(a) In addition to other requirements imposed by law, each agency shall:

(1) Adopt and make available for public inspection a description of its organization, stating the general course and method of its operations and the methods whereby the public may obtain information or make submissions or requests;

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 1-23-140

  • Agency: means an authority, board, branch, commission, committee, department, division, or other instrumentality of the executive department of state government, including administrative bodies and bodies corporate and politic established as an instrumentality of the State. See South Carolina Code 1-6-10
  • Person: means :

    (a) an individual, labor union and organization, joint apprenticeship committee, partnership, association, corporation, legal representative, mutual company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, trustee, trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, or other legal or commercial entity located in part or in whole in the State or doing business in the State;

    (b) the State and any agency or local subdivision of an agency; or

    (c) a political subdivision. See South Carolina Code 1-6-10

(2) Adopt and make available for public inspection a written policy statement setting forth the nature and requirements of all formal and informal procedures available, including a description of all forms and instructions used by the agency;

(3) Make available for public inspection all final orders, decisions and opinions except as otherwise provided by law.

(b) No agency rule, order or decision is valid or effective against any person or party, nor may it be invoked by the agency for any purpose until it has been made available for public inspection as required by this article and Article 2. This provision is not applicable in favor of any person or party who has actual knowledge thereof.