South Carolina Code of Laws

Title 11. Public Finance

Chapter 35. South Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code

Article 19. Intergovernmental Relations

 

S.C. CODE ANN. §11-35-4610. Definitions of terms used in this article.

As used in this article, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) “Cooperative purchasing” means procurement conducted by, or on behalf of, more than one public procurement unit, or by a public procurement unit with an external procurement activity.

(2) “External procurement activity” means:

(a) any buying organization not located in this State which would qualify as a public procurement unit;

(b) buying by the United States government.

(3) “Local public procurement unit” means any political subdivision or unit thereof which expends public funds for the procurement of supplies, services, or construction.

(4) “Mandatory opting” is the requirement for a local procurement unit to choose whether to utilize a state contract before it is established as prescribed in regulation by the board.

(5) “Public procurement unit” means either a local public procurement unit or a state public procurement unit.

(6) “State public procurement unit” means the offices of the chief procurement officers and any other purchasing agency of this State.

S.C. CODE ANN. §11-35-4810. Cooperative purchasing authorized.

Any public procurement unit may participate in, sponsor, conduct, or administer a cooperative purchasing agreement for the procurement of any supplies, services, or construction with one or more public procurement units or external procurement activities in accordance with an agreement entered into between the participants. Such cooperative purchasing may include, but is not limited to, joint or multi-party contracts between public procurement units and open-ended state public procurement unit contracts which shall be made available to local public procurement units, except as provided in Section 11-35-4820 or except as may otherwise be limited by the board through regulations.

However, thirty days’ notice of a proposed multi-state solicitation must be provided through central advertising and such contracts may be only awarded to manufacturers who will be distributing the products to South Carolina governmental bodies through South Carolina vendors; provided, however, that the provisions of this paragraph do not apply to public institutions of higher learning if the institution demonstrates a cost savings to the Office of State Procurement in regard to the multi-state solicitation and procurement.

S.C. CODE ANN. §11-35-4840. Cooperative use of supplies or services.

Any public procurement unit may enter into an agreement in accordance with the requirements of Articles 5 and 15 of this chapter with any other public procurement unit or external procurement activity for the cooperative use of supplies or services under the terms agreed upon between the parties; provided, that such cooperative use of supplies or services shall take place only when the public procurement units have good reason to expect the cooperative use to be more cost effective than utilizing their own supplies and services.

S.C. CODE ANN. §11-35-4880. Public procurement units in compliance with code requirements.

Where the public procurement unit or external procurement activity administering a cooperative purchase complies with the requirements of this code, any public procurement unit participating in such a purchase shall be deemed to have complied with this code. Public procurement units shall not enter into a cooperative purchasing agreement for the purpose of circumventing this code.

Title 6. Local Government – Provisions Applicable to Special Purpose Districts and Other Political Subdivisions

Chapter 24. Joint Agency Act

S.C. CODE ANN. §6-24-20. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(3) “Governmental entity” means a special purpose district created by the General Assembly of this State for the principal purpose of furnishing natural gas to the residents, businesses, and industries of the service area as defined in and fully described in the act of the General Assembly that created and established the special purpose district, and in amendments to that act.

S.C. CODE ANN. §6-24-30. Power to enter into agreements with other governmental entities.

(A) In addition and supplemental to other powers granted to governmental entities of the State, a governmental entity may:

(1) jointly plan, finance, develop, acquire, purchase, construct, reconstruct, improve, enlarge, own, operate, and maintain an undivided interest as a tenant-in-common in a project situated inside or outside the State with one or more governmental entities in this State and make plans and enter into contracts in connection with the project consistent with the provisions of this chapter and necessary or appropriate;

(2) undertake the exercise of any administrative function or power jointly with one or more governmental entities in this State and make plans and enter into contracts in connection with that exercise consistent with the provisions of this chapter and necessary or appropriate;

(3) enter into, amend, and terminate agreements in the nature of forward supply agreements, agreements for the management of interest rate risks or risks posed by the fluctuation of the cost of gas supplies, agreements for the management of cash flow, and other similar agreements; and

(4) agree to share the costs of a like undertaking with another governmental entity as is appropriate.

(B) Each governmental entity agreeing to act jointly shall have the legal capacity, power, and authority, by charter, act, constitution, or other law, to so act on its own. This section does not grant any authorization other than as is specifically provided. Each governmental entity may make plans and enter into contracts severally in connection with the projects described consistent with the provisions of this chapter and necessary or appropriate.

South Carolina Constitution

Article VIII. Local Government

Section 13. Joint administration of functions and exercise of powers.

(A) Any county, incorporated municipality, or other political subdivision may agree with the State or

with any other political subdivision for the joint administration of any function and exercise of powers and the sharing of the costs thereof.

(B) Nothing in this Constitution may be construed to prohibit the State or any of its counties, incorporated municipalities, or other political subdivisions from agreeing to share the lawful cost, responsibility, and administration of functions with any one or more governments, whether within or without this State.