South Carolina H 3573: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO SALUTE HUNTER RENFROW OF THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL TEAM FOR HIS INDISPENSABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO CLEMSON'S SENSATIONAL WIN OF THE 2016 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3573 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 12, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3573

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE 
"UNIVERSAL HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START ACT"; BY ADDING SECTION 59-152-170 
SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE GOAL OF OFFERING EVIDENCE-BASED HEAD START AND EARLY 
HEAD START PROGRAMS UNIVERSALLY TO ELIGIBLE FAMILIES, TO PROVIDE RELATED 
IMPLEMENTATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OFFICE OF FIRST STEPS TO SCHOOL 
READINESS, TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, AND TO PROVIDE PRIVACY MEASURES AND 
RELATED MEASURES.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Universal Head Start and Early Head Start 
Act."

SECTION 2. Chapter 152, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
59-152-170. (A) It is the goal of 
this State to offer evidence-based Head Start and Early Head Start programs 
universally to eligible families.

 (B) 
Before January 1, 2026, the Office of First Steps to School Readiness shall 
produce and post publicly a plan to make substantial progress annually over 
five years toward offering evidence-based Head Start or Early Head Start 
programs universally to eligible families.

 (C) 
The plan required pursuant to subsection (B) may include:

 (1) 
expansion of existing Head Start and Early Head Start programs;

 (2) 
proposed applications for federal and foundation-grant funding;

 (3) 
"Pay for Success" social impact bonds; and

 (4) 
any other programs the office identifies would result in an efficient expansion 
of Head Start offerings. The plan should target expansion of Head Start 
participation by at least twenty percent annually.

 (D) 
The plan required pursuant to subsection (B) may pursue on its own without 
additional legislative authorization or action, and within sixty days of the 
publication of the plan, the office shall commence those programs.

 (E) 
For aspects of the plan that would require additional action by the General 
Assembly, the office shall include in the plan specific requests and outlines 
of legislative action needed, including budget requests.

 (F) 
Within 120 days of the effective date of this section, the office shall begin 
the process of promulgating regulations to establish processes for automatic 
enrollment in Head Start or Early Head Start programs for eligible families and 
through visits to a primary care or pediatric doctor, and other medical 
providers, including through:

 (1) 
a checkbox or similar mechanism on the paperwork for annual pediatric exams to 
consent to enroll in a Head Start or Early Head Start program; and

 (2) 
a checkbox or similar mechanism on the paperwork for eligible long-term foster 
care and new adoptions for parents and guardians to consent to enroll in a Head 
Start or Early Head Start program.

 (3) 
Following an application requesting enrollment under this subsection, the 
office shall cross-reference existing information to the extent possible to 
determine eligibility and contact the applicant to discuss any additional 
informational needs and how to proceed with enrollment if eligible. The office 
shall ensure that the Universal Head Start or Early Head Start program is 
included within any integrated application process for public services offered 
by the State.

 (G) 
The office shall collaborate with the State Department of Education to 
facilitate greater collaboration between Head Start and prekindergarten and 
kindergarten programs in the State including, but not limited to, school visits 
and family supports to familiarize families with the public school system, 
cooperation around record transfers, and 
programmatic alignment.

 (H) 
For purposes of this section:

 (1) 
"Head Start program" or "Early Head Start program" means those programs defined 
by the federal Head Start Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 9801, et seq.

 (2) 
"Eligible families" means families who are eligible for Head Start services 
under a service delivery model included in item (1).

 (I) 
This State has a compelling interest in protecting privacy and the protection 
of personal information. In administering this section, state and local 
agencies, businesses, and any other entity, shall only request data necessary 
to administer this section and retain it only as required to administer and 
achieve the purposes of the section. Any personal information or data collected 
or obtained in the course of administering this section shall be shared only in 
a manner that has been deidentified and aggregated to the greatest extent 
allowable while still in compliance with federal eligibility requirements and 
every allowable effort shall be made to revoke access to such data should 
programs be elimi