South Carolina H 4068: Impeachment

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4068 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 20, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4068

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 ADDING SECTION 
59-63-285 SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS RELATED TO THE SUSPENSION OF PRESCHOOL 
STUDENTS, TO PROVIDE FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, 
AND STAFF, TO REQUIRE EFFORTS TOWARD MAINTAINING STUDENT ENROLLMENT, AND TO 
PROVIDE FOR RELEVANT DATA COLLECTION.

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

SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 63, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended 
by adding:

 Section 
59-63-285. (A) For purposes of this 
section:

 (1) 
"Challenging behavior" means any repeated pattern of behavior, or adult 
perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with 
optimal learning or engagement in positive interactions with peers and adults.

 (2) 
"Publicly funded preschool" means formal education programs funded by CERDEP, 
EIA, Title I, and district funds.

 (B) A 
student enrolled in 3K or 4K programs in a publicly funded preschool may not 
receive an out-of-school suspension unless a serious safety threat exists that 
has not been reduced or eliminated despite the implementation and exhaustion of 
the services and interventions in subsection (E) and no other reasonable option 
is appropriate.

 (C) A 
student enrolled in 3K or 4K programs in a publicly funded preschool may not 
receive an in-school suspension unless the provision of services and 
interventions in subsection (E) has been implemented and are unsuccessful. 
Preschool students removed from the classroom for short periods of time to 
collect themselves after exhibiting challenging behavior must be returned to 
the classroom as quickly as possible when deemed appropriate by school 
personnel.

 (D) 
If an in-school or out-of-school suspension is deemed necessary, school 
personnel shall assist the preschool student in returning to full participation 
in all program activities as quickly as possible while minimizing loss of 
instruction and ensuring child safety.

 (E) 
Before a publicly funded preschool expels or suspends a child for challenging 
behavior, the school shall first attempt to maintain participation and 
enrollment by:

 (1) 
exhausting its own interventions and strategies available, such as multitiered 
system of support measures, trauma-informed care, early childhood behavioral 
specialists, and school mental health therapists;

 (2) 
if determined to be appropriate for the student, ensuring the student has 
received referrals for assessments or evaluations for special education or 
other support services, the assessments or evaluations have been completed, and 
any interventions, services, or accommodations have been implemented. A school 
or program is not required to exhaust the services and interventions prior to 
suspension if the preschool student's parents or guardians have refused 
evaluation or interventions, and these refusals have been documented by the 
school;

 (3) 
if the student has an IEP or 504 Plan, convening an IEP or Section 504 meeting 
to review if appropriate supports are being provided; and

 (4) 
revising existing student codes of conduct and publishing revised written codes 
of conduct that acknowledge age-appropriate behavior for preschoolers and 
age-appropriate consequences for challenging behavior exhibited by preschoolers 
as distinguished from conduct expected of and consequences appropriate for 
older students.

 (F) 
The provisions of Sections 59-63-230 and 59-63-240 must be extended to students 
enrolled in a publicly funded preschool in a public school.

 (G) 
All efforts to maintain participation and enrollment, provide due process, and 
accurately report suspensions as required in this section must be documented in 
the student information system as directed by the State Department of 
Education. First Steps and Head Start 4K programs that qualify as publicly funded 
preschools must collect this data through the systems in use or of its choice 
as long as the program captures the documentation, actions, and data required 
in this section except for the due process procedures in subsection (F).

 (H)(1) The State Department of Education 
shall make available to publicly funded preschools in public school districts:

 (a) 
preservice and in-service professional development on working with children in 
preschool with challenging behaviors to administrators, teachers, and staff. 
This professional development should include, but is not limited to:

 (i) 
making administrators, teachers, and staff aware of additional resources 
available in the community for families with young children who have more 
intensive needs;

 (ii) publicizing the resources