[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6308642,"mediaKeyId","2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41","parentId",2420786,"title","State Accident Fund to cut budget by $1.46 million after claims system implementation; administered two first‑responder death benefits","audioSeconds",491,"startMs",669000,"endMs",1160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41&start=669&end=1160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41/thumbnail_669000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308642/South-Carolina/State-Accident-Fund-to-cut-budget-by-146-million-after-claims-system-implementation-administered-two-firstresponder-death-benefits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308642-61abc9c530d2eaab69788eadf3bae5f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773333646&Signature=lc0ldEaAsxy38fKxN8TRUXooISccsEDaV~vQ8uAydLNFGI88vFCqTKvOhNL7aFktEki5RRPE76Xqz4J-Mws~y4cwhbhnq9ETlwPk9zevfJPTsnyOMavFfWBVXaMmovjwdFv9kacBRKbW6GU11Rwfh5XbuQDyLgW8SdBwJQ8~YR8CC5Ljyp-MvdBwzR-YbUTEuGoNwIm0ghRQgJ~dcc6oNErGxFmDb8sBTDvqQh-0SPX8-vEAqKbOoUKI-E46I6T04xtZiPsbVA9FWbuy7~RAgZJT18c1K8ud6P-TScRGxuLlupZsMLwTWzftspwtQbpUKMMd4c7KAx9ymFwDLt8PTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Carolina Legislature","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","The State Accident Fund told the Senate Finance subcommittee it will reduce its budget authorization for fiscal 2025–26 by $1,462,839 as the agency finishes implementing a new claims and billing system.

Erin Farthing, director of the State Accident Fund, said the fund provides workers’ compensation coverage for state agencies and optional coverage for other governmental entities. She said the State Accident Fund and the uninsured employers fund are entirely other‑funded: the State Accident Fund by premiums from policyholders and the uninsured employers fund by transfers from the Department of Insurance and the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Farthing said the agency does not have carryforward authority for unexpended appropriations; unspent appropriated funds revert to their respective funds at year‑end and do not increase next‑year authorization. She said the budget reduction reflects the tail end of a multi‑year claims management implementation: the agency had increased authorization in prior years to pay for the project and now expects administrative spending to return to normal levels.

Farthing also provided an update on a newly created statutory first‑responder death benefit. The fund was asked to administer claims for people not covered by PEBA retirement plans or other policies and has processed two claims after the agency established procedures and coordinated with the attorney general’s office and the treasurer. Farthing said the benefit is statutorily mandated and typically is either $75,000 or $150,000 depending on circumstances; she said the agency worked with PEBA and other offices to process payments quickly.

Senator Garrett thanked the agency for rapid processing and noted the families’ need for assistance; the committee recorded no formal action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Finance Committee -- Finance Transportation and Regulatory Subcommittee Budget Hearing 02/26/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The State Accident Fund told the subcommittee it will reduce its authorization by $1,462,839 as a large claims management implementation winds down and described processing of two statutorily mandated first‑responder death‑benefit claims for volunteer firefighters.","taxTitle","Finance, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",17657,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308647,"Workers’ Compensation Commission to release $4 million from IT appropriation, keeps overall budget steady",358,305000,663000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41&start=305&end=663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41/thumbnail_305000.jpg","/articles/6308647/South-Carolina/Workers-Compensation-Commission-to-release-4-million-from-IT-appropriation-keeps-overall-budget-steady","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308647-289cc83903160acd54c06ffb243fa91c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773333646&Signature=W-ua5OjuISi0udEHMDzu~KvZ7BOGVXivnN9jZVIWQzQpBSHgRLVJLQ50PC3FWcHFfaGPTTzNrGCcHE9OQUkltP9S3jm-RgMjkGd3Gt4FXPzO9cutKVbutJoouyytHOt~m70Du~NEnweslxFwYJ6JGmRsR2FoZl6~Oq3hgjnxnUJwCcKiOLEfru7YNm3HM00i3O1yAGwaMUA9YAQYdAp6GnjU68CoUTJ6iaK2qtJNAHTDnVb4CpeGeAtLW6XIpxMR2Lzyfxm4h3eDQBKNkgNhSS18UOLY37jBdpjdsDvw5Eva9XmL5DPeHUSYMGMF7axaoRAeuXofkPJvppBjD5hX6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Workers’ Compensation Commission told the Senate Finance subcommittee it is not seeking additional general‑fund allocation for the coming fiscal year and is prepared to release roughly $4 million of previously allocated funds that were set aside for a major IT modernization project.

Chairman Beck, speaking for the commission, said the commission plans no increase in allocation for either the general fund or earmarked spending and cited a current general fund appropriation of $6,200,000 with an authorization to spend $5,600,000 for a total budget of $11.8 million. The agency said it moved funds last year after eliminating a self‑insurance proviso and that it is transferring full‑time equivalents between funds for accounting purposes.

