H 3225

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 3225
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
DRAFT PREPARED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
For: Rep. Garvin
Attorney: Beeson
Drafting Assistant: Rushton
Date: December 03, 2024
DOC. ID.: /LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL/WAB/DRAFTS/LC-0152WAB25/LC-0152WAB25.DOCX
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE
9 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 59, SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SERVICE YEAR
PROGRAM" IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PURPOSES AND
FUNCTIONS OF THE PROGRAM, TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF SERVICE AND CIVIC
INNOVATION IN THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR AND TO PROVIDE THE PURPOSES AND
FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE, TO ESTABLISH THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SERVICE YEAR PROGRAM
FUND" AND TO PROVIDE THE PURPOSES OF THE FUND, TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS, AND TO
PROVIDE CERTAIN PRIVACY AND RELATED MEASURES.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Article 9, Chapter 1, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:
  Article
9
  South
Carolina Service Year Program
    Section
59-1-910.  This article establishes the South Carolina Service Year Program to
provide individuals with job training and work experience while engaging them
in local service projects that fill critical needs in this State.
    Section
59-1-920.
       (1)
There is a South Carolina Service Year Program (SCSYP) in the State hereby
established to be administered and managed by the State Department of
Education.
       (2)
The purpose of the program is to:
  (a)
provide meaningful, impactful service opportunities to SCSYP participants to
improve lives in this State including, but not limited to:
  (i)
public sector jobs including uniformed and civilian roles at the state, county,
and municipal level with the department working to incorporate service year
opportunities with existing collective bargaining, civil service, and other
legal limits on such roles to the extent necessary;
  (ii)
public and community health;
  (iii) clean and renewable energy;
  (iv)
early childhood education;
  (v)
arts and humanities; and
  (vi)
other areas that fill critical community needs as identified by the department
in collaboration with the Department of Employment and Workforce;
  (b)
equip SCSYP participants with professional development, mentoring, job
training, financial literacy skills, and other supports while working in
high-impact service placements;
  (c)
equip SCSYP participants with the skills that will enable them to successfully
make the transition to an institution of higher education or to the workforce;
  (d)
strengthen the pipeline of talent into state and local governments to fill
present and future staffing needs; and
  (e)
provide program completion awards to SCSYP participants who have completed the
program.
       (3)
In administering the program, the department shall:
  (a)
seek community service opportunities and opportunities for program expansion,
including in state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations;
  (b)
develop processes to facilitate awarding SCSYP participants with:
  (i)
academic credit for their participation in the program; or
  (ii)
credit for their participation and prior learning experience toward
professional credentials, trade or vocational certifications, and
apprenticeship programs;
  (c)
seek gifts or grants and other financial resources, including through
public-private partnerships, for the benefit of the program;
  (d)
apply for, receive, and spend grants-in-aid by the federal government or any of
its agencies or any other federal funds and funds from nongovernmental entities
and private partners made available to the department for use in administering
the program;
  (e)
maintain relationships with current and former SCSYP participants including to
provide mentorship or other supports to current participants as appropriate;
  (f)
provide oversight of the design, development, implementation, operation, and
expansion of the program; and
  (g)
participate in program-sponsored events.
        (4)
The department is responsible for expanding service opportunities in the State
through the program with the following goals:
  (a)
recruiting SCSYP participants and creating a strong annual cohort for SCSYP
participants from urban, rural, and suburban areas of the State;
  (b)
ensuring all individuals have equitable access to participate in the program
regardless of gender, race, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, disability, geography, native language, or
protected veteran status;
  (c)
recruiting and prioritizing for participation in the program state and local
government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
        (5)
The department shall adopt regulations to accomplish the above and the goals of
this article including, but not limited to:
  (a)
eligibility requirements for participating organizations, classified by the
department based on the number of service placements the organization's grant
will support, as:
  (i)
community employers; or
  (ii)
large-scale employers;
  (b)
a centralized process to facilitate efficient screening and placement of SCSYP
participants into the appropriate service placement as well as effective
measurement and evaluation of the SCSYP participant's service experience;
  (c)
reasonable workplace accommodations for SCSYP participants with disabilities;
  (d)
compensation for SCSYP participants, including:
  (i)
monetary payment at least equivalent to the job level for a permanent path role
at the employer;
  (ii)
health insurance benefits and the potential for wraparound services; and
  (iii) requirements for large-scale
employers to provide matching funds to receive SCSYP placements as appropriate;
and
  (e)
a program completion award. Upon completing the program as defined by the
department, SCSYP participants who remain in the State for a majority of the
following ten years become eligible for a program completion award with value
of at least $10,000 at maturity ten years after completion of their service
year.
