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A275, R319, H3905
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Loftis, H.A. Crawford, Brannon, Daning, Crosby, Munnerlyn, J.R. Smith, Burns, Dillard, V.S. Moss, Pope, Powers Norrell, Ridgeway, Rivers, Simrill, Toole, Wood, W.J. McLeod and Cobb-Hunter
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19960ab13.docx
Introduced in the House on April 9, 2013
Introduced in the Senate on April 15, 2014
Last Amended on June 4, 2014
Passed by the General Assembly on June 5, 2014
Governor's Action: June 9, 2014, Signed
Summary: Back to Basics in Education Act of 2013
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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4/9/2013 House Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 52)
4/9/2013 House Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
(House Journal-page 52)
3/19/2014 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.J.McLeod
4/1/2014 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cobb-Hunter
4/2/2014 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and
Public Works (House Journal-page 108)
4/10/2014 House Requests for debate-Rep(s). Anthony, KR Crawford,
Clyburn, Hayes, Vick, Merrill, Tallon, Gilliard,
Robinson-Simpson (House Journal-page 42)
4/10/2014 House Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Anthony, KR
Crawford, Tallon, Robinson-Simpson, Hayes, Clyburn,
Merrill (House Journal-page 105)
4/10/2014 House Amended (House Journal-page 105)
4/10/2014 House Read second time (House Journal-page 105)
4/10/2014 House Roll call Yeas-92 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 107)
4/10/2014 House Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative
day (House Journal-page 108)
4/11/2014 House Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 3)
4/15/2014 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 11)
4/15/2014 Senate Referred to Committee on Education
(Senate Journal-page 11)
5/29/2014 Senate Committee report: Majority favorable with amend.,
minority unfavorable Education (Senate Journal-page 43)
6/4/2014 Senate Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 27)
6/4/2014 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 27)
6/4/2014 Senate Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 27)
6/5/2014 Senate Read third time and returned to House with amendments
(Senate Journal-page 24)
6/5/2014 House Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
(House Journal-page 116)
6/5/2014 House Roll call Yeas-92 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 116)
6/9/2014 Ratified R 319
6/9/2014 Signed By Governor
6/13/2014 Effective date See Act for Effective Date
6/26/2014 Act No. 275
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
4/9/2013
4/2/2014
4/10/2014
5/29/2014
6/4/2014
(A275, R319, H3905)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "BACK TO BASICS IN EDUCATION ACT OF 2014" BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-15 SO AS TO REQUIRE CURSIVE WRITING AND MEMORIZATION OF MULTIPLICATION TABLES AS SUBJECTS OF INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO REQUIRE STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCE IN EACH SUBJECT BEFORE COMPLETION OF THE FIFTH GRADE, TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ASSIST THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IDENTIFYING THE MOST APPROPRIATE MEANS FOR INTEGRATING THIS REQUIREMENT INTO THEIR EXISTING CURRICULUMS AND RECOMMEND CURSIVE WRITING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR INCLUSION ON THE APPROVED STATE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION LIST, AND TO MAKE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Back to Basics Education Act of 2014
SECTION 1. This act must be known and may be cited as the "Back to Basics in Education Act of 2014".
Teaching cursive writing and multiplication tables required, Department of Education obligations
SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-29-15. (A) In addition to the requirements that writing and arithmetic be subjects of instruction in each school district pursuant to Section 59-29-10, each school district shall:
(1) provide instruction in cursive writing to ensure that students can create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade; and
(2) require students to memorize multiplication tables to ensure that students can effectively multiply numbers by the end of fifth grade.
(B) The State Department of Education shall assist the school districts in identifying the most appropriate means for integrating this requirement into their existing curriculums. Additionally, the department, using procedures followed for other textbook adoptions, shall review and recommend cursive writing instructional materials for inclusion on the approved state textbook adoption list. Schools may select these materials in the same manner that other textbooks are selected from the list."
Time effective
SECTION 3. The provisions of this section take effect upon approval by the Governor, and are applicable beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year.
Ratified the 9th day of June, 2014.
Approved the 9th day of June, 2014.
This web page was last updated on August 8, 2014 at 9:44 AM