H*4443 Session 111 (1995-1996)
H*4443(Rat #0517, Act #0447 of 1996) General Bill, By D.A. Wright, Allison,
Cooper, M.F. Jaskwhich, Kelley, Littlejohn, Richardson and Townsend
Similar(S 1031)
A Bill to amend Title 59, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to
education, by adding Chapter 40 so as to enact the "South Carolina Charter
Schools Act of 1996" which provides for the manner in which a charter school
shall be formed, funded, regulated, and governed.-amended title
01/16/96 House Introduced and read first time HJ-6
01/16/96 House Referred to Committee on Education and Public
Works HJ-6
04/03/96 House Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Education and Public Works HJ-3
04/10/96 House Objection by Rep. Richardson, Scott, Cobb-Hunter,
Kennedy, Kelley, Wright, Lloyd, Shissias, Cotty,
Keyserling, Knotts, Howard, Neal,
Moody-Lawrence, Williams, Cave, Wells, Allison,
Walker, R. Smith & Keegan HJ-24
04/24/96 House Amended HJ-453
04/24/96 House Read second time HJ-472
04/24/96 House Roll call Yeas-72 Nays-29 HJ-472
04/25/96 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-89
04/29/96 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-12
04/29/96 Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-12
05/09/96 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Education SJ-45
05/14/96 Senate Amended SJ-76
05/14/96 Senate Read second time SJ-76
05/14/96 Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
amendments SJ-76
05/29/96 Senate Amended SJ-132
05/29/96 Senate Debate interrupted SJ-132
05/30/96 Senate Amended SJ-14
05/30/96 Senate Read third time and returned to House with
amendments SJ-14
06/12/96 House Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-43
06/13/96 Ratified R 517
06/18/96 Signed By Governor
06/18/96 Effective date 07/01/96
07/09/96 Copies available
07/09/96 Act No. 447
(R517, H4443)
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 59, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO EDUCATION, BY ADDING
CHAPTER 40 SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT OF 1996" WHICH PROVIDES FOR
THE MANNER IN WHICH A CHARTER SCHOOL SHALL BE
FORMED, FUNDED, REGULATED, AND GOVERNED.
Whereas, the General Assembly desires to provide an opportunity for the
organization and operation of flexible, innovative, and substantially
deregulated public schools as part of its effort to reform and improve the
state's educational system; and
Whereas, it is believed that charter schools are a way to provide flexible,
innovative, and substantially deregulated public schools with full
accountability for student achievement; and
Whereas, the General Assembly will not allow greater flexibility and
deregulation to result in segregation of students by race, gender, ethnic
background, income, disability, or religious belief, whether in public
charter schools or in public noncharter schools; and
Whereas, the General Assembly desires to foster cooperation among
parents, teachers, local school districts, and charter schools. Now,
therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
Findings
SECTION 1. The General Assembly hereby makes the following
findings and declarations:
(1) it desires to provide all children with schools that reflect high
expectations and to create conditions in all schools where these
expectations can be met;
(2) the strengthening of the performance of elementary and secondary
public school pupils can be achieved by education decisions made by
those who know the students best and who are responsible for
implementing the decisions;
(3) parents and educators have a right and a responsibility to
participate in the education institutions which serve them; and
(4) different pupils learn differently and public school programs
should be designed to fit the needs of individual pupils, and there are
educators, citizens, and parents in South Carolina who are willing and
able to offer innovative programs, educational techniques, and
environments.
South Carolina Charter Schools Act of 1996
SECTION 2. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"CHAPTER 40
Charter Schools
Section 59-40-10. This chapter is known and may be cited as the
`South Carolina Charter Schools Act of 1996'.
Section 59-40-20. This chapter is enacted to:
(1) improve student learning;
(2) increase learning opportunities for students;
(3) encourage the use of a variety of productive teaching
methods;
(4) establish new forms of accountability for schools;
(5) create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the
opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site;
and
(6) assist South Carolina in reaching academic excellence.
