South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 56 - Setoff Debt Collection Act
Section 12-56-20. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:
(1) "Claimant agency" means a state agency, board, committee, commission, public institution of higher learning, political subdivision, or other governmental or quasi-governmental entity of any state or the United States. It includes the South Carolina Student Loan Corporation, housing authorities established pursuant to Articles 5, 7, and 9 of Chapter 3, Title 31 and the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Department of Education. It also includes a private institution of higher learning for the purpose of collecting debts related to default on authorized educational loans made pursuant to Chapter 111, 113, or 115, Title 59. "Political subdivision" includes the Municipal Association of South Carolina and the South Carolina Association of Counties when these organizations submit claims on behalf of a county or local governmental or quasi-governmental entity. A political subdivision who submits a claim through an association is a claimant agency for the purpose of the notice and appeal provisions and other requirements of this chapter.
(2) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
(3) "Debtor" means a person having a delinquent debt or account with a claimant agency which has not been adjusted, satisfied, or set aside by court order, or discharged in bankruptcy.
(4) "Delinquent debt" means a sum due and owing a claimant agency, including collection costs, court costs, fines, penalties, and interest which have accrued through contract, subrogation, tort, operation of law, or other legal theory regardless of whether there is an outstanding judgment for that sum which is legally collectible and for which a collection effort has been or is being made. It does not include sums owed to county hospitals when the hospital and the debtor have entered into a written payment agreement and the debtor is current in meeting the obligations of the agreement. "Delinquent debt" also includes any fine, penalty, cost, fee, assessment, surcharge, service charge, restitution, or other amount imposed by a court or as a direct consequence of a final court order which is received by or payable to the clerk of the appropriate court or treasurer of the entity where the court is located.
(5) "Refund" means any individual or corporate South Carolina income tax refund payable. This term also includes a refund belonging to a debtor resulting from the filing of a joint income tax return.
HISTORY: 1995 Act No. 76, Section 5; 1996 Act No. 347, Section 1; 1996 Act No. 395, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 419, Part II, Section 55A; 1999 Act No. 114; 1999 Act No. 114, Section 4Q; 1999 Act No. 114, Section 4R; 2001 Act No. 89, Section 60A, eff July 20, 2001; 2002 Act No. 334, Section 9, eff June 24, 2002; 2003 Act No. 69, Section 3.KK.2, eff June 18, 2003.

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