SCDOT rule requires 1-year wait for employees hired by firms

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Department of Transportation’s acting secretary says a new rule aims to end the perception that contractors who hire former DOT employees receive an advantage in winning contracts.

Christy Hall told a House oversight panel Tuesday the policy bars employees who leave the agency from working on new road construction projects for 365 days. Hall says the agency canceled advertisements Monday to revise and reissue the bid solicitations.

The new policy is aimed at clarifying existing state ethics law.

Hall says it’s a response to a legislative proposal and the resulting departure of high-level staff. The failed budget clause would have barred companies that hire a DOT engineer from winning a contract for one year.

The panel’s chairwoman, Rep. Phyllis Henderson, called the rule a step in the right direction.