The bill outlines that any person that is in the business of selling motor fuel at retail and charges a different price for the purchase of motor fuel based on form of payment, must consider a debit card as the same as cash.

This bill exempts the construction in navigable waters permits issued for recreational docks outside the critical areas in the review of all state and federal permit applications in the coastal zone by the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

This bill authorizes the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to defer to the US Army Corps of Engineers in determining the size of a private recreational dock constructed on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Federal Navigation Project.

The bill adds that no new erosion control structures or devices are allowed seaward of the setback line except the shoreline perpendicular wingwalls that extend landward from the ends of existing erosion control structures or devices.

The bill requires the registration of fertile pit bull dogs and provides for penalties. The bill also establishes a breed determination procedure.

This bill provides for the annual sale of the Subsistence Saltwater Fishing licenses surrounding the Sea Islands and the Lowcountry. A resident shall purchase an annual subsistence saltwater fishing license for ten dollars. It further outlines that of that ten dollars, one dollar may be retained by the issuing agent and one dollar shall go into a fund to monitor fisheries that are based on the use of traditional fishing methods of Gullah/Geechees and Native Americans.

The bill outlines that a veterinarian authorized to prescribe controlled substances shall complete at least two hours of continuing education every two years related to approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances listed in Schedules II, III, and IV.

The legislation indicates that a resident who purchases a South Carolina Hunting License and a big game permit must receive at least two antlerless deer tags that are not date specific.

This bill relates to vehicles classified as private passenger motor vehicles, so as to provide that for the sole purpose of determining high mileage tax deductions, motorcycles and motorcycle three-wheel vehicles shall be classified as private passenger motor vehicles.

This bill provides that restrictions on the operation of a golf cart to daylight hours only do not apply to the operation of certain golf carts operated for the purpose of conducting tourism-related tours.

This bill would impose a toll along Interstate Highway 95 where it crosses Lake Marion in either Orangeburg County or Clarendon County and to provide for the expenditure of the toll revenues.

This joint resolution directs the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office to develop a report recommending a new funding model or models and options for the appropriating, monitoring, and reporting of revenue and expenditures at the state and local school district levels for the General Assembly to consider in the 2020 legislative session.

This bill establishes the Workforce and Education Data Oversight Committee. The bill provides the functions of the committee, provides that certain departments shall submit certain data to the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, provide for the uses of the data collected, provide for administrative oversight, provide for audits, and provide that individual level data may not be released. The purpose of the bill is to improve the effectiveness of the state's educational delivery system for economic opportunities of individuals and the state's workforce. Through the use of data analytics this bill enables state and local decision makers to design and support education programs that deliver an educated and prepared workforce. Regarding security, the bill directs state agencies and other entities participating in the Office's data analytics to develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures concerning data quality, integrity, transparency, security, and confidentiality. Concerning privacy, Sections D and E require compliance with federal laws, the use of deidentified data in research and reporting information relating to a specific individual or entity, requires the use of aggregated data, the maintenance of a data security plan (including audits) and clarifies that ownership and direction of data is the submitting agency. These sections emphasize the role of consent and third party consent and that data may not be used to identify any particular individual or set of individuals on an individual basis except as required by law enforcement or a court order or in any way that violates state or federal law, except as required by law. The administrative oversight section (F) refers to compliance with federal and state laws (including the South Carolina Division of Information Security and Enterprise Privacy Office's standards to uphold the security, privacy, and accuracy of all workforce and education data) using authenticated and authorized persons; privacy and security compliance standards; notification and procedures regarding a data breach; privacy and security audits; and policies for data retention, disposition, and disposal. There are specific restrictions such as: "No one, including, but not limited to, a member of the General Assembly or a member of the Governor's office, is authorized to have access to or be in possession of any individual level data within the jurisdiction of the office." And, in order to establish control, authority and responsibility "the chairman of the Committee, in consultation with, if possible, the Executive Director of the Office, shall notify immediately the Governor's Office of anomalies or violations to data integrity and security. The Governor then shall take action to halt all data activity related to the Committee until the issue is resolved. If the chairman is not available, the executive director of the office shall inform the Governor's Office. The committee also must be informed if the Governor's Office is informed."

This bill enacts the "South Carolina Career Opportunity and Access for All Act."

