Most information about PEBA and the programs and plans we administer, including our financial reports and benefits guides, is on this website. Below are some links to information that may be helpful to you.
Latest news
PEBA publishes a variety of information and updates regularly on our Latest news page.
Agency information
Information about our organization and operations is located on our Facts and figures page.
Programs and plans
Information about the benefits we administer is located in several places on this site. Please see a few of the links below:
- Health insurance
- Dental benefits
- Vision benefits
- Other benefits
- South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS)
- Police Officers Retirement System (PORS)
- State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP)
- Other retirement plans
- Publications
Media inquiries
While we have made every effort to provide information about our agency, benefits and operations, we know members of the media may have questions and need to reach out to us for assistance or a response.
You may email your request for assistance and/or information to our Communications Department or you may reach out to our Customer Service Center at 803.737.6800 and ask that your inquiry be forwarded to the Communications Department. A member of our Communications team will respond to your request as quickly as possible.
Public records requests
PEBA is subject to the provisions of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which require state agencies like PEBA to provide certain public records and information upon written request.
We are committed to transparency and make every effort to provide information as requested; however, specific data relative to the members of the programs and plans PEBA administers is exempt from disclosure through FOIA as provided within both the FOIA statute and the retirement systems statute protecting the confidentiality of member information. Please review the following exemptions prior to submitting your request.
Exemption within FOIA statute
Certain personal information is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Section 30-4-40(a)(2) of the South Carolina Code of Laws provides an exemption for “[i]nformation of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute unreasonable invasion of personal privacy.” Further, with regard to information as to state employees’ enrollment in any of PEBA’s health plans, enrollment information qualifies as Protected Health Information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Accordingly, it is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act as a matter “specifically exempted from disclosure by statute or law.”
S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40(a)(4) (2016)
Exemption within retirement systems statute
“All records of all active, retired, and inactive members maintained by the South Carolina Retirement Systems are classified as confidential records. These records are exempt from the disclosure requirements of Chapter 4 of Title 30, and shall not be disclosed to third parties, except where authorized by the member or where requested by state and federal authorities, and then only at the sole discretion of the director of the South Carolina Retirement Systems.”
S.C. Code Ann. § 9-1-320 (2016)
Prohibition from using personal information obtained from public body
Section 30-2-50 of the Code of Laws of the state of South Carolina provides that no person or private entity shall knowingly obtain or use any personal information obtained from a public body for any commercial solicitation directed to a person in this state. The South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority, as a public entity, gives notice to you, as a requestor of records from this agency, that obtaining or using these public records for commercial solicitation is prohibited. Any person who knowingly uses public records for commercial solicitation is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars or imprisoned for a term not to exceed one year, or both. Please see S.C. Code of Laws Section 30-2-10, et. seq. for full text of Family Privacy Protection Act.
Submit your FOIA request
You may submit a request for information through FOIA by email to our Communications Department or by mail to:
S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority
Attn: Communications Department – FOIA Request
202 Arbor Lake Drive
Columbia, SC 29223
Charges for FOIA requests
- PEBA answers FOIA requests without charge when the request will benefit the public interest and requires minimal and/or a reasonable amount of employee time and photocopying expense.
- For requests which require substantial employee time for searching and/or photocopying, etc., a reasonable charge may be assessed on the person or organization requesting the information. FOIA requests which involve computer programs/runs will also be assessed a reasonable charge.
- Below are PEBA’s guidelines for determining what is reasonable:
- Photocopying: If the FOIA request requires copying approximately 50 pages or more at one time or a similar amount over several days, the charge would be calculated at 5 cents per page;
- Employee/administrative time: If the FOIA request requires approximately one hour or more of staff time, the charge would be based on the hourly wage of the employee(s) responding to the request. The staff member assigned to the FOIA request will be the lowest paid employee who, at the reasonable discretion of the custodian of the records, has the necessary skills and training to perform the request.
- Postage or fax: If the FOIA request requires postage or a fax expense of approximately $2.00 or more, the charge would be the actual cost associated with the process.
- Computer time: If the FOIA request requires development of a computer program or running an established program, the charge would be based on costs associated with the process.
- Charges may be assessed for photocopying and employee/administrative time if considerable staff time and any amount of photocopying is required to process the FOIA response.
- Charges generally will not be levied for making records accessible for review unless it is determined that considerable time by knowledgeable staff will be required for reviewing documents with the requester.
- Any individual making a FOIA request which will result in a charge shall be notified in advance of the approximate cost for providing that information; notification and acceptance of those charges must be in writing (paper or email).
- Payment in part or in full for a FOIA request may be required by PEBA prior to the release of any records. If the cost of responding to the request is estimated to be $200 or more, then a minimum deposit amounting to at least 25% of the estimated cost will be required. Requests for payment in advance shall be in writing.
- Payment for FOIA requests should be made payable to PEBA. Checks/money orders should be forwarded to PEBA’s communications director, who will ensure that payment is delivered to PEBA’s accounts payable staff with notation as to which account into which the payment should be deposited. Payment will be deposited and credited to the operational or administrative area that provided the response to the FOIA request. Constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly, and other state agencies will not be charged for information or records released under the FOIA.
- Charges may be waived or levied at the discretion of PEBA’s executive director and/or chief operating officer.