South Carolina H 3025: A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA COURSE ACCESS ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 8 TO TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE A CITATION, TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, TO CREATE A STATE COURSE ACCESS PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH ELIGIBLE STUDENTS MAY TAKE COURSES APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE OFFERED BY CERTAIN PROVIDERS, TO PROVIDE CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO THE AUTHORIZATION OF THESE COURSES, TO PERMIT RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER STATES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TUITION RATES, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

Bill Text

2017-2018 Bill 3025 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 15, 2016) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly

122nd Session, 2017-2018 

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Bill 3025

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

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA COURSE ACCESS ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 8 TO TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE A CITATION, TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, TO CREATE A STATE COURSE ACCESS PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH ELIGIBLE STUDENTS MAY TAKE COURSES APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO BE OFFERED BY CERTAIN PROVIDERS, TO PROVIDE CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO THE AUTHORIZATION OF THESE COURSES, TO PERMIT RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER STATES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TUITION RATES, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 

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

SECTION 1. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding: 

"CHAPTER 8 

South Carolina Course Access Act 

Section 59-8-110. This act must be known and may be cited as the 'South Carolina Course Access Act'. 

Section 59-8-120. (A) As used in this chapter: 

(1) 'State course access program' means the program created by this chapter. 

(2) 'State course access catalog' means the website developed for the Education Oversight Committee that provides a listing of all courses authorized and available to students in the State, detailed information about the courses to inform student enrollment decisions, and the ability for students to submit their course enrollments. The data in this catalog must be published online in an open format that can be retrieved, downloaded, indexed, and searched by commonly used web search applications. The data in the catalog is owned by the committee. 

(3) 'Course provider' means an entity authorized by the Education Oversight Committee to offer individual courses in-person, online, or both, including, but not limited to, online education providers, public or private elementary and secondary education institutions, education service agencies, private for profit or not for profit providers, postsecondary education institutions, and vocational or technical course providers. 

(4) 'Committee' means the Education Oversight Committee. 

(5) 'Eligible participating student' means a K-12 student who resides in this State. 

(6) 'Eligible funded student' means an eligible participating student who is currently enrolled in a public school, including a public charter school. 

(7) 'Local Education Agency' or 'LEA' means: 

(a) a school district organized and existing pursuant to law; 

(b) a board of cooperative services or intermediate school district; 

(c) a publicly funded agency established by the State for the express purpose of authorizing charter schools; 

(d) a public charter school authorized pursuant to state statutes; or 

(e) another local education agency in the State that has administrative control of public education. 

(8) 'Open format' means a format that is platform-independent, machine-readable, and available to the public without restrictions that would impede repeated use of that information. 

Section 59-8-130. (A) An eligible participating student may enroll in state course access program courses. 

(B) An eligible funded student may enroll in state course access program courses that are funded by the program up to the following levels, unless additional courses are approved by the school where they are enrolled: 

(1) Year 1 - Students entering the school year with credits equal to junior or senior level of high school may take up to two courses each semester; 

(2) Year 2 - Students entering the school year with credits equal to sophomore, junior, or senior level of high school may take up to two courses each semester; 

(3) Year 3 - Students in grades 9 through 12 may take up to two courses each semester; and 

(4) Year 4 and beyond - Students may take up to two courses each semester. 

(C) The families of eligible funded students and other eligible participating students may pay to enroll in state course access program courses above the levels specified in subsection (B). 

(D)(1) An LEA where an eligible funded student is enrolled full-time may review enrollment requests to ensure courses: 

(a) are academically appropriate; 

(b) are logistically feasible; 

(c) keep the student on track for an on-time graduation; and 

(d) do not extend a student beyond a full-time course load. 

(2) The LEA only may reject enrollment requests for those reasons. 

(E) An LEA shall inform students and families of their right to appeal an enrollment denial in a state course access program course to the committee, which shall provide a final enrollment decision within seven calendar days. 

Section 59-8-140. (A) The committee shall