Highlights:

Focus on Students:

Creates the Student Bill of Rights.

Reinvigorates the Education and Economic Development Act by reexamining career clusters, and requiring high school to teach at least one high-skill, high demand pathway.

Requires high schools to offer computer science.

Lexile and Quantile scores must be reported to parents.

Removes grade 3-8 assessments that are not required by ESSA, and removes the U.S. History End of Course exam.

Updates Read to Succeed to end the parent exemption, require certain teacher candidates to pass an examination regarding literacy, and tighten the portfolio exemption.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Minimum starting salary of $35,000.

Free college tuition for children of highly effective teachers who work for at least four years in unsatisfactory schools.

Allows districts to reimburse teachers who travel more than twenty-five miles one way to school.

$2,000 tax credits for businesses that hire teachers as interns.

SDE to develop a plan for teacher salary bands to replace the step schedule.

Greater accountability for schools and districts

Improved requirements for assisting underperforming schools and districts.

Consolidation or new management of unsatisfactory schools.

Dissolution of failing school districts.

School Board training and ethics.

Modernizing and improving access to technical colleges

No more remediation in technical colleges--must occur in twelfth grade.

Common admission standards for technical colleges.

Lottery Tuition Assistance for industry credentials.

Common dual enrollment standards.

Greater Efficiency throughout education

Zero to Twenty Committee with the Lieutenant Governor serving as Chair.

Committee to develop and report performance measures.

Committee to report areas for improvement to the General Assembly.

Bill Summary:

I. ESTABLISH AN OVERALL STATE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS GOAL

By 2030, 60 percent of all working-age South Carolinians should have a postsecondary degree or recognized industry credential. The General Assembly should reexamine and revise the goal as needed.

II. STUDENT BILL OF RIGHTS

Students should expect that the General Assembly, Governor, State Superintendent of Education, State Board of Education, local school boards, local superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents to focus on improving education, and creating a system that puts them first.

Students should feel safe and secure in school.

Students should have educational choice, and the ability to challenge unfair treatment.

A student shall serve on the State Board of Education as a non-voting advisory member.

This ten-person committee will monitor the state's education and workforce pipeline, and provide frequently updated information regarding the education and training levels required by the state's employers. Members must have a background in early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education, workforce development, or economic development.

The committee must identify and recommend improvements for efficiency and cooperation throughout the age 0-20 education and workforce pipeline, and annually report its findings. (In other words, there will be a "silo buster" that allows the state to realize its potential.)

The committee must establish a series of benchmarks that measure the state's efforts on its overall college and career readiness goal. Benchmarks must include access to quality pre-kindergarten, third grade reading proficiency, high school graduation rates, and post-high school education attainment. A website to track and report progress on the benchmarks must be established.

The Lieutenant Governor shall serve as the committee chairman. The Governor, House of Representatives, and the Senate will all have three appointments to the committee.

Staffing and funding for the committee can come from existing programs. The committee's Executive Director will officially be known as the Education Tsar.

III. INCREASE THE RIGOR FOR BETTER PREPARATION

Increase the state's emphasis on computer science by requiring that high schools offer at least one computer science course. The course may be offered in person, online, or at a technical college through dual enrollment.

Removes summative assessments not required by federal accountability law. This includes eliminating the eighth grade science assessment, all grades 3-8 social studies assessments, and the United States History end-of-course assessment.

The Office of First Steps and the State Department of Education (SDE) must provide a report to the General Assembly regarding how to increase the number of children attending state-funded four-year-old kindergarten programs.

Students desiring a lottery scholarship must, in addition to existing requirements, take a math and English course during their senior year of high school to maintain these skills prior to entering college.

Enhance Read to Succeed

State Board must approve no more than five reliable and valid early literacy and numeracy screening assessment instruments for students in Kindergarten through third grade.

Assessments must be given at the beginning of the school year. For students who need additional assistance, the screening will also occur during the middle and end of the school year.

Assessment results must be reported to SDE who is responsible for monitoring student progress.

Students will be retained if their SC Ready scores are at the "Does Not Meet" level. This is more rigorous than the current "Not Met 1" level.

The reading portfolio exemption for retention is strengthened.

The exemption regarding the parent/guardian appeal is removed.

Require more specific job duties and position requirements for reading coaches.

