Legislative Update
March 6, 2012
Vol. 29, No. 8

South Carolina House of Representatives
Robert W. Harrell, Jr., Speaker of the House

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND CONSTITUENT SERVICES
Room 212, Blatt Building, P.O. Box 11867, Columbia, S.C. 29211, (803) 734-3230


CONTENTS

NOTE: THESE SUMMARIES ARE PREPARED BY THE STAFF OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND ARE NOT THE EXPRESSION OF THE LEGISLATION'S SPONSOR(S) OR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THEY ARE STRICTLY FOR THE INTERNAL USE AND BENEFIT OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED BY A COURT OF LAW AS AN EXPRESSION OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT.


Legislative Update, March 6, 2012

HOUSE WEEK IN REVIEW

The House of Representatives and the Senate overrode the Governor’s veto on H.4627 to allow the legislation to become law. This joint resolution addresses the actions taken by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to allow DREDGING IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER that would make a portion of the waterway suitable for navigation by large ocean-going container or commerce vessels so that a new maritime port facility may be constructed in Georgia. Through the joint resolution the General Assembly, exercising its exclusive authority to suspend laws granted under Section 7, Article I of the South Carolina Constitution, suspends the authority of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for all decisions subsequent to 2007 related to all matters pertaining to the navigability, depth, dredging, wastewater and sludge disposal, and related collateral issues concerning the South Carolina portion of the Savannah River, in particular the approval by DHEC of the application of the United States Army Corps of Engineers for a Construction in Navigable Waters Permit for the dredging of the South Carolina portion of the Savannah River, because the authority of the Savannah River Maritime Commission superseded DHEC’s responsibilities for such approval, as established by Act 56 of 2007, and DHEC’s approval could present imminent and irreversible public health and environmental concerns for the South Carolina portion of the Savannah River.

The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4093, a bill designating the HONOR AND REMEMBER FLAG as the Official State Emblem of Service and Sacrifice by those in the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives in the line of duty.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3558. This legislation requires institutions of higher education which receive state funding, either directly or indirectly, including state scholarships or grants, to ALLOW STUDENTS TO COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS OR TAKE MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS WHEN AN ABSENCE IS CAUSED BY ATTENDING OR PARTICIPATING IN MILITARY SERVICE, DUTY, TRAINING, OR DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS.

The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4906, a joint resolution EXTENDING THE DEADLINE FOR THE VETERANS’ ISSUES STUDY COMMITTEE to submit its written report from January 31, 2012, to January 31, 2013.

The House amended, approved and sent to the Senate H.4473, legislation which places a PROHIBITION ON CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTERS OBTAINING CHILD CUSTODY. The legislation provides that, in making decisions regarding custody of a minor child, the court must consider and may not grant child custody to a parent, guardian, or another person who was found guilty of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the first degree. The legislation also prohibits a child from being placed in foster care with, or adopted by, individuals found guilty of this offense.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.3918. This comprehensive legislation updates and modernizes statutes pertaining to the DIVISION OF AERONAUTICS. Notably, the legislation codifies the proviso transferring the division from the Department of Commerce to the Budget and Control Board; updates definitions and rules relating to the division to conform them to Federal Aviation Administration provisions; and restructures the Aeronautics Commission to reflect the new seventh congressional district.

The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4678, a bill revising METHODS OF ENTERING A SATISFACTION OF MORTGAGE IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS. The legislation provides that the mortgagee of record, the owner or holder of the debt instrument secured by the mortgage, the trustee or beneficiary of a deed of trust, or the legal representative or attorney-in-fact of any of those parties may execute a mortgage satisfaction or deed of trust release. The legislation provides a procedure and form for use in this execution.

