South Carolina S 70: School Board Ethics

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 70 Text of Previous Version (May. 14, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 70

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Amended

May 13, 2026

S. 70

Introduced 
by Senator Hembree 

S. Printed 5/13/26--H. [SEC 
5/14/2026 11:17 AM]

Read the first time February 26, 2026

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
59-19-710 SO AS TO ENHANCE LOCAL SCHOOL GOVERNANCE; BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-720 
SO AS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS; BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-730 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE 
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT AND REVISE AS NECESSARY A MODEL CODE OF 
ETHICS FOR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AND REQUIRE THAT A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD 
SHALL ADOPT A LOCAL CODE OF ETHICS AT A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AND SUBMIT 
A COPY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF ADOPTION; AND BY 
AMENDING SECTION 59-19-45, RELATING TO MANDATORY ORIENTATION FOR SCHOOL 
DISTRICT BOARDS OF TRUSTEES AND COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO REQUIRE 
THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT A MODEL TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH MUST 
INCLUDE A LOCAL TRAINING PROGRAM.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

Article 5

School Board Member Code of Ethics

 Section 
59-19-710. The purpose of this article is to enhance local school governance by 
promoting the highest standards of ethical behavior.

 Section 
59-19-720. For the purposes of this article, "board member" means a person 
holding membership, whether by election or appointment, on a board of 
education, including a charter school board, charter school authorizer board, 
or the South Carolina Charter School District Board, other than the State Board 
of Education.

 Section 
59-19-730. (A) The State Board of 
Education shall adopt, and revise as necessary, a model code of ethics 
consistent with standards established by the South Carolina Ethics Commission 
for local school board members.

 (B)(1) A local school board shall adopt a 
local code of ethics applicable to that board within three months after 
adoption of the model code of ethics by the State Board of Education. A local 
code must include, at a minimum, the State Board of Education's model code of 
ethics.

 (2) 
If the State Board of Education adopts a revision to the model code of ethics, 
then local school boards shall adopt and incorporate the revision into their 
local code within three months of the adoption of the revision by the State 
Board of Education.

 (3) 
A local school board may only adopt its local code of ethics or any changes to 
that local code at a regularly scheduled meeting.

 (4) 
A local school board may not adopt or follow a code of ethics that prevents its 
members from freely discussing the policies and actions of the board outside of 
a board meeting except for matters discussed in executive session. This does 
not preclude a local school board from adopting a policy in a regularly 
scheduled meeting that prohibits certain disclosures allowed by law.

 (5) 
A local school board shall submit a copy of its local code of ethics and 
subsequent revisions to the State Board of Education within sixty days of 
adoption.

 (6) 
Nothing contained in this section may be construed to repeal, replace, or 
preclude application of any other statute.

SECTION 2. Section 59-19-45 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-19-45. (A) 
The department shall:

 (1) adopt a required training 
program for new local school board members 
delivered by the department or the department's designee(s). 

 (2) adopt a required training program 
for local school board members that have been reelected or reappointed 
delivered by the department or the department's designee(s). 

 (3) review the training program and 
adopt any necessary revisions every three years. The department may designate 
a designee(s) for this review process. Every three 
years, the department or the department's designee(s) shall review the training 
program and adopt any necessary revisions.

 (B) Within one 
yearnine months of taking office, all 
persons elected, reelected, or 
appointed, or reappointed as members of a 
school district board of trustees after July 1, 1997 regardless of the date of their election, reelection, 
appointment, or reappointment, shall complete successfully 
the required an 
orientationtraining program in the powers, 
duties, and responsibilities of a board member including, but not limited to, 
topics on policy development, personnel, superintendent and board relations, 
instructional programs, district finance, school law, ethics, nepotism, conflicts of interest, and community 
relations. This program must be offered