Section 55-17-2 - DefinitionsFor the purposes of this section:
(1) "Action" means a proceeding instituted against a governmental agency in a circuit court or in the supreme court of appeals, except actions instituted pursuant to statutory provisions that authorize a specific procedure for appeal or similar method of obtaining relief from the ruling of an administrative agency and actions instituted to appeal or otherwise seek relief from a criminal conviction, including, but not limited to, actions to obtain habeas corpus relief.(2) "Government agency" means a constitutional officer or other public official named as a defendant or respondent in his or her official capacity, or a department, division, bureau, board, commission or other agency or instrumentality within the executive branch of state government that has the capacity to sue or be sued;(3) "Judgment" means a judgment, order or decree of a court which would:(A) Require or otherwise mandate an expansion of, increase in, or addition to the services, duties or responsibilities of a government agency;(B) Require or otherwise mandate an increase in the expenditures of a government agency above the level of expenditures approved or authorized before the entry of the proposed judgment;(C) Require or otherwise mandate the employment or other hiring of, or the contracting with, personnel or other entities by a government agency in addition to the personnel or other entities employed or otherwise hired by, or contracted with or by the government agency;(D) Require or otherwise mandate payment of a claim based upon a breach of contract by a government agency; or(E) Declare an act of the Legislature unconstitutional and, therefore, unenforceable.