The House amended, approved, and sent to the Senate H.4689, which provides HEALTH AND SANITARY REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME-BASED FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS, in which individuals, operating out of their dwellings, prepares, process, package, store and distribute non-potentially hazardous foods, such as candy and noncreme filled baked goods, for sale directly to a person. A home based food production operation is not allowed to engage in wholesale activities and is only allowed to sell food items directly to a person for his or her own use and not for resale. The legislation establishes requirements that a home based food production operation must follow to maintain a clean and sanitary facility and provides that operators must take all reasonable steps to protect food items from contamination, such as keeping pets off the premises, prohibiting the involvement of those infected with communicable diseases, maintaining direct supervision over the operation, and prohibiting all domestic activities in the kitchen during the operation. All food items packaged at the operation for sale must be properly labeled, complying with all federal laws and regulations, including Fair Packaging Requirements and Food Allergen Labeling. The label must include the name and address of home based food operation; the name of the product being sold; the ingredients used to make the product in descending order of predominance by weight; and the conspicuous statement printed in all capital letters, "NOT FOR RESALE - PROCESSED AND PREPARED BY A HOME BASED FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO SOUTH CAROLINA’S FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS". The legislation establishes authority for investigating complaints from consumers about alleged violations. A home based food production operation may apply for an exemption from inspection and label review by the Department of Agriculture if annual sales are less than fifteen thousand dollars. The exemption does not limit the Department’s authority to investigate a complaint or food borne illness outbreak.

The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4205, a bill authorizing the CONVERSION TO A PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT for the Kershaw County and Lee County Regional Water Company so that it can take advantage of a more favorable tax status and financing terms than are now available under its present organization as a nonprofit corporation.

The House approved and sent to the Senate H.4797, a bill including the city of Tega Cay in the statutory list of MUNICIPALITIES IN WHICH THERE ARE NO BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS.


BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE
HOUSE THIS WEEK

AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

S.1087 FRESHWATER RECREATIONAL FISHING Sen. Jackson
This bill deletes the current provision that allows the Department of Natural Resources to designate up to two "free fishing days" to residents who do not possess fishing licenses or permits. As a result, the bill designates the fourth day of July and National Memorial Day as days when a resident is not required to possess a license or permit for freshwater recreational fishing. The bill also limits department-sanctioned events that are exempt from fishing license requirements for freshwater events. This provision does not apply to individuals fishing for commercial purposes.

H.4943 NIGHTTIME HUNTING OF COYOTES, ARMADILLOS, AND FERAL HOGS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY Rep. Lowe
On private property, the landowner, or his lessee or agent with written permission, a valid hunting license, and the landowner’s contact information in his possession, may take coyotes, armadillos, and feral hogs during the nighttime hours from one hour after official sunset on the last day of February to one hour before official sunrise the first day of July of that same year.

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC WORKS

S.922 BIOPTIC TELESCOPIC LENSES Sen. Campbell
This legislation allows certain persons diagnosed with low vision acuity that use bioptic telescopic lenses for vision assistance and meet certain requirements to obtain a driver's license, except a motorcycle or commercial driver’s license.

S.1007 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MUST MAINTAIN A DETAILED TRANSACTION REGISTER OF ALL FUNDS EXPENDED AND POST THAT REGISTER ONLINE Sen. Rose
This legislation requires the Department of Transportation to maintain a transaction register that includes a complete record of all funds expended, from whatever source for whatever purpose. The register must be prominently posted on the department's website and made available for public viewing and downloading. The legislation provides what information must be included on the register as well as what information must or may be excluded from the register. The register must be searchable and updated at least once a month. Each monthly register must be maintained on the website for at least three years. The department shall be responsible for providing on its website a link to the website of any agency, other than the department, that posts on its website the institution's monthly state procurement card statements or monthly reports containing all or substantially all of the same information contained in the monthly state procurement card statements. The link must be to the specific webpage or section on the website of the agency where the state procurement card information for the institution can be found. In the event the department has a question or issue relating to technical aspects of complying with the requirements or the disclosure of public information, it shall consult with the Office of Comptroller General, which may provide guidance. The Department of Transportation may fulfill the requirements of this legislation by providing, on its website, a link to the website of another state agency, to the extent that the link provides the information required.

