A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-67-75 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ALL NEWLY PURCHASED OR LEASED SCHOOL BUSES MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERIOR CAMERA.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 67, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 59-67-75.  (A) Beginning with the 2025 procurement cycle for state-owned or leased school buses, the State must ensure that all newly purchased or leased school buses are equipped with an interior camera system provided by the Department of Education. The camera system must:

       (1) include multiple cameras or camera angles positioned to capture complete coverage of interior activity;

       (2) record high-definition digital video; and

       (3) store recordings securely.

    (B) Prior to each school bus operating shift, proper operation of the camera system must be verified. School districts shall maintain written records of system checks and ensure that any malfunctioning equipment is repaired within five business days.

    (C) If footage of an incident that occurred on a state-owned or leased school bus is requested by the Department of Education, it must be provided within five school days. All other requests for footage made to school districts shall follow procedures established by the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act and be provided at no cost.

    (D) To ensure proper data security and privacy, each school district shall:

       (1) implement secure storage protocols for recorded footage;

       (2) restrict access to recorded footage to authorized personnel only; and

       (3) establish procedures for footage review and retention.

 

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

----XX----