It is the policy of the State that a governmental body should not accept or solicit a gift, directly or indirectly, from a donor if the governmental body has reason to believe the donor has or is seeking to obtain contractual or other business or financial relationships with the governmental body.
Prior to accepting a gift, care should be taken to determine whether acceptance of the gift will provide the donor, directly or indirectly, an undue competitive advantage in subsequent procurements.
For purposes of this Regulation 19-445.2165, the term "donor" means the business donating the gift and all divisions or other organizational elements of the business and any principals and affiliates of the business. For purposes of this Regulation, business concerns, organizations, or individuals are affiliates of each other if, directly or indirectly, either one controls or has the power to control the other, or a third party controls or has the power to control both. Indications of control include, but are not limited to, interlocking management or ownership, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, common use of employees, or a business entity organized subsequent to the gift which has the same or similar management, ownership, or principal employees as the business that made the gift. For purposes of this section, the term 'principals' means officers, directors, owners, partners, and persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity including, but not limited to, a general manager, plant manager, head of a subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions.
S.C. Code Regs. § 19-445.2165