S.1031 DISPOSITION OF VEHICLES BY A DEMOLISHER OR SECONDARY METALS RECYCLER Sen. Lourie
The legislation makes comprehensive revisions regarding the procedures for disposition of vehicles by a demolisher or secondary metals recycler.

JUDICIARY

S.41 MISSING PERSON INFORMATION CENTER Sen. McConnell
This legislation revises the definitions of "missing child" and "missing person" relating to the Missing Person Information Center. For these purposes, current law defines a missing child as any individual under the age of seventeen; this legislation defines a missing child as any individual under the age of eighteen. Likewise, the legislation revises the term missing person to mean any individual eighteen years of age or older.

S.43 USE OF A NAME TO MISREPRESENT THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF A BUSINESS AS AN UNLAWFUL TRADE PRACTICE Sen. McConnell
This legislation makes it an unlawful trade practice to publish in a telephone assistance database or a print advertisement an intentionally misleading representation of the geographical location of the business. An exception is allowed for providers of telephone services or telephone directories for publishing the advertisement or for listing a person or entity in its directory or directory assistance database unless the provider is the same person or entity as the person or entity that is the subject of the advertisement or listing.

S.859 RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS Sen. Rose
For purposes of the State Certification of Need and Health Licensure Act, this legislation defines children and adolescents in need of mental health treatment as those under the age of twenty-one; current law refers defines these individuals as those under the age of eighteen. The legislation requires a child or adolescent who is admitted to a residential treatment facility for children and adolescents to whom the sex offender registry applies to register, and the legislation requires the facility to ensure that any resident to whom the sex offender registry applies maintains up to date registration. If a child or adolescent leaves the facility premises without permission, the facility shall immediately report the incident to local law enforcement and inform them if the child may pose a threat to the safety of the public. The facility also shall immediately report the incident to the responsible party of the child or adolescent. The facility shall maintain an incident report on the matter including information that must be included in the report as prescribed by the Department of Health and Environmental Control in regulation. These reports must be submitted to the department within ten days after the incident, maintained in accordance with the regulation, and are subject to inspection by the department at any time, upon request. The department shall develop criteria for residential treatment of children and adolescents. Based upon the needs of the residents, the department shall develop supervision, safety, security, and recordkeeping requirements in regulation as the department considers necessary to carry out its responsibilities. A residential treatment facility for children and adolescents must comply with these requirements in order to be licensed and to obtain license renewal.

S.1055 COMPOSITION OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL Sen. McConnell
This legislation revises the composition of the Judicial Council so as to include the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, one person recommended by the Charleston School of Law, one person recommended by the South Carolina Bar, and two summary court judges. The person recommended by the South Carolina Bar serves ex officio, and his term is co-terminus with the President of the South Carolina Bar who makes the recommendation for this appointment. The Chief Justice makes the appointments for the person recommended by the South Carolina Bar, the person recommended by the Charleston School of Law and the summary court judges. The Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals serves during his term of office. The person recommended by the Charleston School of Law serves for a period of four years.

S.1088 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Sen. McConnell
This legislation makes various revisions to certain boards and commissions to reflect the addition of a seventh congressional district. Boards and commissions addressed by this legislation include: Commission on Human Affairs, Commission for Minority Affairs; State Ethics Commission; Public Service Commission; Public Service Authority; Foster Care Review Board; Board of Director’s of the Children’s Trust Fund; and Board of Juvenile Parole.

S.1127 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Sen. Peeler
This legislation makes various revisions to certain boards and commissions in the medical field to reflect the addition of a seventh congressional district. Boards and commissions addressed by this legislation include: Board of Chiropractic Examiners; Board of Dentistry; Board of Nursing; Board of Pharmacy; Board of Physical Therapy Examiners; Board of Medical Examiners; Medical Disciplinary Commission; Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists; Board of Health and Environmental Control; Mental Health Commission; Commission for Disabilities and Special Needs; Advisory Boards for the following divisions of the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs: Autism Division; Intellectual Disability Division and Head and Spinal Cord Injury Division. Also, with regards to the various departments of government, this legislation eliminates a specific number of board members that must be appointed to govern a department.

