.
TO APPROPRIATE SETTLEMENT FUNDS PAID TO THIS STATE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR STORING PLUTONIUM AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. From the settlement funds paid to this State by the federal government for storing plutonium at the Savannah River Site, there is appropriated:
(1)
(2)
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.