H 5201

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5201
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Committee Report
April 16, 2026
H. 5201
Introduced
by Reps. Pedalino and Teeple
S. Printed 4/16/26--H.  [SEC
4/20/2026 1:06 PM]
Read the first time February 18, 2026
________
The committee on House Education and
Public Works
To whom was referred a Bill (H. 5201) to amend
the South Carolina Code of Laws by enacting the "Safe Schools Act of 2026" by
adding Article 6 to Chapter 63, Title 59, so as to establish a
multijurisdictional, etc., respectfully
Report:
That they have duly and carefully considered
the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
SHANNON ERICKSON for Committee.
_______
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE
"Safe Schools Act of 2026" BY ADDING ARTICLE 6 TO CHAPTER 63, TITLE 59, SO AS
TO ESTABLISH A MULTIJURISDICTIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE, TO REQUIRE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP MULTIHAZARD EMERGENCY OPERATION PLANS, TO PROVIDE FOR
CERTIFIED SCHOOL SAFETY ASSESSMENTS AND REQUIRED LIVE DRILLS, AND TO PROVIDE
OVERSIGHT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BY SLED, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as the "Safe Schools Act of 2026."
SECTION 2.  Chapter 63, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:
Article 6
Multihazard Emergency Operation Plans
    Section
59-63-610. As used in this article:
       (1)
"Center" means the South Carolina Center for School Safety and Targeted
Violence under the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
       (2)
"MEOP" means the Multihazard Emergency Operation Plan established pursuant to
this article.
       (3)
"Certified security assessor" means an individual or organization registered
with and approved by the center, holding current certifications in multiple
relevant areas including, at a minimum, Crime Prevention Through Environmental
Design (CPTED), Physical Security Certification (PSC), school security
strategies, and other equivalent credentials specific to educational facility
security assessments. General policing or law enforcement credentials alone do
not satisfy this requirement.
    Section
59-63-620. (A) There is established
the Multijurisdictional School Safety Task Force (Task Force), a continuing
body responsible for developing, coordinating, and advising on statewide school
safety policies, best practices, and implementation strategies.
    (B)
The task force consists of seven members, appointed as follows:
       (1)
one representative of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, appointed by
the Chief of SLED, who shall serve as chair;
       (2)
one representative of the State Department of Education, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education;
       (3)
one representative of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division,
appointed by the Governor;
       (4)
one representative of local law enforcement, appointed by the Governor;
       (5)
one school safety officer or school resource officer with experience in a
public school, appointed by the Governor;
       (6)
one licensed mental health professional with experience in child or adolescent
mental health, appointed by the Governor; and
       (7)
one public school district administrator, appointed by the Governor.
    (C)
Appointments must be made within sixty days after the effective date of this
act.
    (D)
Members shall serve four-year terms and may be reappointed. Members appointed
by agency heads serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
    (E) A
majority of the members constitutes a quorum. The task force may meet as often
as necessary to carry out its duties, may elect a vice chair and other officers
as it considers necessary, and may establish subcommittees or working groups,
including nonmember subject-matter experts, provided that final recommendations
are approved by the task force.
    (F)
Vacancies must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the
remainder of the unexpired term.
    (G)
Members shall serve without compensation, but may receive mileage, subsistence,
and per diem as provided by law, subject to available funds.
    (H)
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shall provide administrative
support and staffing for the task force but shall not have sole authority to
develop, implement, or unilaterally approve statewide school safety policies,
plans, or programs. State agencies represented on the task force shall
cooperate upon request.
    (I)
The task force shall:
  (1)
develop a statewide master Multijurisdictional Emergency Operation Plan (MEOP)
through collaborative consensus;
  (2)
provide templates, protocols, best practices, and technical support to
districts and schools;
  (3)
advise on communications systems, emergency command structures, and interagency
coordination; and
  (4)
ensure statewide consistency while respecting local needs and circumstances.
    (J)
The task force shall:
       (1)
review and assess school safety policies, procedures, and practices;
       (2)
identify coordination gaps and recommend best practices for prevention,
preparedness, response, and recovery; and
       (3)
advise the General Assembly and executive agencies on school safety matters.
    (K)
The task force shall submit a written report at least annually to the Governor,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate.
The report must be publicly available, including posting on the State
Department of Education's website.
    (L)
Final adoption of the master MEOP and major policy recommendations requires
majority approval of the task force.
    (M)
The task force is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
    Section
59-63-630. (A)  Each school
district must develop and annually update district-wide and school-specific
MEOPs aligned with the statewide master MEOP.
    (B)
Each school district MEOP shall address:
       (1)
prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery (PPMRR);
       (2)
communication protocols;
       (3)
evacuation and reunification procedures;
       (4)
transportation contingencies;
       (5)
memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with mental health providers, houses of
worship, EMS, and other partners;
       (6)
continuity of operations; and
       (7)
clear chain of command with succession plans.
    (C)
Each school district's MEOP must be:
       (1)
reviewed and updated annually by the district;
       (2)
audited by the center at least every two years; and
       (3)
accompanied by a superintendent compliance certification in nonaudit years.
    Section
59-63-640. (A) Every public school
and charter school must undergo an in-person certified security and safety
campus assessment at least once every three years.
    (B)
Assessments must be conducted by a certified security assessor registered with
the center who holds the required multiple certifications specified in Section
59-63-610(3). An assessment performed by an individual or entity lacking these
specific credentials are not valid for compliance purposes.
    (C)
The center shall:
       (1)
maintain a public registry of approved certified security assessors;
       (2)
establish and enforce minimum credential and training standards; and
       (3)
review all submitted assessment reports for completeness and compliance.
    (D)
Assessment results and recommendations shall inform the school's MEOP updates
and safety drill planning.
    Section
59-63-650. (A) Each school district
must conduct in-person, live-action safety drills for the majority of required
drills required pursuant to Article 9 or as provided in this article each
academic year.
    (B)
At least one full-scale, in-person drill each for the fire drill, active
shooter/intruder drill, and severe weather/earthquake drill required pursuant
to Article 9 each academic year must be performed and must be directly informed
by the findings and recommendations of the school's most recent certified
security and safety campus assessment.
    (C)
Online, virtual, or tabletop-only drills may be used as supplemental exercises
to review outcomes or discuss scenarios, but may not substitute for the
required live, in-person drills.
    (D)
All drills must be coordinated with guidance from the center and followed by an
after-action report identifying deficiencies. Deficiencies must be tracked and
resolved, with updates provided to the center upon request.
    Section
59-63-660. (A) If noncompliance
with any requirement of this article is identified, SLED, in consultation with
the task force, may:
       (1)
withhold a portion of applicable state school safety or related funds from the
State Department of Education for redistribution to compliant districts;
       (2)
include the district or school in an annual public noncompliance report; and
       (3)
require submission of a corrective action plan within thirty days.
    (B)
SLED and the center shall provide technical assistance, training, and resources
to support districts in achieving and maintaining compliance.
    Section
59-63-670. The provisions of this article must be fully implemented before July
1, 2027, except that the first required certified campus security assessment
must be completed within two years of the effective date.
SECTION 3.  This act takes effect on July 1,
2026.
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This web page was last updated on April 20, 2026 at 01:06 PM