A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-1-315 so as to PROVIDE THAT THE OFFICE OF AUDITING SERVICES IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AT THE REQUEST OF EITHER FIVE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR TWO MEMBERS OR MORE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES THAT GOVERNS THE DISTRICT FOR WHICH THE AUDIT IS BEING SOUGHT, OR IN WHICH THE SCHOOL FOR WHICH THE AUDIT BEING SOUGHT IS SITUATED, AND TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH AN AUDIT ONLY MAY BE PERFORMED EVERY THREE YEARS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT OR SCHOOL.

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

SECTION 1.   Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 59-1-315.   (A) The State Department of Education, through its Office of Auditing Services, shall conduct an audit of a public school district or an individual public school at the request of:

      (1) five members of the General Assembly; or

      (2) two members or more of the board of trustees that governs the district for which the audit is being sought, or in which the school for which the audit being sought is situated. A majority of this board is not necessary to request an audit pursuant to this section.

   (B) An audit conducted pursuant to this section only may be performed once every three years for an individual district or individual school; provided, however, that an audit of a district may not serve as an audit of an individual school situated in the district for the purposes of this subsection.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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