(A) For promulgated regulations, the committee may file a written petition with the agency that has promulgated the regulations opposing all or part of a regulation that has a significant adverse impact on small business.

(B) Within sixty days after the receipt of the petition, the agency shall determine whether the impact statement or the public hearing addressed the actual and significant impact on small business or if conditions justifying the regulation have changed. The agency shall submit a written response of its determination to the committee within sixty days after receipt of the petition. If the agency determines that the petition merits the amendment, revision, or revocation of a regulation, the agency may initiate proceedings in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act.

(C) If the agency determines that the petition does not merit the amendment or repeal of a regulation, the committee promptly shall convene a meeting for the purpose of determining whether to recommend that the agency initiate proceedings to amend or repeal the regulation in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. The review must be based upon the actual record presented to the agency. The committee shall base its recommendation on any of the following reasons:

(1) the actual impact on small business was not reflected in, or significantly exceeded, the economic impact statement formulated by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, pursuant to Section 1-23-280(A)(2);

(2) the actual impact was not previously considered by the agency in its economic impact statement formulated pursuant to Section 1-23-270(C) or its regulatory flexibility analysis formulated pursuant to Section 1-23-280(A)(2); or

(3) the technology, economic conditions, or other relevant factors justifying the purpose for the regulations have changed or no longer exist.

(D) If the committee recommends that an agency initiate regulation proceedings for a reason provided in subsection (C), then the committee shall submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate an evaluation report and the agency's response as provided in Section 1-23-290(B). The General Assembly may take later action in response to the evaluation report and the agency's response as the General Assembly finds appropriate.

(E)(1) Notwithstanding another provision of law, an agency authorized to assess administrative penalties or administrative fines upon a business may waive or reduce an administrative penalty or administrative fine for a violation of a regulation by a small business if the:

(a) small business corrects the violation within thirty days or less after receipt of a notice of violation or citation; or

(b) violation was the result of an excusable misunderstanding of the agency's interpretation of a regulation.

(2) Item (1) does not apply if:

(a) a small business has been notified previously of the violation of a regulation by the agency pursuant to Section 1-23-290(E)(1) and has been given an opportunity to correct the violation on a previous occasion;

(b) a small business fails to exercise good faith in complying with the regulation;

(c) a violation involves wilful or criminal conduct;

(d) a violation results in imminent or adverse health, safety, or environmental impact; or

(e) the penalty or fine is assessed pursuant to a federal law or regulation, for which a waiver or reduction is not authorized by the federal law or regulation.

HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 231, Section 2, eff January 1, 2005; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 9, eff January 31, 2019.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to the offices of the former State Budget and Control Board, Office of the Governor, or other agencies, were changed to reflect the transfer of them to the Department of Administration or other entities, pursuant to the directive of the South Carolina Restructuring Act, 2014 Act No. 121, Section 5(D)(1).

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 1, Section 9, in (D), in the first sentence, substituted "President of the Senate" for "President Pro Tempore of the Senate", and made a nonsubstantive change.