(A) The Director of Insurance shall appoint an advisory committee to the director to study issues associated with the development of strategies for reducing loss of life and to address the mitigation of property losses due to hurricane, earthquake, flood, and fire. The advisory committee also shall consider the associated costs to individual property owners. The advisory committee is composed of:

(1) the director or his designee;

(2) the Chairman of the Building Codes Council or his designee;

(3) a representative from Clemson University involved with wind engineering;

(4) a representative from an academic institution involved with the study of earthquakes;

(5) a representative from an insurer writing property insurance in South Carolina;

(6) a representative from the Department of Commerce;

(7) a representative from the South Carolina's Municipal Association;

(8) a representative from the South Carolina Association of Counties;

(9) a representative from the Homebuilders Association;

(10) a representative from the Manufactured Housing Institute of South Carolina;

(11) a representative from the State Fire Marshal's office;

(12) a representative from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division;

(13) a representative from the State Flood Mitigation Program;

(14) two at-large members appointed by the director;

(15) two at-large members appointed by the Governor;

(16) a general contractor;

(17) a representative from the South Carolina Association of Realtors; and

(18) a structural engineer.

(B) Members shall serve for terms of two years and shall receive no per diem, mileage, or subsistence. Vacancies must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(C) Within thirty days after its appointment, the advisory committee shall meet at the call of the Director of Insurance. The advisory committee shall elect from its members a chairman and a secretary and shall adopt rules not inconsistent with this chapter. Meetings may be called by the chairman on his own initiative and must be called at the request of three or more members of the advisory committee. All members must be notified by the chairman of the time and place of the meeting at least seven days in advance of the meeting. All meetings must be open to the public. At least two-thirds vote of those members in attendance at the meeting shall constitute an official decision of the advisory committee. Implementation of this program and continued existence of this program is subject to the availability of funding through legislative appropriations or alternative funding sources.

HISTORY: 1997 Act No. 123, Section 5; 2000 Act No. 312, Section 20; 2002 Act No. 190, Section 6, eff March 12, 2002; 2007 Act No. 78, Section 11, eff June 11, 2007, applicable to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2006; 2017 Act No. 28 (S.315), Section 1, eff May 10, 2017.

Effect of Amendment

2017 Act No. 28, Section 1, in (A), deleted "and the South Carolina Building Codes Council" following "to the director", substituted "to address the mitigation of" for "mitigating", inserted "flood," after "earthquake,", and substituted "associated costs" for "costs associated with these strategies".