TO AMEND SECTION 1-11-141 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO INSURANCE ON STATE-OWNED VEHICLES BY AGENCIES, TO PROVIDE THAT STATE EMPLOYEES MAY REQUEST A LIMITED AMOUNT OF UNDERINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING BENEFITS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT WHILE THE EMPLOYEE IS DRIVING OR OCCUPYING A STATE-OWNED VEHICLE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 1-11-141 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "Section 1-11-141.    (A)    Agencies shall insure state-owned vehicles through the State Fiscal Accountability Authority or shall absorb the cost of accident repairs within the agency budget.

    (B)    State employees may request to purchase up to one hundred thousand dollars of underinsured motorist coverage from the Insurance Reserve Fund. The term of the policy must be no less than six months and no longer than one year. This coverage must be offered in five thousand dollar increments and may not be stacked with any other coverages or offset. It may pay benefits only if a state employee is in an accident while driving a state-owned vehicle or is an occupant of a state-owned vehicle.

    (C)    State employees who, while driving state-owned vehicles on official business, are involved in accidents resulting in damages to the vehicles may not be held liable to the State for the cost of repairs, except in the following cases:

        (1)    If the operator was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at the time of the accident and the Accident Review Board determines that the operator's impaired condition substantially was the cause of the accident, the operator may be assessed up to the full cost of repairs; and

        (2)    In all other cases, the employee operator may be assessed for an amount not to exceed two hundred dollars for each occurrence if he is found to be at fault in the accident after a review of records conducted by a duly appointed Accident Review Board.

    (C)(D)    Employees subjected to these assessments may appeal the assessment to the following bodies, in the following order:

        (1)    Agency Accident Review Board;

        (2)    Agency Executive Director or governing board or commission;

        (3)    State Motor Vehicle Management Council; and

        (4)    State Fiscal Accountability Authority."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.