H.4907 VIDEO RECORDING OF A PERSON'S CONDUCT AT THE INCIDENT SITE AND THE BREATH TEST SITE WHEN THE PERSON IS CHARGED WITH DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR ANOTHER ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE Rep. Cole
Relating to the video recording of a person's conduct at the incident site and the breath test site when the person is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or another illegal substance, this legislation provides that under certain circumstances the person's conduct is not required to be recorded. The legislation deletes the provision that requires the recording of the person's conduct during the twenty-minute pre-test waiting period, and it revises the provisions that excuse an officer from producing certain video recordings.

H.4911 COUNTY VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICERS Rep. Forrester
The legislation provides that a county veterans affairs officer serves at the will of the county legislative delegation. The legislation further provides that by resolution of the county legislative delegation, the authority to recommend the appointment or removal of these officers may be devolved on the governing body of the county; the legislation includes those circumstances under which this devolution may be reversed.

H.4914 COCKFIGHTING Rep. Long
This legislation increases penalties for cockfighting as well as provides that a minor who is under the age of eighteen who is present at a cockfighting or game fowl fighting or illegal game fowl testing may not be charged with a violation of these provisions if he is brought to an event by a parent, guardian, or other adult with responsibility over him.

H.4915 REPEAL OF SECTION 19-11-50, RELATING TO THE PROHIBITION AGAINST THE TESTIMONY OF A DEFENDANT BEING USED AGAINST HIM IN ANOTHER CRIMINAL CASE Rep. McCoy
This legislation repeals Section 19-11-50, a statute which provides a prohibition against the testimony of a defendant being used against him in another criminal case.

H.4916 BOND Rep. McCoy
This legislation provides that the circuit court shall consider motions regarding reconsideration of bond for general sessions court offenses set by a summary court judge upon a motion filed with the clerk of court. Defense motions to reconsider bond may be heard by the circuit court only upon the defendant's prima facie showing of a material change in circumstances. Motions by the State to revoke or modify a defendant's bond must be made in writing, state with particularity the grounds for revocation or modification, set forth the relief or order sought, and the legislation allows an emergency hearing within forty-eight hours when imminent danger is shown under certain circumstances.

H.4917 ADDITIONAL PENALTY FOR COMMITTING OR ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT A GENERAL SESSION COURT OFFENSE WHILE ON BOND Rep. McCoy
If a person is convicted of committing or attempting to commit a general sessions court offense while on a bail bond or personal recognizance bond, this legislation provides that the person must be imprisoned for five years in addition to the punishment provided for the principal offense.

H.4918 ATTEMPTED MURDER Rep. McCoy
Relating to the offense of attempted murder, this legislation removes the intent to kill requirement from the purview of the offense.

H.4919 PUNISHMENT AND SENTENCING FOR MURDER Rep. McCoy
Relating to punishment and sentencing for murder, this legislation provides for mandatory life imprisonment when the State seeks a life sentence for a murder committed with certain other designated offenses or under certain further delineated circumstances.

H.4920 ASSAULT AND BATTERY OFFENSES Rep. McCoy
Relating to assault and battery offenses, this legislation redefines the term "moderate bodily injury" to mean physical injury that involves loss of consciousness, or that requires medical treatment but does not cause a substantial risk of death or which does not cause serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ. The legislation also include injury to another person when the act is accomplished by the use of a deadly weapon in the purview of the offenses of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and assault and battery in the first degree.

H.4931 MISSING PERSON INFORMATION CENTER Rep. Mack
Relating to the Missing Person Information Center, this legislation revises the procedures for accepting information to generate a missing person's report; among other things, the legislation provides that no law enforcement agency may refuse to accept a missing person report. The legislation further provides procedures for handling high-risk missing person cases and death scene investigations. A high-risk missing person is an individual whose whereabouts are not known and the circumstances indicate that the individual may be at risk of injury or death.

H.4937 STRAIGHT PARTY TICKET VOTING Rep. Funderburk
This legislation deletes the provisions that provide for straight party ticket voting for general election ballots, straight ticket voting on any type of recorder, and voting for all of the candidates of one party by use of a voting machine.

