A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by amending Section 59-25-420, relating to notices concerning annual teacher employment contracts, so as to provide contract acceptances submitted before May eleventh may be withdrawn by submission of written notice to the school district within ten days after publication of the school district salary schedule for the upcoming school year, and to provide school districts may not report such withdrawals as a breach of contract; and by amending Section 59-25-530, relating to UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND BREACH OF CONTRACT BY TEACHERS, so as to Revise the penalties for breach of contract resulting from the unauthorized execution of an employment contract with another district, to revise the period for educator certificate suspension due to breach of contract and to make such revocations discretionary.

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

SECTION 1.   Section 59-25-420 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   (C) Teachers who submit their contract prior to May eleventh pursuant to subsection (A) has ten days after publication of the employing district's salary schedule for the coming school year to notify the district's board of trustees in writing that the teacher wishes to withdraw their acceptance of their contract. If a teacher submits their request within ten days, the district is prohibited from reporting the withdrawal of prior acceptance as a breach of contract under Section 59-25-530.

SECTION 2.   Section 59-25-530 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

   Section 59-25-530.   Any teacher who fails to comply with the provisions of his contract without the written consent of the school board or as provided in Section 59-25-420 shall be is deemed guilty of unprofessional conduct. A breach of contract resulting from the execution of an employment contract with another board within the State without the consent of the board first employing the teacher makes void any subsequent contract with any other school district in South Carolina for the same employment period. Upon the formal complaint of the school board, substantiated by conclusive evidence, the State board shall may suspend or revoke the teacher's certificate, for a period not to exceed one calendar year. The period for educator certificate suspension due to breach of contract must begin on the date such contract is breached with the district and run for a period of time deemed appropriate by the State Board of Education, not to exceed six months from the date of breach. State education agencies in other states with reciprocal certification agreements shall be notified of the revocation of the certificate.

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

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