South Carolina H 3196: Attendance requirement

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3196 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 22, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3196

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

Committee Amendment Adopted

April 16, 2025

H. 3196

Introduced by Reps. Erickson, G. M. Smith, B. 
Newton, Wooten, Mitchell, Pope, Martin, Spann-Wilder, McCravy, Chumley, W. Newton, 
Gilliam, Collins, Vaughan, Caskey, Terribile, Kilmartin, Magnuson, Haddon, 
Wetmore, M. M. Smith, Schuessler, Stavrinakis, Sanders, Duncan, Teeple, Grant, 
Hartnett, Pedalino, Taylor, Hixon, Govan, Calhoon, Ligon, Lawson, Yow, 
Edgerton, Cromer, Reese, Gilliard, Alexander, Rivers, Oremus, Hartz and 
Anderson 

S. Printed 4/16/25--S. [SEC 
4/22/2025 10:31 AM]

Read the first time February 13, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE 
"EDUCATOR ASSISTANCE ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-112 SO AS TO PROVIDE 
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ARE PERMANENT 
UNLESS REVOKED OR SUSPENDED AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO RENEWAL, TO PROVIDE NO 
TEACHER MAY BE REQUIRED TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE 
BOARD, AND TO PROVIDE A TEACHER WITH A PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE SHALL CONTINUE 
TO COMPLETE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT; BY ADDING SECTION 
59-101-145 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE USE of DATa BEING COLLECTED UNDER CURRENT 
PROCEDURES TO REPORT ON CERTAIN POSTSECONDARY MATTERS CONCERNING GRADUATES OF 
SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND TO REQUIRE THE STREAMLINING OF DATA 
COLLECTION TIMELINES AND PROCESSES; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-25-47, RELATING TO 
POLICIES AUTHORIZING PAYMENTS FOR UNUSED TEACHER LEAVE, SO AS TO REQUIRE 
ADDITIONAL POLICIES THAT ALLOW TEACHERS TO DONATE SUCH UNUSED LEAVE TO A LEAVE 
BANK FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES, AND TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POLICIES; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 59-25-410, RELATING TO ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF SCHOOL TEACHER EMPLOYMENT 
AND ASSIGNMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE NOTIFICATION MUST INCLUDE CERTAIN SALARY 
INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS IN THE REQUIRED NOTICE, TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF TENTATIVE 
TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE PROVIDED NO LATER THAN FOURTEEN CALENDAR DAYS 
BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND TO PROHIBIT LIMITATIONS ON TEACHER 
REASSIGNMENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-25-420, RELATING TO NOTICES CONCERNING 
ANNUAL TEACHER EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CONTRACT ACCEPTANCES 
SUBMITTED BEFORE THE STATUTORY NOTIFICATION DEADLINE MAY BE WITHDRAWN BY 
SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER 
PUBLICATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SALARY SCHEDULE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL 
YEAR, AND TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY NOT REPORT SUCH WITHDRAWALS AS A 
BREACH OF CONTRACT; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-1-425, RELATING TO REQUIRED DAYS FOR 
COLLEGIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE ANNUAL SCHOOL CALENDAR, SO AS TO 
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DAYS TO FOUR, TO PROVIDE DISTRICTS MUST VERIFY 
COMPLETING OF THE REQUIRED COLLEGIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN A CERTAIN 
MANNER, TO PROVIDE TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS MUST BE PROVIDED 
SELF-DIRECTED FREE TIME TO EVALUATE STUDENT ACADEMIC DATA, INSTRUCTIONAL 
PLANNING, AND CLASSROOM PREPARATION, AND TO REMOVE A TWO-DAY MAXIMUM LIMITATION 
ON USE OF THESE COLLEGIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR PREPARATION AND 
OPENING OF SCHOOLS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-25-530, RELATING TO UNPROFESSIONAL 
CONDUCT AND BREACH OF CONTRACT BY TEACHERS, SO AS TO RECHARACTERIZE CERTAIN 
ACTIONS AS BEING BREACH OF CONTRACT INSTEAD OF UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT, TO 
REVISE THE PENALTIES AND CONSEQUENCES FOR SUCH BREACHES OF CONTRACT, AMONG 
OTHER THINGS; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-101-130 RELATING TO HIGH SCHOOLS 
REPORTING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION; INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING 
REPORTING TO HIGH SCHOOLS; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 59-101-140 RELATING TO 
TABULATION OF REPORTS.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Educator Assistance Act."

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 101, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
59-101-145. The State Department of Education, in collaboration with the 
Education Oversight Committee, is authorized to use data that is already being 
collected through current processes to report on the in-state and out-of-state 
college enrollment, college persistence, and postsecondary completion of South 
Carolina's high school graduates. The department shall work to streamline data 
collection timelines and processes to reduce the burden and increase the 
efficiency of such data collection and reporting.

SECTION 3. Section 59-25-47 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 59-25-47. (A) 
A local school district board of trustees or, in the case of a charter school,