Bill 322

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               322
Ratification Number:       291
Act Number                 191
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                   Business-education partnership for
                           excellence in education; subcommittee

(A191, R291, S322)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-6-15 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND A PERMANENT STANDING SUBCOMMITTEE; TO AMEND SECTION 59-6-20, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DUTIES PERTAINING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION REQUIRING THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO RECONVENE THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCING EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE EDUCATION-BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP TO REVIEW THE EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT AND TO CHANGE THE REFERENCE TO THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE TO THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-6-30, RELATING TO THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ACT BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AND THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCING EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, SO AS TO CHANGE THE REFERENCE TO THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP TO THE BUSINESS-EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE, TO DELETE THE REFERENCE TO THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCING EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, TO REQUIRE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PARTNERSHIP, AND PROVIDE FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S STAFF.

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

Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education; subcommittee

SECTION 1. Chapter 6, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-6-15. (A) There is created the Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education and a permanent standing subcommittee of the Partnership for the purpose of reviewing the implementation of the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984 and recommending other major education initiatives.

The Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education consists of the following persons:

(1) Thirty-two prominent civic and business leaders of which fourteen are appointed by the Governor; six appointed by the State Superintendent of Education; three appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; three appointed by the President of the Senate; three appointed by the Chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives; and three appointed by the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate;

(2) Twenty educators of which eight are appointed by the State Superintendent of Education; four appointed by the Governor; two appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; two appointed by the President of the Senate; two appointed by the Chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives; and two appointed by the Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate;

(3) Speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee;

(4) Lieutenant Governor or his designee;

(5) Chairman of the Education and Public Works Committee of the House of Representatives or his designee;

(6) Chairman of the Education Committee of the Senate or his designee;

(7) Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives or his designee;

(8) Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Senate or his designee;

(9) Chairman of the Committee on Children or his designee;

(10) Chairman of the Select Committee or his designee;

(11) Two legislators appointed by the Governor, one a member of the House of Representatives and one a member of the Senate; and

(12) The Governor and State Superintendent of Education shall serve as ex officio members.

The term of office of the members of the Business-Education Partnership must be four years except that those first appointed must serve terms of two, three, and four years as determined by lot. Except in those cases where the term of a member of the Business-Education Subcommittee has not expired, no member of the Business-Education Partnership may serve more than two consecutive terms. The number of appointments provided for in items (1) and (2) above must be reduced proportionately by the membership requirements of subsection (B) of this section.

The chairman of the Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education must be elected by the members of the Partnership and must be chosen from among the thirty-two business and civic leaders serving on the Partnership. The Business-Education Partnership must meet at the call of the chairman but not less than quarterly. The Governor must preside at all regular and special meetings of the Partnership in which he is in attendance; at those meetings at which the Governor is not in attendance the State Superintendent of Education must preside, and in the absence of the Superintendent, the chairman of the Partnership must preside.

The Partnership in conjunction with the State Department of Education may cause to be held statewide public forums for the purpose of fostering open discussions regarding the impact of the Education Improvement Act on the state's education system and education reform in general.

(B) The Business-Education Partnership must establish a permanent standing subcommittee called the Business-Education Subcommittee. The subcommittee will be composed of twenty members of the Business-Education Partnership elected by the Business-Education Partnership. The composition of the subcommittee shall be:

(1) ten civic and business leaders;

(2) six educators; and

(3) four legislators.

The eighteen members serving on the Joint Business-Education Subcommittee must remain on the Business-Education Subcommittee as reconstituted on the effective date of this section. The term of office for members of the Business-Education Subcommittee must be six years except for the initial members who must serve terms of two, four, or six years as determined by lot. The chairman of the subcommittee is to be elected by the members of the subcommittee and must be one of the ten civic and business leaders serving on the subcommittee. Vacancies on the subcommittee must be filled from the membership of the Business-Education Partnership by a majority vote of the members of the Partnership."

Renewal of the Education Improvement Act; references changed and deleted

SECTION 2. Section 59-6-20 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 81 of 1987, is further amended to read:

"Section 59-6-20. The State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Education must establish within the State Department of Education a special unit at the division level called the Public Accountability Division. This special unit must be eliminated six years from the date of implementation of the Education Improvement Act. The unit head shall hold a position comparable to a Deputy Superintendent and must be under the direct supervision of and shall report to the State Superintendent of Education.

The Deputy Superintendent must provide all reports to the Governor, Select Committee, Business-Education Partnership for Excellence in Education, Business-Education Subcommittee, and State Board of Education and respond to any inquiries for information.

The Business-Education Subcommittee shall serve as a screening committee for the selection of the unit head. The screening committee shall recommend for consideration three applicants. Final selection of the unit head must be made by the State Superintendent of Education after consulting with the Governor. All other positions must be filled following current State Personnel and State Department of Education employment procedures.

The new unit is responsible for planning, monitoring, and reviewing programs developed under the Education Improvement Act and shall provide information, recommendations, and an annual assessment of the Education Improvement Act to the Governor, Select Committee, and Business-Education Subcommittee.

The operating procedures for the new unit are the same as the operating procedures for the three established divisions in the State Department of Education. The Business-Education Subcommittee shall review and approve all products produced by the new unit and make recommendations to the State Board of Education for final approval."

References changed and deleted; staff

SECTION 3. Section 59-6-30 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-6-30. The State Board of Education shall provide an assessment of the South Carolina Education Improvement Act of 1984 for consideration by the Business-Education Subcommittee and the General Assembly. A special assessment shall be provided on March 1, 1985. Commencing in 1985, an annual assessment must be provided by December first of each year and an appropriate amount of funding must be provided for this purpose. The Business-Education Subcommittee shall provide a report on the assessment to the Business-Education Partnership, and the Partnership shall submit its recommendations to the General Assembly prior to February first. The staff of the Business-Education Subcommittee shall serve as the primary staff to the Business-Education Partnership and may solicit the assistance of the staffs of the House Education and Public Works Committee, the Senate Education Committee, the Select Committee, the Public Accountability Division, and the Governor's Office."

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.