H.4938 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR A STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER Rep. Funderburk
This legislation prohibits lobbyists' principals from offering, making, or facilitating a campaign contribution to a member of the General Assembly or a statewide constitutional officer from December thirty-first through July first of the calendar year immediately following. Likewise from December thirty-first through July first of the calendar year immediately following, no member of the General Assembly or statewide constitutional officer may solicit or accept such a contribution.

H.4945 REGISTERING TO VOTE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION Rep. Funderburk
This legislation authorizes a person who is qualified to register to vote and who has a valid South Carolina driver’s license or state identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles to submit an application for voter registration electronically on the website of the State Election Commission. The legislation provides a procedure for this type of registration and authorizes the State Election Commission to promulgate regulations to effectuate these provisions.

LABOR, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

H.4910 SETTING DENTAL FEES OF DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN CARE PROVIDERS NETWORK Rep. Erickson
This bill provides that a dental insurance plan may not require a dentist who is a participating provider of the plan to provide a service to an insured of the plan at a fee set by, or subject to, the approval of the insurer unless the service is covered by the dental insurance plan. The legislation provides that a health care service contractor or third party administrator may not make a member of its dental care providers network available to a dental plan that sets dental fees for a service that is not a covered service.

H.4921 REQUIRED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR MINOR CHILDREN AND MATERNITY CARE Rep. Williams
This bill requires issuers of individual health insurance coverage in this state to issue individual health insurance coverage for minor children regardless of whether the child is a dependant of an insured of the issuer. The legislation revises provisions for required coverage in individual and group health insurance policies and health maintenance organization polices, so as to require coverage for maternity care.

H.4923 EXPANSION OF A PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT’S ELECTED GOVERNING BODY Rep. Loftis
This bill establishes a procedure by which an elected governing body of a public service district consisting of three members or less located wholly in one county which provides water, sewer, or fire service within its service area may be enlarged by additional members in order to ensure a representative governing body of an adequate size.

H.4939 RETAIL DISCOUNTS ON ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS OR NONALCOHOLIC ITEMS Rep. Quinn
This bill revises provisions relating to discounts on alcoholic liquors or nonalcoholic items, so as to allow a retail dealer to offer discounts at the register through the use of premiums, coupons, or stamps, so long as the cost related to the discount is the sole responsibility of the retail dealer.

H.4944 "SOUTH CAROLINA TELEMEDICINE INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT ACT" Rep. Crawford
This bill enacts the "South Carolina Telemedicine Insurance Reimbursement Act" to provide that a physician or other health care provider who performs telemedicine services in an approved manner must be reimbursed for those services in the same manner as health care services provided through an in-person consultation. The legislation requires telemedicine services to satisfy requirements for establishing physician-patient relationships in the same manner as health care services provided through an in-person consultation. The legislation provides that the South Carolina Board Medical Examiners may authorize the provision of additional health care services by certain means through the use of standard telephone, facsimile transmissions, unsecured electronic mail, or a combination.

MEDICAL, MILITARY, PUBLIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

S.872 RETIREMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN Sen. Knotts
The years of service requirements shall not apply to members of the National Guard of South Carolina who are medically discharged prior to the completion of at least twenty years of qualifying military service, so long as the individual’s discharge is characterized as honorable.

S.1213 "SOUTH CAROLINA MEDAL OF VALOR ACT OF 2012" Sen. Alexander
The bill creates the South Carolina Medal of Valor to be awarded to a South Carolinian, or an individual with certain ties to South Carolina, who was killed either while serving in or deploying to a combat zone. The South Carolina Medal of Valor is awarded on behalf of the people of the State of South Carolina and is presented to the families of these fallen service members.

