(A) A copy of the joint ordinance creating the commission and of a joint ordinance amending or repealing the joint ordinance creating the commission must be filed with the director of the department. When the director receives substantially identical ordinances from all three of the counties in accordance with procedures agreed upon, he shall certify this fact and distribute, within ten days, a certified single ordinance text to the following:

(1) the Secretary of State of South Carolina;

(2) the clerk to the county council of each of the three counties;

(3) the clerk of court of each of the three counties; and

(4) a newspaper of general circulation in the three counties. Upon request, the director also shall send a certified single copy of an applicable joint ordinance to the chairman of the commission.

(B) Unless a joint ordinance specifies a later date, it takes effect when the director’s certified text is submitted to the Secretary of State for filing. Certifications of the director under the seal of the commission as to the text or amended text of a joint ordinance and of the date or dates of submission to the Secretary of State is admissible as evidence in any court. Certifications by a clerk of court of the text of a certified ordinance filed with him by the director is admissible as evidence and the director’s submission of the ordinance for filing to the clerk is prima facie evidence that the ordinance was also submitted for filing with the Secretary of State on the date of submission. Except for the certificate of a clerk as to receipt and date of submission, evidence may not be admitted in any court concerning the submission of the certified text of an ordinance by the director to a person other than the Secretary of State.