Section 59-40-30. In authorizing charter schools, it is the intent of the
General Assembly to create a legitimate avenue for parents, teachers, and
community members to take responsible risks and create new, innovative,
and more flexible ways of educating all children within the public school
system. The General Assembly seeks to create an atmosphere in South
Carolina's public school systems where research and development in
producing different learning opportunities is actively pursued, and where
classroom teachers are given the flexibility to innovate and the
responsibility to be accountable. As such, the provisions of this chapter
should be interpreted liberally to support the findings and goals of this
chapter and to advance a renewed commitment by the State of South
Carolina to the mission, goals, and diversity of public education.
Section 59-40-40. As used in this chapter:
(1) A `charter school' means a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious,
nonhome-based, nonprofit corporation forming a school which operates
within a public school district, but is accountable to the local school
board of trustees of that district, which grants its charter.
(2) A charter school:
(a) is considered a public school and part of the school district in
which it is located for the purposes of state law and the state
constitution;
(b) is subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional
provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race,
creed, color, gender, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for
special education services;
(c) must be administered and governed by a governing body in a
manner agreed to by the charter school applicant and the sponsor, the
governing body to be selected in the manner provided in Section
59-40-50(B)(8);
(d) shall not charge tuition or other charges of any kind except as
may be allowed by the sponsor.
(3) `Applicant' means the person who desires to form a charter school
and files the necessary application therefor with the local school board of
trustees. The applicant also must be the person who applies to the
Secretary of State to organize the charter school as a nonprofit
corporation.
(4) `Sponsor' means the local school board of trustees established as
provided by law, from which the charter school applicant requested its
charter, and which granted approval for the charter school's existence.
(5) `Certified teacher' means a person certified by the State of South
Carolina to teach in a public elementary or secondary school.
(6) `Noncertified teacher' means an individual considered
appropriately qualified for the subject matter taught, and who has been
approved by the charter committee of the school.
(7) `Charter committee' means the governing body of a charter school
and also shall be the board of directors of the corporation which must be
organized.
Section 59-40-50. (A) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter,
a charter school is exempt from all provisions of law and regulations
applicable to a public school, a school board, or a district, although a
charter school may elect to comply with one or more of these provisions
of law or regulations.
(B) A charter school shall:
(1) adhere to the same health, safety, civil rights, and disability
rights requirements as are applied to public schools operating in the same
school district;
(2) meet, but may exceed, the same minimum student attendance
requirements as are applied to public schools operating in the same
district;
(3) adhere to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and audit
requirements as are applied to public schools operating in the same
school district;
(4) be considered a school district for purposes of tort liability
under South Carolina law, except that the tort immunity shall not include
acts of intentional or wilful racial discrimination by the governing body
or employees of the charter school. Employees of charter schools shall
be relieved of personal liability for any tort or contract related to their
school to the same extent that employees of traditional public schools in
their school district are relieved;
(5) in its discretion hire noncertified teachers in a ratio of up to
twenty-five percent of its entire teacher staff; however, if it is a converted
charter school, it shall in its discretion hire noncertified teachers in a ratio
of up to ten percent of its entire teacher staff. Part-time noncertified
teachers shall be considered pro rata in calculating this percentage based
on the hours which they are expected to teach;
(6) admit all children eligible to attend public school in a school
district who are eligible to apply for admission to a charter school
operating in that school district, subject to space limitations. However,
under no circumstances may a charter school enrollment differ from the
racial composition of the school district by more than ten percent. If the
number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade
level, or building, students shall be accepted by lot, and there is no
appeal to the sponsor;
(7) not limit or deny admission or show preference in admission
decisions to any individual or group of individuals; provided, however,
that a charter school may give enrollment priority to a sibling of a pupil
already enrolled and children of a charter school employee;
(8) elect its governing body annually. All employees of the charter
school and all parents or guardians of students enrolled in the charter
school shall be eligible to participate in the election. Parents or guardians
of a student shall have one vote for each student enrolled in the charter
school. At all times, the governing body of the charter school shall
include one or more teachers;
(9) be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, including the
charter school and its governing body.
(C)(1) If a charter school denies admission to a student, the student
may appeal the denial to the school board of trustees. The decision shall
be binding on the student and the charter school.
(2) If a charter school suspends or expels a student, the school
district shall have the authority but not the obligation to refuse admission
to the student.