WAYS AND MEANS

S.11 "TAXPAYER FAIRNESS ACT" Sen. McConnell
This bill enacts the "Taxpayer Fairness Act" to provide that, in applying the state’s tax statutes, the Department of Revenue’s interpretation of the statutes must be based on the plain meaning of the statute’s text and the legislative intent giving rise to the enactment of the statutes. Terms contained in the tax statutes may not be given broader meaning in policy documents or regulations of the department beyond the meaning of the statute. At least twice annually, the department shall submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee, and of the House Ways and Means Committee regarding any discovered ambiguity in the meaning of a tax statute. The first report must be submitted no later than May first and the second report must be submitted no later than November first of each year.

S.426 CANCELLATION OF LICENSE PLATE AND REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WHEN VEHICLE OWNER MOVES OUT OF STATE Sen. Hayes
This bill revises provisions for the cancellation of a license plate and registration certificate when a vehicle owner moves out of state and the prorated property tax refund due on that cancellation, so as to allow Form 5051 to substitute for the actual license plate and certificate. The legislation revises provisions relating to the discovery of untaxed property, so as to provide the duties of the assessor with respect to this property.

S.492 ELECTRONIC FILING OF ENFORCED COLLECTION OF TAXES DOCUMENTS Sen. Fair
This bill requires the South Carolina Department of Revenue to file electronically all documents relating to the enforced collection of taxes due this state with county clerks of court and registers of deeds in those counties which accept electronic filings.

H.4898 SOUTH CAROLINA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS REVISIONS Rep. Merrill
This bill provides for revisions to South Carolina’s retirement systems. The legislation revises eligibility criteria for the South Carolina Retirement System by requiring new employees to have at least thirty years of service in order to be eligible to retire at any age with full benefits. The legislation increases the employee contribution rate by one percent for both the South Carolina Retirement System and the Police Officers Retirement System, corresponding to a one percent increase in the employer contribution rate approved by the Budget and Control Board. The legislation eliminates the current provisions for awarding cost of living adjustments to retirees that tie COLAs to inflation, and, instead establishes benefit adjustment provisions that award an increase in retiree benefits, of up to 2.5%, if criteria are met that show a satisfactory rate of return on pension system investments. The legislation revises the method of calculating average final compensation for determining pension benefits by requiring a computation that uses the employee’s five highest years of compensation, rather than the current three highest years. The legislation eliminates the addition of unused sick leave in the calculation of creditable service and provides that unused annual leave may not be added to the average final compensation. The legislation provides for revisions that make the purchase of service credit actuarially neutral. The legislation revises South Carolina Retirement System provisions so that overtime not mandated by the employer will no longer be considered earnable compensation, but these revisions do not apply to the Police Officers Retirement System. The legislation discontinues the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive (TERI) Program by closing the program to new employees. The legislation provides that interest will not accrue on inactive pension accounts. The legislation revises the General Assembly Retirement System by eliminating provisions that allow legislators to draw retirement benefits while continuing to serve in the General Assembly.

H.4904 K-12 EDUCATION TEMPORARY COST-SAVING PROVISIONS Rep. Bingham
This joint resolution authorizes temporary cost saving provisions for K-12 education. The legislation provides that the State Department of Education is not required to provide printed copies of 2012 district and school report cards, providing instead that free printed copies of report cards are to be made available to parents upon request. Districts or schools are to notify parents about the report cards through e-mail links, newsletters, or other regular communication channels. The savings generated from waiving the report card printing requirements are to be distributed to school districts based on weighted pupil units. The legislation suspends the requirement of informing the community of the school’s and district’s 2012 report card results through a paid advertisement, and instead requires results to be provided to the editor of a newspaper of general circulation in the school’s or district’s area. The legislation authorizes high schools to offer state-funded WorkKeys to tenth grade students using funds appropriated for the assessment of PSAT or PLAN in the 2012-2013 general appropriations act, or for these purposes in prior years. The legislation provides for fiscal year 2012-2013 a one-year grace period for certain recipients of a South Carolina Teacher Loan.

H.4905 NOTIFICATION OF TEACHER EMPLOYMENT DECISITONS Rep. Bingham
This joint resolution provides deadlines for school districts to notify teachers of employment decisions for the 2012-2013 school year.


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