  (i)
The State Treasurer, in coordination with the department, shall establish
within the Service Year Program Fund established in Section 59-1-940 an account
for each eligible individual identified under this section. Each individual
account shall be identified to its account holder by means of a unique personal
identifier and shall remain in the fund. The State Treasurer shall credit to each
individual account sufficient funds annually to ensure that the account
contains $10,000 at the tenth year from the date of program completion, $25,000
at the twentieth year from the date of program completion, and $40,000 at the
thirtieth year from the date of program completion, with the account holder
entitled to the funds in the account at any time after ten years from program
completion if they have been residents of the State for a majority of the
intervening years.
  (ii)
In the case of a deceased account holder of an individual account which has an
account balance greater than zero, upon receipt of notification of such
individual's death, the account rights shall transfer pursuant to the
inheritance laws of this State. Unclaimed funds shall be handled via the
Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, with any unclaimed funds returning to the State
after a time to be set by the department in accordance with state law;
  (f)
workforce development training provided to SCSYP participants by participating
organizations or state agencies;
  (g)
ongoing evaluation of opportunities to expand service in the State to address
the state's workforce development needs, including opportunities within State
agencies for the creation and expansion of service opportunities within the
agencies; and
  (h)
ongoing evaluation of the program to ensure access and effectiveness,
including:
  (i)
demographics of SCSYP participants, including race, ethnicity, age, sex,
gender, education, and geography;
  (ii)
post-program trajectories of SCSYP participants; and
  (iii) evaluation of the needs served
in the community by the program.
        (6)
A SCSYP participant who received a service placement shall:
  (a)
participate in all trainings related to the service placement;
  (b)
work at least thirty hours per week;
  (c)
perform the duties of the service placement to the satisfaction of the
participating organization and the department;
  (d)
participate in program-wide events;
  (e)
upon completion of the program, be notified of available postprogram
opportunities, including registered apprenticeships, known to the department.
    Section
59-1-930.  (A) There is established
the Office of Service and Civic Innovation in the Office of the Governor. The
office must be headed by a director who is appointed by the Governor with the
advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
    (B)
The director shall:
       (1)
advise the Governor on all matters to the office and is responsible for
carrying out the Governor's policies on matters concerning the office;
       (2)
promote service and volunteerism in the state by partnering with the federal
government, local governments, and nongovernmental entities, to fulfill the
purposes of this title;
       (3)
identify, develop, and implement initiatives, including community service
opportunities, to increase service and volunteerism in the State to create
opportunities, expand programs, and strengthen communities;
       (4)
be responsible for:
  (a)
the operation of the office and shall establish guidelines and procedures to
promote the orderly and efficient administration of the office;
  (b)
the budget of the office of the secretary and the budget of any departments or
divisions in the office;
  (c)
the coordination and direction of all planning that the office of the Governor
initiates;
       (5)
employ staff, appoint a deputy secretary and other professional staff, and
contract with consultants as authorized representatives in accordance with the
state budget;
       (6)
apply for, receive, and spend grants-in-aid by the federal government or any of
its agencies or any other federal funds made available to the department for
use in carrying out the powers and duties of the office.