(3) The sponsor shall have no obligation to provide extracurricular
activities or access to facilities of the school district for students enrolled
in the charter school.
Section 59-40-60. (A) An approved charter application constitutes an
agreement, and the terms shall be the terms of a contract between the
charter school and the sponsor.
(B) The contract between the charter school and the sponsor shall
reflect all agreements regarding the release of the charter school from
local school district policies.
(C) A material revision of the terms of the contract between the
charter school and the approving board may be made only with the
approval of both parties.
(D) Except as provided in subsection (F), an applicant who wishes to
form a charter school shall:
(1) organize the charter school as a nonprofit corporation under the
laws of this State;
(2) elect a charter committee for the charter school which includes
one or more teachers;
(3) submit a written charter school application to the local school
board of trustees for the school district in which the charter school will
be located.
(E) A charter committee shall be responsible for and have the power
to:
(1) submit an application to operate as a charter school, sign a
charter school contract, and ensure compliance with all of the
requirements for charter schools provided by law;
(2) employ and contract with teachers and nonteaching employees,
contract for other services, and develop pay scales, performance criteria,
and discharge policies for its employees. All teachers whether certified
or noncertified must undergo the background checks and other
investigations required for certified teachers as provided by law before
they may teach in the charter school; and
(3) decide all other matters related to the operation of the charter
school, including budgeting, curriculum, and operating procedures.
(F) The charter school application shall be a proposed contract and
shall include:
(1) the mission statement of the charter school, which must be
consistent with the principles of the General Assembly's purposes as set
forth in Section 59-40-20;
(2) the goals, objectives, and pupil achievement standards to be
achieved by the charter school, and a description of the charter school's
admission policies and procedures;
(3) evidence that an adequate number of parents, teachers, pupils,
or any combination thereof support the formation of a charter school;
(4) a description of the charter school's educational program, pupil
achievement standards, and curriculum, which must meet or exceed any
content standards adopted by the school district in which the charter
school is located and must be designed to enable each pupil to achieve
these standards;
(5) a description of the charter school's plan for evaluating pupil
achievement and progress toward accomplishment of the school's
achievement standards in addition to state assessments, the timeline for
meeting these standards, and the procedures for taking corrective action
in the event that pupil achievement falls below the standards;
(6) evidence that the plan for the charter school is economically
sound, a proposed budget for the term of the charter, a description of the
manner in which an annual audit of the financial and administrative
operations of the charter school, including any services provided by the
school district, is to be conducted;
(7) a description of the governance and operation of the charter
school, including the nature and extent of parental, professional educator,
and community involvement in the governance and operation of the
charter school;
(8) a description of how the charter school plans to ensure that the
enrollment of the school is similar to the racial composition of the school
district;
(9) a description of how the charter school plans to meet the
transportation needs of its pupils;
(10) a description of the building, facilities, and equipment and how
they shall be obtained;
(11) an explanation of the relationship that shall exist between the
proposed charter school and its employees, including descriptions of
evaluation procedures and evidence that the terms and conditions of
employment have been addressed with affected employees;
(12) a description of a reasonable grievance and termination
procedure as required by this chapter, including notice and a hearing
before the governing body of the charter school. The application shall
state whether or not the provisions of Article 5, Chapter 25 of Title 59
will apply to the employment and dismissal of teachers at the charter
school;
(13) a description of student rights and responsibilities, including
behavior and discipline standards, and a reasonable hearing procedure,
including notice and a hearing before the board of directors of the charter
school prior to expulsion;
(14) an assumption of liability by the charter school for the activities
of the charter school and an agreement that the charter school will
indemnify and hold harmless the school district, its servants, agents, and
employees, from any and all liability, damage, expense, causes of action,
suits, claims, or judgments arising from injury to persons or property or
otherwise which arises out of the act, failure to act or negligence of the
charter school, its agents and employees, in connection with or arising
out of the activity of the charter school; and
(15) a description of the types and amounts of insurance coverage to
be obtained by the charter school.
Section 59-40-70. (A) The local school board may establish a
schedule for receiving applications from charter schools and shall make a
copy of any schedule available to all interested parties upon request. If
the local school board finds the charter school application is incomplete
or fails to meet the spirit and intent of this chapter, it immediately shall
request the necessary information from the charter applicant.
