S 70

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 by the department
or its designee(s) and completed by each board member within nine months after
his election, reelection, appointment, or reappointment. The State Board of
Education must keep a record of the school board trustees who complete the
training program within the required time.  The State Board of Education shall
issue a letter of caution informing any school board trustee who fails to
comply with the requirements of this section providing a time in which to cure
the noncompliance.  If the school board trustee fails to cure his
noncompliance, the State Board of Education shall submit the name of the school
board trustee to the Governor for recommendation of removal under Section
59-19-60.
    (C)(B)
The orientation shall be approved by the State Board of Education and conducted
by public or private entities approved by the State Board of Education such as
the South Carolina School Boards Association.In
addition to meeting other requirements provided by law, a person serving on a
local school board shall sign a statement certifying that he understands and is
in compliance with the South Carolina ethics law, the applicable local code of
ethics, and the training required pursuant to this section.
    (D)(C)
The provisions of this section also apply to members of county boards of
education appointed or elected after July 1, 1997, in the same manner the
provisions of this section apply to members of school district boards of
trustees.A local school board shall certify
compliance with the provisions of subsection (B) and (C) by all board members within
nine months of the election, reelection, appointment, or reappointment of the
board and publish this certification in the minutes of the next regularly
scheduled school board meeting.
    (D) The provisions of this section do
not apply to a school board trustee or county board of education member who was
serving in such office on July 1, 1997, and who is continuously reelected or
reappointed to office thereafter.
    (E) The State Department of Education
shall reimburse a school district or county board of education conducting an
orientation for a new board member as required by this section at the rate of
eighty dollars for a member, provided that the total reimbursements by the
department in one fiscal year must not exceed ten thousand dollars.  If the
total projected cost of these reimbursements for a year as determined by the
department exceeds ten thousand dollars, the eighty-dollar reimbursement for
each new member must be reduced proportionately.  If funds are not available
for these reimbursements, the board member orientation is not required but may
be conducted at the option of a school district or county board of education.
The State Board of Education shall establish guidelines and procedures for
these reimbursements.
    (F) The State Department of Education
must keep a record of the school board trustees who complete the orientation
program.
SECTION 3.  Section 59-19-730(A) and Section
59-19-45(A)(1) takes effect upon approval by the Governor but must be completed
by December 31, 2026. The training program pursuant to Section 59-19-45(B) must
be offered by the department or its designee(s) and completed by each board
member within one year after the effective date of this act.
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