    (C)
The office shall:
       (1)
promote the use of SCSYP participants and volunteers in state and local
government, employers, and nonprofit organizations;
       (2)
coordinate and oversee the activities of the South Carolina Service Year
Program and other service and volunteerism programs and initiatives by the
State;
       (3)
develop and implement model programs for a statewide clearinghouse, skill bank,
or information centers for volunteers and projects in the State;
       (4)
develop and implement volunteer recognition events for volunteers in state
programs and provide technical assistance and support for recognition events in
nonpublic programs to increase the visibility and status of volunteers and
their accomplishments;
       (e)
administer the Service Year Program;
       (5)
liaise with national, state, and local volunteerism groups to obtain
information on federal, state, local, and private resources that may enhance
volunteer projects within the State; and
       (6)
conduct studies and make recommendations to improve volunteer recruitment and
training, volunteer retention, and accountability of volunteer programs.
    Section
59-1-940.  (A) The South Carolina
Service Year Program Fund is separate from the general fund. The fund consists
of:
       (1)
money appropriated to the fund under the program in the state budget;
       (2)
funding received by the program from federal funding opportunities;
       (3)
gifts or grants received by the program for the fund;
       (4)
investment earnings of the fund; and
       (5)
any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the fund.
    (B)
The purpose of the fund is to:
       (1)
provide compensation and stipends to SCSYP participants with a service
placement under this section;
       (2)
pay the costs to administer and promote the program; and
       (3)
assist in the creation of additional SCSYP programs.
    (C)
The program shall administer the fund. Any investment earnings of the fund
shall be credited to the fund.
    (D)
The office:
       (1)
may accept any gifts or grants from any person for the fund;
       (2)
shall use any gift or grant that it received for the purposes provided in this
article.
    (E)
Beginning with the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year, the department shall prepare an
annual report of the fund that includes:
       (1)
an accounting of all financial receipts and expenditures to and from the fund;
       (2)
the total number of SCSYP participants disaggregated by demographic categories;
       (3)
the total annual cost of the program disaggregated by the source of the funds;
       (4)
SCSYP participant transition after program completion into higher education,
postsecondary education, full-time employment, registered apprenticeships, and
other postprogram opportunities;
       (5)
the number of SCSYP participants employed by state or local government agencies
after completion of the program; and
       (6)
to the extent practicable, what former SCSYP participants are doing one year,
two years, and five years after completing the program.
    Section
59-1-950.  For purposes of this article, "wraparound
services" includes:
       (1)
childcare;
       (2)
transportation;
       (3)
housing;
       (4)
behavioral health;
       (5)
crisis intervention;
       (6)
substance abuse prevention or treatment;
       (7)
legal aid;
       (8)
financial literacy programming;
       (9)
job search and application support; and
       (10)
college application support.
    Section
59-1-960.  This State has a compelling interest in protecting privacy and the
protection of personal information. In administering this article state and
local agencies, businesses, and any other entity, shall only request data
necessary to administer this article and retain it only as required to
administer and achieve the purposes of the article. Any personal information or
data collected or obtained in the course of administering this article shall be
shared only in a manner that has been deidentified and aggregated to the
greatest extent allowable while still in compliance with federal eligibility
requirements and every allowable effort shall be made to revoke access to such
data should programs be eliminated or should there be an ineligibility
determination. Personal information or data collected or obtained in the course
of administering this article shall not be otherwise disclosed without the
informed consent of the individual, a warrant signed by a circuit court judge
or federal judge, lawful court order administered within this State or a lawful
federal court order, or subpoena administered within this State or federal
subpoena, or unless otherwise required by federal or state statute. Personal
information or data may be considered deidentified if it cannot reasonably be
used to infer information about, or otherwise be linked to, a particular
individual or household.
SECTION 2.  If any section, subsection,
paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for
any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not
affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act,
the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and
each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause,
phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other
sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases,
or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise
ineffective.
SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
----XX----
This web page was last updated on February 05, 2025 at 11:40 AM