South Carolina H 3185: Transparency and Integrity in Education Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3185 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3185

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 
"SOUTH CAROLINA TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY IN EDUCATION ACT" by adding Article 
5 to chapter 29, title 59 so as to PROVIDE NECESSARY DEFINITIONS, TO PROVIDE 
REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING CURRICULUM CONTENT AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEE TRAINING 
REQUIREMENTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR ADDRESSING VIOLATIONS, 
TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS OF LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES AND THE STATE BOARD 
OF EDUCATION, AND TO PROHIBIT SCHOOLS FROM USING, MAKING AVAILABLE, PROMOTING, 
OR PROVIDING ACCESS TO PORNOGRAPHIC OR PROHIBITED MATERIALS; AND BY AMENDING 
SECTION 59-28-180, RELATING TO PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS IN THE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT 
IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE PARENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 
THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN REGARDING MORALS, ETHICS, 
AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, AND TO PROVIDE A PARENTAL PLEDGE OF EXPECTATIONS MUST 
BE PROVIDED TO PARENTS AS PART OF THE REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT PROCESS.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Transparency and Integrity 
in Education Act."

SECTION 2. Chapter 29, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 5

Academic Transparency and Integrity

 Section 
59-29-610. For purposes of this article:

 (1) 
"LEA" means a local education agency, to include the sponsor of a public 
charter school pursuant to Section 59-40-40, and the:

 (a) 
Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities;

 (b) 
Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe;

 (c) 
Special School of Science and Mathematics, also referred to as the Governor's 
School for Science and Mathematics;

 (d) 
Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School; and

 (e) 
South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind.

 (2) 
"Parent" means the biological parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, person with 
legal custody or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of a 
student, excluding an individual whose parental relationship to the child has 
been legally terminated.

 Section 
59-29-620. (A) The following 
prohibited concepts may not be included or promoted in a course of instruction, 
curriculum, assignment, instructional program, instructional material 
(including primary or supplemental materials, whether in print, digital, or 
online), surveys or questionnaires, presentations, performances, school 
policies and protocols or professional educator development or training, nor 
may a student, employee, or volunteer be compelled to affirm, accept, adopt, or 
adhere to such prohibited concepts:

 (1) 
members of one race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin are inherently 
superior to members of another race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin;

 (2) 
an individual, by virtue of the race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or 
national origin of the individual, inherently is privileged, racist, sexist, 
contributive to any oppression or oppressive, whether consciously or 
subconsciously;

 (3) 
an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse or favorable 
treatment because of the race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national 
origin of the individual;

 (4) 
the moral character of an individual is determined by the race, sex, ethnicity, 
religion, color, or national origin of the individual;

 (5) 
an individual, by virtue of the race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or 
national origin of the individual, bears responsibility for actions committed 
in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, 
or national origin;

 (6) 
meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic:

 (a) 
are racist, sexist, belong to the principles of one religion; or

 (b) 
were created by members of a particular race, sex, or religion to oppress 
members of another race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin or religion; 
and

 (7) 
fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to members of a race, sex, ethnicity, 
religion, color, or national origin because of their race, sex, ethnicity, 
religion, color, or national origin.

 (B) 
All materials made available to students including, but not limited to, primary 
and supplemental instructional material, reference material, extracurricular 
material, library and media center material, both printed and electronically 
accessible, must be age appropriate, grade appropriate, or appropriate to the 
academic grade level of the student.

 (C) A 
student, administrator, teacher, staff member, other school or district 
employee, or volunteer may not be required to engage in any gender or sexual 
diversity training or couns