South Carolina General Assembly
118th Session, 2009-2010

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S. 953

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Jackson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19536bh10.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 978, 4248

Introduced in the Senate on January 12, 2010
Introduced in the House on April 13, 2010
Currently residing in the House Committee on Education and Public Works

Summary: Substitute teachers

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/9/2009  Senate  Prefiled
   12/9/2009  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education
   1/12/2010  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-33
   1/12/2010  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education SJ-33
   3/25/2010  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education 
                        SJ-13
   3/26/2010          Scrivener's error corrected
   3/30/2010  Senate  Committee Amendment Amended and Adopted SJ-15
   3/30/2010  Senate  Read second time SJ-15
   3/31/2010  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-16
   4/13/2010  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-25
   4/13/2010  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works HJ-26

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/9/2009
3/25/2010
3/26/2010
3/30/2010

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE AMENDEMENT AMENDED AND ADOPTED

March 30, 2010

S. 953

Introduced by Senator Jackson

S. Printed 3/30/10--S.

Read the first time January 12, 2010.

            

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-117 SO AS TO REQUIRE AN INDIVIDUAL HIRED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SERVE IN ANY CAPACITY IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL WHICH REQUIRES DIRECT INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS TO UNDERGO A CRIMINAL RECORD SEARCH, TO REQUIRE EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP A WRITTEN POLICY ON THE CRIMINAL RECORD SEARCH, TO PROVIDE WHAT THE POLICY MUST INCLUDE, AND TO REQUIRE THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO APPROPRIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL; AND TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-115, RELATING TO FEES FOR CRIMINAL RECORD SEARCHES, SO AS TO FIX THE FEE AT EIGHT DOLLARS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.

Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 19, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-19-117.    (A)    An individual hired by a local school district board of trustees to serve in any capacity in a public school in this State shall undergo a name-based South Carolina criminal record search conducted by the local school district using records maintained by the State Law Enforcement Division pursuant to regulations contained in subarticle 1, Article 3, Chapter 73 of the Code of Regulations. By August 1, 2010, a school district board of trustees shall adopt a written policy that specifies the required criminal record search as well as how the information received from the search impacts hiring decisions. The district policy must stipulate whether the district assumes the cost of the criminal record search or that the applicant assumes the cost. The policy must include, at a minimum, a prohibition of hiring individuals convicted of violent crimes as defined in Section 16-1-60 and hiring recommendations relative to felony convictions and relevant just-cause examples provided in Section 59-25-160. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, working with the Department of Education, shall provide training to appropriate school district personnel regarding appropriate use of the information provided in criminal record searches.

(B)    Each school district of this State shall perform a National Sex Offender Registry check on all district employees hired to serve in any capacity in a public school and all volunteers who work in a school on an interim or regular basis as mentors, coaches, or any other capacity, or volunteers who serve as student chaperones or any other capacity having direct interaction with students. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, working with the Department of Education, shall provide training to appropriate district personnel on the appropriate uses of the database. By August 1, 2010, the district board of trustees shall adopt a written policy that specifies the sex offender registry check as well as how information received from the search impacts hiring decisions. The policy must include, at a minimum, a prohibition of hiring individuals required to register as sex offenders pursuant to Section 23-3-430."

SECTION    2.    Section 23-3-115 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 353 of 2008, is further amended by adding:

"(C)    The fee allowed in subsection (A) is waived if the criminal record search is conducted on a substitute teacher on behalf of a school district."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 12:16 P.M.