South Carolina H 3212: Low-Income tax credit

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3212 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3212

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 59-1-425, RELATING TO INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, SO 
AS TO PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS MAY NOT BEGIN BEFORE 8:30 IN THE MORNING; 
BY AMENDING SECTION 59-10-10, RELATING TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STANDARDS FOR 
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS, SO AS TO REVISE THE STANDARDS TO REQUIRE 
AN OVERALL INCREASE IN MANDATORY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MINUTES, TO REQUIRE DAILY 
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, TO REQUIRE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONAL PLAY 
AND UNSTRUCTURED PLAY IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND TO DEFINE 
NECESSARY TERMS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 59-10-30, RELATING TO PHYSICAL 
EDUCATION ACTIVITY DIRECTORS, SO AS TO REQUIRE DESIGNATIONS OF PHYSICAL 
ACTIVITY DIRECTORS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND TO REVISE DUTIES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 
DIRECTORS TO INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL PLAY AND UNSTRUCTURED PLAY 
FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

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

SECTION 1. Section 59-1-425(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) A local school district board of 
trustees of the State has the authority to establish an annual school calendar 
for teachers, staff, and students. The statutory school term is one hundred 
ninety days annually and must consist of a minimum of one hundred eighty 
instructional days covering at least nine calendar months. A local school 
district board of trustees may offer the required instructional days at any 
time during the school year, consistent with the law. Except as may be waived 
in this section or accompanying regulations, a local school district shall 
provide at least one thousand eighty instructional hours over the statutory 
school term. The opening date for students must not be before the third Monday 
in August, except for schools operating on a year-round modified school 
calendar. Three days must be used for collegial professional development based 
upon the educational standards as required by Section 59-18-300. The 
professional development must address, at a minimum, academic achievement standards 
including strengthening teachers' knowledge in their content area, teaching 
techniques, and assessment. No more than two days may be used for preparation 
of opening of schools and the remaining five days may be used for teacher 
planning, academic plans, and parent conferences. The number of instructional 
hours in an instructional day may vary according to local board policy and does 
not have to be uniform among the schools in the 
district. The school day for students may not begin before 
8:30 a.m.

SECTION 2. Section 59-10-10(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A)(1) The goal of this article is to provide 
every elementary student with the equivalent of thirty minutes of physical 
activity daily. Beginning in the 2006-07 school year, students in kindergarten 
through fifth grade must be provided a minimum of one hundred fifty minutes a 
week of physical education and physical activity. In 2006-07, a minimum of 
sixty minutes a week must be provided in physical education, and as Section 
59-10-20 is phased in, the minimum time for physical education must be 
increased to ninety minutes a weekenhance student 
academic performance, improve student health, and instill healthful behavior by 
integrating an increased amount of physical activity into the school day for 
elementary and middle school students. 

 (2)(a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 School 
Year:

 (i) students in kindergarten through 
third grade must be provided a minimum of ninety minutes of physical activity 
consisting of physical education, instructional play, and unstructured play 
each day; and

 (ii) students in fourth grade through 
eighth grade must be provided a minimum of sixty minutes of physical activity 
consisting of physical education, instructional play, and unstructured play 
each day.

 (b) The physical activity requirement 
in subitem (a) must include at least ninety minutes of physical education each 
week.

 (3) The certified physical 
education teacher to student ratio is designed to provide students in 
kindergarten through fifth grade with scheduled physical education either every 
day or on alternate days throughout the school year and must be based on the 
South Carolina Physical Education Curriculum Standards. The student to teacher 
ratio in a physical education class may not exceed the average student to 
teacher ratio of 28 to 1.

 (4) An individual student's 
fitness status must be reported to his parent or guardian during a student's 
fifth grade, eighth grade, and high school physical educatio