South Carolina H 3248: Local Government - Pickens County School Board of Trustees

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3248 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3248

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 AMENDING 
SECTION 59-116-10; SECTION 59-116-20; SECTION 59-116-30; SECTION 59-116-80; AND 
SECTION 59-116-120, ALL RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT AND CONDUCT OF CAMPUS 
SECURITY DEPARTMENTS BY PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THIS STATE, 
SO AS TO INCLUDE THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS, THE 
GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR AGRICULTURE AT JOHN DE LA HOWE, AND THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL 
FOR ARTS AND HUMANITIES AMONG THE INSTITUTIONS THAT MAY ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN 
SUCH CAMPUS SECURITY DEPARTMENTS.

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

SECTION 1. Section 59-116-10 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-116-10. As used in this chapter:

 (1) 
"Campus" means the grounds and buildings owned and occupied by a college or 
university or of a Governor's School for education 
purposes and streets and roads through and contiguous to the grounds.

 (2) 
"College or university" means a state chartered two or four-year private 
educational institution of higher learning located in this State.

 (3) 
"Campus police officer" means an employee of a college or university whose 
duties include the enforcement of the laws of this State; the preservation of 
public order; the protection of life and property; the prevention, detection, 
or investigation of crime; or a combination of those duties. It does not 
include personnel of a private company which provides security services on a 
contract basis for the institution concerned.

 (4) "Governor's School" means the 
Special School of Science and Mathematics established in Chapter 48, the 
Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe established in Chapter 49, 
and the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities established in Chapter 
50.

SECTION 2. Section 59-116-20 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-116-20. (A) The board of trusteesgoverning board of each college or university and each Govenor's School may establish a safety and 
security department and appoint and employ campus police officers to carry out 
the functions of the department. While on duty, campus police officers shall 
wear distinctive uniforms prescribed by the board of trustees or its designees.

 (B) The officers must be 
commissioned as constables pursuant to Section 23-1-60 and take the oath of 
office prescribed by law and the state Constitution for those officers. The 
jurisdiction of such a constable is limited to the campus grounds and streets 
and roads through and contiguous to them.

SECTION 3. Section 59-116-30(C) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (C) Safety and security departments 
created and operated by the governing boards of trustees of institutions under this chapter for the 
purposes of this chapter are campus police departments and the sworn campus 
police officers of the department are campus police officers.

SECTION 4. Section 59-116-80(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) It is unlawful for a person to 
falsely represent himself to be a campus police officer, agent, or employee of 
a safety and security department of a college or 
universityan institution under this chapter, 
or arrest, detain, search, or question in any manner the person or property of 
a person, nor may a person without the authority of the governing board of the 
institution wear its official uniform, insignia, badge, or identification of 
the department.

SECTION 5. Section 59-116-120 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-116-120. The provisions of this chapter may not be construed to prevent colleges and universitiesinstitutions 
under this chapter from employing or continuing to employ guards, 
gatekeepers, and other security personnel, and the chapter applies only to 
those security officers who are granted the additional law enforcement 
authority including the power to arrest provided for officers who fulfill the 
requirements and meet the standards prescribed in this chapter.

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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