H 4736

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4736
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 Report
March 25, 2026
H. 4736
Introduced
by Reps. McGinnis and Edgerton
S. Printed 3/25/26--H.
Read the first time January 13, 2026
________
The committee on House Education and
Public Works
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 4736) to amend
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-103-12 so as to create a
mandatory orientation training program for new members of the Commission on, etc.,
respectfully
Report:
That they have duly and carefully considered
the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
SHANNON ERICKSON for Committee.
statement of estimated fiscal impact
Explanation of Fiscal Impact
State Expenditure
This bill requires CHE to establish a board
orientation program designed to address the role, duties, and responsibilities
of the commission for new commission members, to be conducted at least once
during their first year of membership. The bill enumerates several requirements
of the orientation and training program, including that commission members
become familiar with their duties, accounting methods and fiduciary
requirements of the commission, regulatory and statutory requirements of the commission,
and other requirements related to higher education issues.
The bill states that the orientation
program and training must include at least six hours of education and
instruction for the new commission members, which may be completed in one block
or broken up over the course of a fiscal year. The executive director of CHE
must report annually to the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the
Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee the number of hours
of training and development that each member of the commission received during
the preceding fiscal year.
CHE indicates
that revising its current orientation program for new commissioners to meet the
requirements in the bill would be managed under existing resources for the
agency. The agency states that the continuing education and training
requirements would require additional expenditures to accomplish. CHE states
that for the ongoing training program for all commissioners, the agency would
utilize the Association of Governing Boards (AGB). CHE reports that it would
arrange a one-day training program conducted by an AGB consultant to provide
general training on governing boards, their duties, and responsibilities for
all commissioners for total non-recurring expenses of $20,000 in FY 2026-27. CHE
further reports that the agency would send four commissioners and every new commissioner
to the annual AGB conference, ensuring that each commissioner would attend the
conference once in a four-year term at a cost of $3,800 per commissioner for
total recurring expenses of $26,600. Therefore, this bill is expected to increase
General Fund expenses for CHE by approximately $46,600 in FY 2026-27. Expenses
will decrease to $26,600 each year thereafter. The agency indicates that
additional General Funds would be needed to cover these expenses.
Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director
Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office
_______
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
59-103-12 SO AS TO CREATE A MANDATORY ORIENTATION TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NEW
MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE PROGRAM, TO REQUIRE THE CREATION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE COMMISSION.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Article 1, Chapter 103, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:
    Section
59-103-12. (A) New commissioners on
the Commission on Higher Education board shall participate, at least once
during their first year of membership, in a board orientation program. The
board orientation program must be designed to address the role, duties, and
responsibilities of the commission members.
    (B)
The Executive Director for the Commission on Higher Education, in consultation
with relevant staff and external stakeholders, shall develop a comprehensive
board orientation program for new members of the commission as well as develop
continuing education opportunities for all continuing members of the commission.
    (C)
The orientation program and training must include, but is not limited to:
       (1)
methods for meeting the statutory, regulatory, and fiduciary obligations of the
commission;
       (2)
commission members' duty to this State, with particular attention to their
respective applicable statutory and regulatory authority;
       (3)
information concerning the roles of the governing bodies and their members;
       (4)
the state goals for higher education pursuant to Section 59-103-15;
       (5)
an overview of all relevant statutory and regulatory sections regarding
need-based scholarships and grants and merit-based scholarships and grants
funded through the South Carolina Education Lottery;
       (6)
a summary of the relevant statutory sections governing the commission found in
this chapter;
       (7)
the fiduciary duties and responsibilities of governing bodies;
       (8)
the requirements of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act;
       (9)
ethical considerations arising from membership on a governing body, including
the South Carolina Ethics Act;
       (10)
current and future national and state issues in higher education; and
       (11)
any other training topics the executive director considers necessary or
appropriate.
    (D)
The orientation program and training must include at least six hours of
education and instruction for the new commission members. The training may be
completed in one block or broken up over the course of a fiscal year, provided
that a new commission member shall complete the full six hours of training
within the first twelve months after his appointment to the commission.
    (E)
The executive director for the commission shall report annually to the Chairman
of the Senate Education Committee and the Chairman of the House Education and
Public Works Committee the number of hours of training and development that
each member of the commission received during the preceding fiscal year.
SECTION 2.  This act takes effect on July 1,
2026.
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This web page was last updated on March 25, 2026 at 09:40 PM