S.C. Code Ann. § 12-10-85 – Purpose and use of State Rural Infrastructure Fund; grants

(A) Funds received by the department for the State Rural Infrastructure Fund must be deposited in the State Rural Infrastructure Fund of the Council. The fund must be administered by the council for the purpose of providing financial assistance to local governments for infrastructure and other economic development activities including, but not limited to:
1. (1) training costs and facilities;
2. (2) improvements to regionally planned public and private water and sewer systems;
3. (3) improvements to both public and private electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications systems including, but not limited to, an electric cooperative, electrical utility, or electric supplier described in Chapter 27 of Title 58; or
4. (4) fixed transportation facilities including highway, rail, water, and air.
(B) Rural Infrastructure Fund grants must be available to benefit counties designated as "least developed" or "underdeveloped" as defined in Section 12-6-3360 according to guidelines established by the council, except that up to twenty-five percent of the funds annually available in excess of five million dollars must be set aside for grants to areas of "moderately developed" and "developed" counties. A governing body of a "moderately developed" or "developed" county must apply to the council for these set-aside grants stating the reasons that certain areas of the county qualify for these grants because the conditions in that area of the county are comparable to those conditions qualifying a county as "least developed" or "underdeveloped".
(C) For the purposes of this section, "local government" means a county, or group of counties, organized pursuant to Section 4-9-20( a), (b), (c), or (d).
(D) The council shall submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly by March fifteenth covering activities for the prior calendar year.