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TO AMEND SECTION 59-25-115, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO AN APPLICANT FOR INITIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION BEING REQUIRED TO UNDERGO A STATE FINGERPRINT REVIEW, SO AS TO REVISE THE TIME WHEN THE APPLICANT SHALL UNDERGO THE REVIEW, THE MANNER OF THE REVIEW, AND THE INDIVIDUALS TO WHOM THIS PROVISION APPLIES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-25-115 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 387 of 1990, is amended to read:
"Section 59-25-115. All persons applying for initial certification to become certified education personnel in this State shall undergo a state fingerprint review to be conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division to determine any state criminal history and a fingerprint review to be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine any other criminal history. All persons enrolled in a teacher education program, prior to beginning full-time clinical teaching experience in this State, must undergo a state criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Individuals applying for initial teacher certification must have undergone a criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints by the Federal Bureau of Investigation within eighteen months of applying for teacher certification.
The fee charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, if any, for the fingerprint review must be paid by the individual applying for initial certification.
All institutions of higher learning in this State offering education as a major must inform potential education majors considering teaching as a career that their prior criminal history could prevent certification as a teacher in South Carolina. Students may then choose to have a SLED background check for advisement purposes."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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