(B) After giving reasonable public notice, the local school board shall
hold community meetings in the affected areas or the entire school
district to obtain information to assist it in their decision to grant a
charter school application. The local school board shall rule on the
application for a charter school in a public hearing, upon reasonable
public notice, within ninety days after receiving the application. If there
is no ruling within ninety days, the application is considered
approved.
(C) A local school board of trustees shall only deny an application if
the application does not meet the requirements specified in Section
59-40-50 or 59-40-60, fails to meet the spirit and intent of this chapter,
or adversely affects other students in the district. It shall provide, within
ten days, a written explanation of the reasons for denial, citing specific
provisions of Section 59-40-50 or 59-40-60 that the application violates.
This written explanation immediately shall be sent to the charter
committee and filed with the State Board of Education.
(D) If the local school board of trustees denies a charter school
application, the charter applicant may amend its application to conform
with the reasons for denial and reapply to the local board, which has
thirty days to approve or deny the application, or may appeal the denial
to the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 59-40-90.
(E) If the local school board approves the application, it becomes the
charter school's sponsor and shall sign the approved application which
shall constitute a contract with the charter committee of the charter
school. A copy of the charter shall be filed with the State Board of
Education.
Section 59-40-80. A local school board may conditionally authorize a
charter school before the applicant has secured its space, equipment,
facilities, and personnel if the applicant indicates such authority is
necessary for it to meet the requirements of this chapter. Conditional
authorization does not give rise to any equitable or other claims based on
reliance, notwithstanding any promise, parole, written, or otherwise,
contained in the authorization or acceptance of it, whether preceding or
following the conditional authorization.
Section 59-40-90. (A) The State Board of Education, upon receipt of
a notice of appeal or upon its own motion, shall review a decision of any
local school board of trustees concerning charter schools in accordance
with the provisions of this section.
(B) A charter applicant who wishes to appeal an adverse decision
shall provide the State Board of Education and the local school board of
trustees with a notice of appeal within ten days of the local board's
decision.
(C) If the notice of appeal or the motion to review by the State Board
of Education relates to a local board's decision to deny, refuse to renew,
or revoke a charter, the appeal and review process shall be:
(1) within thirty days after receipt of the notice of appeal or the
making of a motion to review by the State Board of Education and after
reasonable public notice, the State Board of Education, at a public
hearing which may be held in the district where the proposed charter
school is located, shall review the decision of the local school board of
trustees and make its findings known. The state board may affirm,
reverse, or remand the application for action by the local board in
accordance with an order of the state board. If the state board remands
the application, it shall do so with written instructions for reconsideration.
These instructions shall include specific recommendations concerning the
matters requiring reconsideration;
(2) within thirty days following the remand of a decision to the
local board of trustees and with reasonable public notice, the local school
board of trustees, at a public hearing, shall reconsider its decision and
make a final decision. No further administrative appeal may be taken
from this decision. However, any final decision of the local school board
of trustees after remand from the state board or a final decision of the
state board may be appealed by any party to the circuit court for the
county in which the proposed charter school is or was to have
located.
Section 59-40-100. (A) An existing public school may be converted
into a charter school if two-thirds of the faculty and instructional staff
employed at the school and two-thirds of all parents or legal guardians of
students enrolled in the school agree to the filing of an application with
the local school board of trustees for the conversion and formation of that
school into a charter school. The application shall be submitted by the
principal of that school or his designee who shall be deemed the
applicant. The application shall include all information required of other
applications under this chapter. The local school board of trustees shall
approve or disapprove this application in the same manner it approves or
disapproves other applications.
(B) A converted charter school shall offer at least the same grades, or
nongraded education appropriate for the same ages and education levels
of pupils, as offered by the school immediately before conversion, and
also may provide additional grades and further educational offerings.
(C) Teachers and other employees of a converted school who desire to
teach or work at the converted school may do so but shall remain
employees of the local school district with the same compensation and
benefits including any future increases therein. The converted charter
school quarterly shall reimburse the local school district for the
compensation and employer contribution benefits paid to or on behalf of
these teachers and employees. The provisions of Article 5, Chapter 25 of
Title 59 will apply to the employment and dismissal of teachers at a
converted school.