SDE must screen and approve reading coaches for districts where more than one-third of the students score at the lowest achievement level.

Early childhood, elementary, and special education teachers must pass a test regarding reading instruction before they can be certified.

CHE and the Learning Disorders Taskforce must examine the effectiveness of teacher education programs in regard to diagnosing and assisting students with reading difficulties.

Expand dual enrollment opportunities so that students who want to go to college already have at least one year of college credit by creating a uniform, statewide credit articulation agreement between K-12 and higher education.

Require the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs to develop a statewide dual enrollment articulation agreement that will replace all locally created agreements between K-12 and higher education.

The accountability system should let parents know if schools are successful in preparing students for eventual success in college or on the job. To further this effort, the State Department of Education must continuously monitor student progress in grades K-12, and provide parents and students with lexile and quantile scores derived from assessments.

Remediation for high school students shall take place in high school, beginning as early as the ninth grade, and will no longer be offered in the technical colleges.

The Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) is updated.

SDE, the Technical College System, Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Commerce, and Department of Employment and Workforce must collaborate to ensure that workforce needs are aligned with career pathways and K-12 curriculum.

High schools must have a minimum of three career pathways, with at least one pathway in a high-skill, high-demand area.

Pathways must be reviewed every three years and updated as needed.

The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (SBTCE) must establish, and technical colleges must recognize, common admission scores. (Scores may be differentiated for certain programs of study.) For students who do not meet the minimum admission score, they should be encouraged to enter a noncredit program that awards a national recognized business or industry credential.

Lottery Tuition Assistance is available for individuals who enroll in a noncredit, credential awarding program provided they enroll within seven years of the first time they entered the ninth grade.

Before July 1, 2021, SDE and SBTCE must provide a report to the General Assembly that describes how adult education programs may best be moved to the Technical College System.

The term "School of Choice" is amended to "School of Innovation," and districts are clearly allowed to create more than one such institution.

IV. IMPROVE TEACHER RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Schools that receive a rating of "Good" or "Excellent" may hire noncertified teachers in a ration up to 25 percent of its entire teaching staff. Noncertified teachers must have a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the subject she is hired to teach and have five years of relevant workplace experience.

Colleges and Universities may create alternative teacher preparation programs that are not nationally accredited; however, the programs must provide specifically mandated evidence of effectiveness.

The State Board of Education must review educator preparation programs at least once every five years.

SDE must provide each teacher preparation program with information regarding the performance of its graduates. The programs are required to protect the confidentiality of the data, and the information is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Require accountability for teacher preparation programs--both traditional and alternative by creating the South Carolina Teacher Preparation Report Card. The report card will examine the number of students completing the program, the performance of teacher candidates on basic skills examinations, and the effectiveness of the programs' graduates in the classroom setting.

The existing teacher satisfaction survey currently administered is now statutorily required. Results must be complied, analyzed, and reported for each school and district. This data should be shared with policy makers on a yearly basis, and the Department will publish those results on its website.

The starting salary for teachers must be at least $35,000.

SDE is required to submit a plan to the General Assembly regarding the creation of career bands for teacher pay instead of the current salary step schedule.

For highly-effective, full-time certified teachers who are employed in unsatisfactory schools, their children may attend any state-supported college or university tuition-free for up to four years.

Districts may reimburse teachers for their daily commute if they drive more than 25 miles to school (one way).

In order to better understand the demands of the 21st century workplace, public school teachers who work in grades 6-12 are encouraged to become interns for up to 80 hours per year. Employers who hire teachers for this summer internship are eligible for a $2,000 tax credit for each teacher they employee.

Require the Department to design proposed teacher pay bands in lieu of the current pay schedule and report the findings to the General Assembly.

V. HELP FOR STUDENTS IN UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS

Reinforce the accountability act regarding assistance for struggling schools or districts.

Local school boards with below average or unsatisfactory are required to establish renewal plans that must be approved by the State Board of Education. These plans include professional growth plans for teachers and principals. A report on the assistance provided to the schools must be provided to the General Assembly on a yearly basis.

Stakeholder groups that include mental health, social services, and law enforcement must be asked for input into renewal plans.

