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South Carolina Human Affairs Commission
The South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (the Commission) is an executive agency in South Carolina that addresses claims of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and public services. The Commission has the authority to investigate, mediate, and adjudicate claims arising from a variety of anti-discrimination state laws. It also publishes data, provides compliance training, and engages in community outreach. Its mission statement is to "prevent and eliminate unlawful discrimination."

The Commission is a small agency with 47 full-time employees. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have work-sharing agreements with the Commission, allowing the Commission to handle claims that originate in South Carolina and filed under comparable federal laws, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Housing Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

History
The Commission was created by statute in 1972 to enforce the South Carolina Human Affairs Law, which prohibited racial and other forms of discrimination in employment decisions and in access to and enjoyment of public accommodations. Since then the Commission's scope has been expanded to include the South Carolina Fair Housing Law and the South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act and Lactation Support Act.

Authority
The Commission receives its authority from enabling acts passed by the South Carolina General Assembly. These are the South Carolina Human Affairs Law and the South Carolina Fair Housing Act. It receives supplemental authority from its own regulations and other statutes, like the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act.

In general, the Commission has the necessary authority to handle a claim of discrimination from its initial filing to a final disposition.