Section 59-40-110. (A) A charter may be approved or renewed for a
period not to exceed three school years.
(B) A charter renewal application shall be submitted to the school's
sponsor, and it shall contain:
(1) a report on the progress of the charter school in achieving the
goals, objectives, pupil achievement standards, and other terms of the
initially approved charter application; and
(2) a financial statement that discloses the costs of administration,
instruction, and other spending categories for the charter school that is
understandable to the general public and that will allow comparison of
these costs to other schools or other comparable organizations, in a
format required by the State Board of Education.
(C) A charter may be revoked or not renewed by the sponsor if it
determines that the charter school:
(1) committed a material violation of the conditions, standards, or
procedures set forth in the charter application;
(2) failed to meet or make reasonable progress toward pupil
achievement standards identified in the charter application;
(3) failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal
management; or
(4) violated any provision of law from which the charter school
was not specifically exempted.
(D) At least sixty days before not renewing or terminating a charter
school, the sponsor shall notify the charter school's governing body of
the proposed action in writing. The notification shall state the grounds
for the proposed action in reasonable detail. Termination must follow the
procedure set forth herein.
(E) The charter school's governing body may request in writing a
hearing before the sponsor within fourteen days of receiving notice of
nonrenewal or termination of the charter. Failure by the school's
governing body to make a written request for a hearing within fourteen
days shall be treated as acquiescence to the proposed action. Upon
receiving a timely written request for a hearing, the sponsor shall give
reasonable notice to the school's governing body of the hearing date.
The sponsor shall conduct a hearing before taking final action. The
sponsor shall take final action to renew or not renew a charter by the last
day of classes in the last school year for which the charter school is
authorized.
(F) A decision to revoke or not to renew a charter school may be
appealed to the state board pursuant to the provisions of Section
59-40-90.
Section 59-40-120. Upon dissolution of a charter school, its assets may
not inure to the benefit of any private person. Any assets obtained
through restricted agreements with a donor through awards, grants, or
gifts shall be returned to that entity. All other assets become property of
the sponsor.
Section 59-40-130. (A) If an employee of a local school district
makes a written request for a leave to be employed at a charter school,
the school district shall grant the leave for up to five years as requested
by the employee. The school district may require that the request for
leave or extension of leave be made by the date under state law for the
return of teachers' contracts. Employees may return to employment with
the local school district at its option with the same teaching or
administrative contract status as when they left, but without assurance as
to the school or supplemental position to which they may be
assigned.
(B) During a leave, the employee may continue to accrue benefits and
credits in the South Carolina Retirement System by paying the employee
contributions based upon the annual salary of the employee, and the
charter school shall pay the employer contribution. The South Carolina
Retirement System may impose reasonable requirements to administer
this section.
(C) The provisions of this section do not apply to teachers and other
employees of a converted school whose employment relation shall be
governed by Section 59-40-100(C).
Section 59-40-140. (A) A sponsor shall distribute state, county, and
school district funds to a charter school as determined by the following
formula: The previous year's audited total general fund expenditures
including capital outlay and maintenance, but not including expenditures
from bonded indebtedness or debt repayment shall be divided by the
previous year's weighted students, then increased by the Education
Finance Act inflation factor, pursuant to Section 59-20-40, for the years
following the audited expenditures, then multiplied by the weighted
students enrolled in the charter school, which will be subject to
adjustment for student attendance and state budget allocations based on
the same criteria as the local school district. All state and local funding
shall be distributed by the local school district to the charter school
monthly beginning July first following approval of the charter school
application.
(B) During the year of the charter school's operation, as received, and
to the extent allowed by federal law, a sponsor shall distribute to the
charter school federal funds which are allocated to the local school
district on the basis of the number of special characteristics of the
students attending the charter school.
(C) Notwithstanding subsection (B), the proportionate share of state
and federal resources generated by students with disabilities or staff
serving them shall be directed to charter schools. The proportionate
share of funds generated under other federal or state categorical aid
programs shall be directed to charter schools serving students eligible for
the aid.