Schools that are unsatisfactory (i.e. failing) for three out of four years are considered to be "chronically underperforming." These schools must be closed and one of three options are available:

Reconstituted with the faculty and staff dismissed (they are not prohibited from being rehired). SDE must contract with a non-profit entity that has success in working with underperforming schools. If the school does not improve within three years, it must be placed in the Transformation School District, or with a charter management organization,

Placed under the management of a charter school authorizer or educational management organization, or

permanently closed with students being sent to other schools in the district.

The South Carolina Transformation School District is established as part of SDE to operate and manage unsatisfactory schools. The Superintendent shall hire an individual, government entity, or non-profit entity to manage the district's schools. For schools whose districts have not been dissolved, the district must create a plan for the return of the schools once they have improved.

For districts where a majority of the students attend schools with an overall rating of below average or unsatisfactory, the State Superintendent must declare a state of emergency. If the district remains in a state of emergency for four consecutive years, the district must be consolidated or the schools must be placed under control of a charter school authorizer, an education management organization, or the Transformation School District.

School districts with a student population under 1,000 must be consolidated. The State Superintendent must provide a report to the General Assembly specifying how the consolidation should be accomplished. The Superintendent must also provide a comprehensive plan regarding the merger of school districts. Factors to be considered include student population, the fiscal health of the district, accreditation concerns, and school grades. The Superintendent must also include information on the status of districts that have consolidated administrative functions.

Local School Boards of Trustees may require that students earn more than 24 hours of credit in order to receive a high school diploma.

VI. SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES ETHICS

The State Board of Education must adopt a model code of ethics that shall be adopted by local districts by July 1, 2020.

A person may not serve on a local school board if a family member is employed by the district as a superintendent, principal, assistant principal, or member of the district administrative staff. This requirement may be waived for districts with a student population under 3,000.

Board members may not use their position for personal or family advantage.

Expectations for board members is codified.

Board members may be removed by the Governor if the district loses accreditation.

The State Ethics Act, including the requirement to file a statement of economic interest, is applied to local board members.

Local school boards must adopt an annual training programs for members that includes school law, ethics, school finance, instruction, nepotism, board relations, and conflicts of interest. Completion of the training must be reported to, and retained by SDE.

The Governor may remove a board member for fraud, misappropriation of funds, nepotism, or a violation of election or procurement laws.

VII. MISCELLANEOUS

All reports, studies, published findings, memoranda, guidelines, rules, and other documents concerning the implementation of programs and initiatives concerning student performance, district and school accountability, curriculum revisions, funding, and other matters requested by the House Education and Public Works Committee, or Senate Education Committee must be posted by SDE on its website within twenty-four hours after being made public.

SDE must pay a fine of $10,000 per day for each separate failure to comply with the posting requirements.

Exempts from all civil liability probation officers, court personnel, county and municipal personnel, public officials, and private volunteers who participate in community service programs involving probationers completing community service as a condition of probation. This exemption fails when any injury or damages result from the gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct by these officials or volunteers.

"Lizzy's Law" requires gun owners or gun possessors to report gun losses or thefts within 24 hours. Law enforcement agencies would be required to collect information about these lost or stolen guns. Sets penalties for failing to report lost or stolen guns timely.

Prohibits the SC Department of Corrections from negotiating private sector contracts that would pay inmates any wages less than federally established minimum wages.

Limits use of state-owned motor vehicles to normal operating hours. State employees could not use these vehicles to commute to work. Sets out exceptions to this prohibition, including exempting law enforcement and emergency response personnel.

If enacted, a limited pardon could be granted to anyone convicted of a nonviolent felony offense to have a gun --for hunting purposes only.

The Division Director of the South Carolina Foster Care Review Board would appoint all local board members. This legislation also creates a Regulation Review and Improvement Team. This group would be responsible for reviewing and recommending changes to foster care-related regulations.

Allows sheriff departments to enforce the provisions of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act.

Anyone who is convicted of second offense, or higher, animal cruelty offense would be prohibited from owning any animals for up to five years.

Restructures the criminal offense of disturbing schools.

In lieu of setting a bond, or as an additional condition of any bond that is issued, this proposal would allow courts to place a person charged with domestic violence under surveillance via an active electronic monitoring device. These devices would be required to have the capacity of keeping the victim notified at all times of the perpetrator's location. Sets out procedures for this monitoring, as well as penalties for tampering with an active electronic monitoring device.