Beck reviewed the commission’s IT effort, noting that the General Assembly previously allocated $1,697,000 in fiscal 2021–22 and $5,000,000 in 2022–23 for a new case‑management system. When the RFP was issued the commission received one vendor response that quoted about $15 million and was not responsive, Beck said. Subsequent upgrades by the incumbent vendor and internal work reduced the need for a full rebuild, and the commission has spent about $500,000 to date on the updated approach.

Beck said staff estimated the remaining balance of approximately $6.1 million would require about $2.1 million to finish internal routing, docketing and scheduling work. “We are comfortable releasing $4,000,000 of that money back to the legislature to allocate to more needy causes,” Beck told the committee.

The commission said it has improved external services — e‑filing, e‑pay, e‑view and e‑print — and is seeing significant uptake by claimants. It also said it is investigating why defense firms are not using the upgraded external portal as much as claimants.

No formal vote was taken; the commission’s update was accepted as informational.","The Workers’ Compensation Commission told senators it will not seek an increase in appropriation, plans to transfer FTEs between funds for accounting, and is prepared to return roughly $4 million of earlier IT allocations after completing required external upgrades.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308650,"Board of Financial Institutions seeks funds for employee pay, IT and examiner travel",226,65000,291000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41&start=65&end=291","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2420786-fc77656356230e08f804cce3dbe6fa41/thumbnail_65000.jpg","/articles/6308650/South-Carolina/Board-of-Financial-Institutions-seeks-funds-for-employee-pay-IT-and-examiner-travel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308650-2d40bc170ea801d8f5eeb550ddaf016a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773333646&Signature=SAh~XntaPWsXQN7naBCS-PAIKDI2day7PVbMaNpZ2IQHTptFhkGTmCdPbadw1ss6CI0txrkEbJ5lebBhIjQYjqP-0UWCmMnAZPvPjrUio5uHryLOpwbHr2KWKwYVjyjhFvQ6hHvqrokgEfFZ3bg0i4G2IFdEpGkibH1tnGDXh-MHdoWICSVfZTDJo8m~lkwVLxd00j46hPb5648J1DY0FtE2b9gXa9sHDIIK4uHYRCZA6MDM4QzEJFdUYwjyM6b5UMfiKO3lZVweoRlwNKLhpbJw1xCSPw7c01mr~oPfAdSqprgy6J5lZwF6x7i4DoVmPDeNlUsYJNCC7-tOKjwnBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Financial Institutions asked the Senate Finance subcommittee on transportation and regulatory matters for authority to spend additional other funds to cover employee pay and operating costs, commissioners told the panel on an afternoon in October.

Ron Bodvick, commissioner of the Consumer Finance Division of the Board of Financial Institutions, said the board’s mission is to “protect the citizens of South Carolina, strengthen consumer confidence, assure reliable access to financial services, and encourage economic growth.” He told the subcommittee the Consumer Finance Division regulates non‑depository mortgage lenders and servicers, supervised consumer finance companies, deferred presentment service companies and check‑cashing companies and is funded solely from fees charged to the entities it regulates.

Bodvick said the Consumer Finance Division requested a $144,000 increase in personal services to fund a 2.25% pay increase granted to state employees on July 1 and the associated employer contributions. “That is all I have for today,” Bodvick said, concluding his remarks and asking whether the committee had questions.

Cathy Bickham, commissioner of banking, represented the agency’s banking division and described the state‑chartered institutions her office supervises as holding more than $55 billion in assets. Bickham said her division requested $235,000 in additional personal services and employer contributions (broken down as $152,000 for personal services and $83,000 for employer contributions) and $27,900 for contractual services, primarily IT, and added that examiner travel has risen because staff examine banks statewide.

Both commissioners emphasized that the board operates as an other‑funds agency and that the requested increases do not seek general‑fund dollars but rather authority to spend the fees the agencies collect. The committee asked a brief procedural question about the pay increase and accepted the presentations without further action.

No votes or formal committee actions were recorded on the board’s requests during the hearing.

The subcommittee’s next meeting was announced for the following Wednesday, when the Department of Motor Vehicles, the infrastructure bank and the aeronautics commission will appear.","The Board of Financial Institutions told the Senate Finance subcommittee it needs additional other‑funds authority to cover a July pay increase and higher travel and IT costs for bank examiners, and described the agencies it regulates as holding about $55 billion in assets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State Accident Fund to cut budget by $1.46 million after claims system implementation; administered two first‑responder death benefits

Workers’ Compensation Commission to release $4 million from IT appropriation, keeps overall budget steady

Board of Financial Institutions seeks funds for employee pay, IT and examiner travel