Secretary of State outlines online services expansion, requests staff and retained-fines increase for charities oversight

Secretary of State Mark Hamid told the Senate Finance Committee constitutional subcommittee that his office plans to expand online services for notaries and trademark filings, is pressing charities toward compliance, and is seeking additional authorization from other funds to retain staff and support technology projects.

The Secretary said the office is not asking for increased General Fund recurring appropriations but requested an increase in authority to retain fines and additional other-funds authorization to support personnel and technology in the charities division and for the upcoming online trademark application service.

Why it matters: The Secretary of State’s office handles business filings, notary commissions and charity registration—services used by businesses, non‑profits and donors across South Carolina. Changes in retained-fines authority, staffing and digital services affect how quickly the office can process filings and enforce charity laws.

Key details: Mark Hamid said the office returned $13,400,000 to the state general fund last year and reported total filings of 609,888 across corporate, UCC, notary and other filings. The office added an attorney last year and aims to file about 30 enforcement cases in the Administrative Law Court next year to address charities that failed to come into compliance.

Hamid described the GiveSmartSC app (GiveSmartSC) as a public-facing tool that, according to his office, has been downloaded more than 16,300 times and allowed more than 150 confidential complaints to be filed to the Secretary of State’s database. He said the office currently lists 17,648 charities, of which 15,295 are non‑exempt and 2,353 are exempt.

On fines and funding, Hamid said the office collected $1,010,461 in fines last year and that the office currently retains the first $200,000 of those fines; he proposed increasing that retention provision by $150,000 to allow the office to keep $350,000 to support charities oversight. He also asked for roughly $150,000 in additional other‑funds authorization (with about $120,000 directed to retaining employees) and requested funding to continue technology projects including the online trademark application (expected to launch in the second quarter).

Notary services: The department has expanded online notary services (name/address changes, duplicate commissions, on‑line payments). Hamid noted that as of Feb. 23 the office recorded 3,081 online payments and reported several thousand notary-related online filings.

The committee asked how the charity enforcement process would proceed; Hamid said repeatedly noncompliant charities on the suspended list would be “ruled into” the Administrative Law Court and that initial orders often require payment of fines or orders to come into compliance. If organizations do not comply with court orders, they may be held in contempt.

Ending: Hamid asked for committee support for increased other-funds authorization, a new charities position funded from retained revenues, continued technology funding for the online trademark service and an increase in retained-fines authority. Committee members expressed appreciation for the office’s ease of use and its help to constituents; no appropriation action occurred at the hearing.