Revises the spousal sexual battery criminal law to delete the provision requiring this crime to be reported with 30 days of an incident. Also removes the exemption for perpetrators under a certain age.

Adds the ability for candidates and committees to accept digital currency as campaign contributions. Any increases in digital currency values would have to be reported as interest. Candidates or campaign committees selling digital currency would be required to deposit these sale proceeds into a campaign account before spending the funds. Amends the definition of "contribution" to include digital currencies.

Under this proposal, mandated reporting of suspected child abuse, or neglect, would include instances where an infant, or a fetus, is exposed to alcohol or controlled substances.

Creates the criminal offense of "trafficking in fentanyl" for quantities of 4 grams or more.

Authorizes the SCDHEC director to add illegal narcotic substances temporarily to the SC Code Schedule I illegal narcotics list when this necessary action is needed immediately to protect public health and safety.

Enacts the "Community-Law Enforcement Partnership for Deflection and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Act." This Act authorizes law enforcement agencies to partner with treatment facilities, and community organizations, to establish deflection programs. These programs facilitate substance use disorder treatment for users. They would be utilized in lieu of arrest and justice system involvement. Includes immunity from liability for anyone successfully completing a deflection program as well as for law enforcement agencies implementing deflection programs in good faith.

Conforms provisions under trafficking in illegal drugs criminal laws, with the provisions covering possession and distribution of certain illegal drugs, to include synthetic opiates.

Involuntary manslaughter would include the sale or delivery of controlled substances, their analogues, or other unlawful substances when they cause the death of the user.

Increases the Richland-Lexington Airport District board membership by two members. These two new members must be residents of either Cayce or West Columbia.

The SC Department of Archives and Natural History would be required to ensure the content of all depictions, inscriptions, or messages on all historical plaques, historical markers, and historical monuments, to be located on state-owned property, or political subdivisions property, or school district properties, to be historically accurate and free of any editorial comments or subjective analyses under the provisions of this proposed legislation.

Deletes the term ‘financial responsibility' and substitutes the term ‘insurance‘ in its place under code sections requiring motorists to have insurance, or to have paid the stated fee in lieu of insurance, for their vehicles in order to operate them on state roadways. Motorists' failure to provide proof of insurance violations could not be considered "habitual offender" violations under this bill. Contains other necessary revisions to reflect this change in enforcement, including clarifying that the SCDMV, not its director, is to make certain determinations and enforce certain policies and procedures.

Amends the Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act to include everyone proximately causing damages. They will be included, whether they are defendants or nonparties, in the pool for allocating individual liabilities for these damages caused by their tortious conduct.

REMAINS IN A NURSING HOME Sen. Young

This bill revises provisions relating to programs and uniform assessment ratios for county equalization and reassessment, to provide that an owner eligible for and receiving the special assessment ratio of four percent who is residing at a nursing home retains the special assessment for as long as the owner remains in the nursing home.

This bill establishes requirements for a retailer selling tangible personal goods in a place of business to provide restroom facilities for customers, which must be available for use upon the request of the retail store customers.

This bill prohibits radio common carriers and cable service providers from airing fraudulent advertisements and establishes penalties for violations.

This bill enacts the "South Carolina Cellular Data Privacy Protection Act" to prohibit a mobile telecommunications provider from selling a customer's personal data to a third party. The legislation imposes penalties for violations and authorizes the Attorney General to investigate and enforce alleged violations.

This bill applies provisions of the South Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association to a claim or loss covered by selfinsurance that occurred prior to the acquisition of a block of business by a licensed insurer. The legislation revises provisions relating to insurance requirements for workers' compensation, so as to prohibit a selfinsurer from participating in or obtaining benefits from the South Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association. The legislation requires the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission to secure an actuarial opinion before approving the transfer of a selfinsurer to a licensed insurer.

This bill revises pawn ticket content requirements, so as to require inclusion of certain language concerning early redemption of loans and proration of loan interest. The legislation revises provisions relating to interest and charges on loans made by pawnbrokers, so as to provide pawnbrokers shall prorate interest and charges on a daily basis and may not impose additional charges if pledged goods are redeemed in whole or in part before the expiration of any thirtyday period or if the pledgor agrees to repay a loan in monthly periodic installments. The legislation provides for related notice requirements in mandatory posted rate schedules.

