---
type: "Bill"
title: "Duty to defend and indemnify"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 1-11-445 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA MUST PROVIDE A LEGAL DEFENSE FOR AND INDEMNIFICATION TO A STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, OR INSTRUMENTALITY AGAINST A CLAIM OR SUIT THAT ARISES OUT OF OR BY VIRTUE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES ON BEHALF OF A STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, OR INSTRUMENTALITY, AND TO PROVIDE A SIMILAR DEFENSE AND INDEMNIFICATION TO BOARD MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES, AND OFFICERS OF THE ENTITY; TO REPEAL SECTION 1-11-440 RELATING TO LEGAL DEFENSES AND INDEMNIFICATIONS PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OF THE FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AUTHORITY AND ITS DIRECTOR; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 12-4-325 RELATING TO LEGAL DEFENSES AND INDEMNIFICATION PROVIDED TO OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "H 4048"
citation: "South Carolina H 4048 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["G.M. Smith"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 23
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-03-09"
last_action: "2022-05-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7e1c1dcb-2942-43f0-a1e7-e173d3db3c7a"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4048&session=124&summary=B"
source_hash: "655215811a671594ed905a78c6e5f50472009fb7fb186abeb311a348b09eaf75"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 4048 (2021-2022) — Duty to defend and indemnify

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 1-11-445 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA MUST PROVIDE A LEGAL DEFENSE FOR AND INDEMNIFICATION TO A STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, OR INSTRUMENTALITY AGAINST A CLAIM OR SUIT THAT ARISES OUT OF OR BY VIRTUE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES ON BEHALF OF A STATE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT, OR INSTRUMENTALITY, AND TO PROVIDE A SIMILAR DEFENSE AND INDEMNIFICATION TO BOARD MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES, AND OFFICERS OF THE ENTITY; TO REPEAL SECTION 1-11-440 RELATING TO LEGAL DEFENSES AND INDEMNIFICATIONS PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OF THE FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AUTHORITY AND ITS DIRECTOR; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 12-4-325 RELATING TO LEGAL DEFENSES AND INDEMNIFICATION PROVIDED TO OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/4048.htm)
2. **3/31/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220331.htm)
3. **3/9/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20210309.htm)
4. **4/1/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220401.htm)
5. **4/6/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220406.htm)
6. **5/10/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220510.htm)
7. **5/4/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220504.htm)
8. **5/5/2022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/4048_20220505.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **107–2** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **102–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **44–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- G.M. Smith — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-09** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-03-09** Referred to Committee on Ways and Means `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-31** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Ways and Means `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-04-01** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-04-06** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2022-04-06** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-04-06** Roll call Yeas-107 Nays-2
- **2022-04-07** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-04-07** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-04-07** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2022-04-25** Referred to Subcommittee: Talley (ch), Hutto, Matthews, Climer, Senn, Cash, Harpootlian
- **2022-05-04** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-05** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2022-05-10** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2022-05-10** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2022-05-10** Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0
- **2022-05-11** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2022-05-12** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2022-05-12** Roll call Yeas-102 Nays-0
- **2022-05-12** Ratified R 210
- **2022-05-13** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-05-31** Effective date 05/13/22
- **2022-05-31** Act No. 161

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7e1c1dcb-2942-43f0-a1e7-e173d3db3c7a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).