(D) All services centrally or otherwise provided by the school district,
if any, including, but not limited to, food services, custodial services,
maintenance, curriculum, media services, libraries, and warehousing are
subject to negotiation between a charter school and the school district.
(E) All awards, grants, or gifts collected by a charter school shall be
retained by the charter school.
(F) The governing body of a charter school is authorized to accept
gifts, donations, or grants of any kind made to the charter school and to
expend or use the gifts, donations, or grants in accordance with the
conditions prescribed by the donor. No gifts or donation shall be a
requirement for admission. However, no gift, donation, or grant may be
accepted by the governing board if subject to any condition contrary to
law or contrary to the terms of the contract between the charter school
and the governing body.
(G) A charter school shall report to its sponsor and the Department of
Education any change to information provided under its application. In
addition, a charter school shall report at least annually to its sponsor and
the department all information required by the sponsor or the department
and including, at a minimum, the number of students enrolled in the
charter school, the success of students in achieving the specific
educational goals for which the charter school was established, and the
identity and certification status of the teaching staff.
(H) The sponsor shall provide technical assistance to persons and
groups preparing or revising charter applications at no expense.
(I) Charter schools may acquire by gift, devise, purchase, lease,
sublease, installment purchase agreement, land contract, option, or by any
other means, and hold and own in its own name buildings or other
property for school purposes, and interests in it which are necessary or
convenient to fulfill its purposes.
(J) Charter schools are exempt from all state and local taxation,
except the sales tax, on their earnings and property. Instruments of
conveyance to or from a charter school are exempt from all types of
taxation of local or state taxes and transfer fees.
Section 59-40-150. (A) The Department of Education shall
disseminate information to the public, directly and through sponsors, on
how to form and operate a charter school and how to utilize the offerings
of a charter school.
(B) At least annually, the department shall provide upon request a
directory of all charter schools authorized under this chapter with
information concerning the educational goals of each charter school, the
success of each charter school in meeting its educational goals, and
procedures to apply for admission to each charter school.
(C) The department shall bear the cost of complying with this
section.
Section 59-40-160. (A) The State Board of Education shall compile
evaluations of charter schools received from local school boards of
trustees. They shall review information regarding the regulations and
policies from which charter schools were released to determine if the
releases assisted or impeded the charter schools in meeting their stated
goals and objectives.
(B) The State Board of Education shall review the implementation and
effectiveness of this chapter, review comprehensive reports issued by
local school boards concerning successes or failures of charter schools,
report to the Governor and General Assembly interim results by July 1,
1998, and issue a final report and recommendations to the Governor and
General Assembly during the fifth year after the effective date of this
chapter.
(C) In preparing the report required by this section, the State Board of
Education shall compare the academic performance of charter school
pupils with the performance of ethnically and economically comparable
groups of pupils in other public schools who are enrolled in academically
comparable courses.
Section 59-40-170. The Department of Education, in conjunction with
the Budget and Control Board, shall publish annually a list of vacant and
unused buildings and vacant and unused portions of buildings that are
owned by this State or by school districts in this State and that may be
suitable for the operation of a charter school. The department shall make
the list available to applicants for charter schools and to existing charter
schools. The list shall include the address of each building, a short
description of the building, and the name of the owner of the building.
Nothing in this section requires the owner of a building on the list to sell
or lease the building or a portion of the building to a charter school or to
any other school or to any other prospective buyer or tenant.
Section 59-40-180. The State Board of Education shall promulgate
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.
Section 59-40-190. (A) The governing body of a charter school may
sue and be sued. The governing body may not levy taxes or issue
bonds.
(B) A sponsor is not liable for any of the debts of the charter
school.
(C) A sponsor, members of the board of a sponsor, and employees of
a sponsor acting in their official capacity are immune from civil or
criminal liability with respect to all activities related to a charter school
they sponsor. The governing body of a charter school shall obtain at
least the amount of and types of insurance required for this
purpose."
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 1996.
In the Senate House June 13, 1996.
Robert L. Peeler,
President of the Senate
David H. Wilkins,
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Approved the 18th day of June, 1996.
David M. Beasley,
Governor
Printer's Date -- June 27, 1996 -- S.
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