This bill provides that political subdivisions may not require employers to pay employees additional wages or pay based on any alterations or adjustments of employee scheduling nor may political subdivisions fine or otherwise penalize employers who do not pay employees additional wages based on any alterations or adjustments of employee scheduling.

This bill establishes a procedure for electrical utilities shall file new conforming net metering rates and establishes revised net energy metering provisions for solar power and other distributed energy resources.

This bill makes provision for a reconstituted Board of Directors of the South Carolina Public Service Authority composed of new members appointed under a revised process subject to a new set of qualifications. The Public Service Authority is required to create an interest bearing account known as the "Rate Reduction and Stabilization Fund" to be funded initially with the full amount of funds received by the authority from the Toshiba Corporation guarantee related to the abandoned nuclear reactors at Jenkinsville, South Carolina, and after that to be funded with certain other funds. The legislation provides for the manner in which the monies in the Rate Reduction and Stabilization Fund must be used for the benefit of the authority and customers of the authority. The legislation creates the "Public Service Authority Evaluation and Recommendation Committee" composed of nine members to determine the manner in which ratepayers and taxpayers may be best protected. The legislation establishes a list of comprehensive objectives for the committee and actions the committee may consider, including inventorying and evaluating the assets of the authority and determining whether or not a sale according to specified procedures would be in the best interest of taxpayers and ratepayers of the authority and the electric cooperatives of this state.

This bill revises vacation time sharing plan provisions, so as to define the term "timeshare instrument" and further provides for when a timeshare closing is considered to have occurred. The legislation enacts the "Vacation TimeSharing Plan Extensions and Termination Act", including provisions to clarify and supplement the procedures and requirements as to how owners of vacation timesharing interests may terminate vacation timesharing plans or extend the terms of these plans.

This bill revises definitions applicable to automobile insurance coverage, so as to remove certain requirements for the renewal of an automobile coverage policy and to define the term "reduction in coverage". The legislation revises notice requirements for cancellation or the refusal to renew a policy, so as to allow for an insurer to renew a policy with a reduction in coverage and to provide certain requirements for the reduction in coverage.

This bill provides for the Patients' Compensation Fund to merge with the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association. The legislation establishes a surcharge fee for a physician's license and a dentist's license to reduce the operating deficit of the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Liability Joint Underwriting Association. The legislation revises South Carolina Medical Malpractice Liability Joint Underwriting Association provisions so as to: define the term "deficit"; alter the membership of the association; establish certain requirements for the initial filing of policy forms; provide certain actions that must be done when the association accumulates or sustains a deficit; establish certain obligations for terminated members of the association; alter the composition of the board of the association; establish certain conditions regarding the association's annual financial statement and the examination of the association by the Director of the Department Of Insurance; and, provide for the merger of the association with the Patients' Compensation Fund.

The bill increases the maximum number of times a person may attempt to pass licensure from two to six.

The bill deletes the provision that allows physical therapy services without a referral from a medical doctor or dentist.

CENTER Sen. Young

The legislation adds the responsibility of facilitating and coordinating early detection educational initiatives for health care providers under the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Resource Coordination Center.

COMMITTEE Sen. Shealy

Currently, the Senate General Committee has the responsibility of appointing persons to the advisory committee. This bill changes the Senate General Committee's name to Senate Family and Veterans Services Committee.

This bill establishes the Advisory Council on Pediatric AcuteOnset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS), to advise the Department of Health and Environmental Control on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education relating to the syndrome and disorder. The bill also provides for the membership, the responsibilities and reporting requirements.

The bill outlines that every coroner, deputy coroner, and any other employee required to obtain continuing education requirements shall complete at least one hour of continuing education every three years on the identification of opiate-related deaths.

The bill prohibits Medicaid health plans from limiting patient access to medications that treat opioid addiction including, but not limited to, dosage limitations, and duration of treatment limitations

The legislation outlines that if a person is administered an opioid antidote in a hospital emergency department or other health care facility and the supervising physician diagnoses the patient as having experienced an opioid overdose, the supervising physician, the supervising physician's authorized delegate, or the institutional pharmacy's pharmacistincharge shall report to DHEC' Bureau of Drug Control information regarding the opioid antidote administered for inclusion in the prescription monitoring program.

Sen. Cromer

This bill makes provisions for extending the Energy Efficient Manufactured Homes Incentive Program for five additional years.

AND LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX Sen. Kimpson

This bill revises provisions relating to the expenditure of the state accommodations tax, local hospitality tax, and local accommodations tax, to allow the revenue to be expended for the control and repair of flooding and drainage at tourismrelated lands or areas and for site preparation, including demolition, repair, or construction.

Sen. Massey

This joint resolution directs the State Law Enforcement Division to distribute two hundred fifty thousand dollars to the South Carolina State Firefighters Association to provide for post-traumatic stress disorder insurance and programs.

This bill provides that, beginning in School Year 20192020, a new certified teacher hired to teach in a public K12 school in this state must receive a starting salary of no less than fifty thousand dollars and a current certified public K12 teacher who earned less than sixty thousand dollars in the 20182019 School Year must receive a salary of no less than sixty thousand dollars. A teacher employed in the same position, over the same time period, may not receive less total salary, including any normal incremental increase, than that teacher received in the 20192020 School Year. The increased salary amounts must be paid from the school district's administrative budget.

This bill states that, in establishing the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Account Act (EOESA), the General Assembly intends to promote student achievement by making South Carolina the most choicedriven state in the nation by increasing student participation in, and student access to, educational opportunities, both within and outside of their resident school district, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status. As a means of maximizing parental choice options and student access to customized, highquality educational opportunities, the legislation establishes the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Account for awarding scholarships to cover the costs of tuition and other expenses at eligible private schools and the costs of other educational services for eligible students, including those who have special needs, disabilities, or developmental disorders, children of lower income families, those who are in foster care under the responsibility of the state, and children of military personnel. The funding amount the state shall deposit into an account for a participating student must be equal to the Total State Funding of Shared Expenses Per Pupil the district to which the participating student would have been assigned would have received for the student, including Education Finance Act funding with appropriate weights, as determined by the State Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, less administrative costs. The legislation provides guidelines for the use of funds, establishes penalties for misuse, and makes provisions for program administration.

This bill makes revisions to the "South Carolina Textiles Communities Revitalization Act" to provide that a certain cap on rehabilitation expenses only applies to certain rehabilitated buildings on contiguous parcels.

This bill authorizes an income tax credit for a taxpayer who operates a school to work program which links students and schools with the workplace. The credit is set at onehalf of the amount the taxpayer could claim under job tax credit provisions if each participating student were considered to be a qualifying new fulltime employee.

This bill extends the homestead exemption for the disabled and elderly to all fair market value of the homestead subject to property tax beginning for the property tax year in which the individual currently receiving the homestead exemption attains the age of eightyfive years if the gross household income of that individual is fifty thousand dollars or less.

This joint resolution provides that, beginning in Fiscal Year 20192020, every employee, full or part time, of a school district in this state with an annual salary of less than twentyfive thousand dollars, or its hourly equivalent, must receive a permanent five percent increase in annual salary. However, these provisions must not cause an employee's annual salary, or its hourly equivalent, to increase to more than twentyfive thousand dollars.

This bill provides that an employee may be granted by his employer a specified amount of additional paid leave each year for the purpose of attending certain elementary and secondary school conferences or activities during the employee's work hours or to engage in certain volunteer teaching activities in the schools. The legislation provides that the employers of these employees are entitled to a specified state income tax deduction for these activities.

This bill enacts the "Livable Homes Tax Credit Act" to provide for an individual income tax credit to an individual who purchases a new residence or retrofits an existing residence to improve accessibility.

This bill revises property tax exemptions, so as to allow an exemption from all property tax equal to one hundred percent of the value subject to tax of an owneroccupied residence if the owner has attained the age of sixtyfive years.

This bill revises tax assessment ratio provisions, so as to extend to members of the United States Foreign Service certain legal residence provisions that apply to members of the Armed Services.

This bill authorizes the Comptroller General may, for the benefit of public employees, make deductions from the compensation of any such employee for the purpose of facilitating employee purchases of consumer offerings through an employee purchasing program facilitated by and through the Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) and its vendors.

This bill requires the Department on Aging to fund a program to provide subsidies to senior citizens to purchase a personal emergency response system.