South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

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A178, R194, S27

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, Young, Hembree, Climer, Gregory, Scott, J. Matthews, Setzler, Turner and Timmons
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19025wab17.docx

Introduced in the Senate on January 10, 2017
Introduced in the House on February 7, 2017
Last Amended on February 2, 2017
Passed by the General Assembly on May 3, 2018
Governor's Action: May 15, 2018, Signed

Summary: Superintendent of Education, appointment by the Governor

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  12/13/2016  Senate  Prefiled
  12/13/2016  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education
   1/10/2017  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 28)
   1/10/2017  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 28)
   1/26/2017  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 10)
   1/27/2017          Scrivener's error corrected
   1/31/2017  Senate  Special order, set for January 31, 2017 
                        (Senate Journal-page 35)
    2/1/2017  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 38)
    2/1/2017  Senate  Amended (Senate Journal-page 38)
    2/1/2017  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 38)
    2/1/2017  Senate  Roll call Ayes-41  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 38)
    2/2/2017  Senate  Amended (Senate Journal-page 14)
    2/2/2017  Senate  Read third time and sent to House 
                        (Senate Journal-page 14)
    2/2/2017  Senate  Roll call Ayes-39  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 14)
    2/2/2017          Scrivener's error corrected
    2/3/2017          Scrivener's error corrected
    2/7/2017  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 6)
    2/7/2017  House   Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 6)
   3/21/2018  House   Committee report: Favorable Judiciary 
                        (House Journal-page 59)
   3/22/2018  House   Requests for debate-Rep(s). Delleney, Sandifer, Hiott, 
                        GR Smith, Hixon, Govan, Douglas, King, Bamberg, 
                        McEachern, Brawley, Toole, Clemmons, Fry, Jefferson, 
                        Henegan, Anderson, Brown, Mack, Blackwell, Long, 
                        Forrester, Robinson-Simpson, Dillard, Kirby, Hosey, 
                        West, Yow, Williams, Crawford (House Journal-page 31)
    4/4/2018  House   Debate adjourned until Tues., 4-10-18 
                        (House Journal-page 78)
   4/11/2018  House   Debate adjourned until Thur., 4-12-18 
                        (House Journal-page 19)
   4/12/2018  House   Debate adjourned until Tues., 4-17-18 
                        (House Journal-page 8)
   4/18/2018  House   Debate adjourned until Tues., 4-24-18 
                        (House Journal-page 71)
   4/24/2018          Scrivener's error corrected
    5/1/2018  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 85)
    5/1/2018  House   Roll call Yeas-83  Nays-26 (House Journal-page 85)
    5/1/2018  House   Reconsidered (House Journal-page 101)
    5/3/2018  House   Read third time and enrolled (House Journal-page 33)
   5/14/2018          Ratified R 194
   5/15/2018          Signed By Governor
   5/23/2018          Effective date 05/15/18
   5/31/2018          Act No. 178

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/13/2016
1/26/2017
1/27/2017
2/1/2017
2/2/2017
2/2/2017-A
2/3/2017
3/21/2018
4/24/2018


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A178, R194, S27)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-3-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT BY THE GOVERNOR WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE TO SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF THE GOVERNOR, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER OF FILLING VACANCIES, TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPENSATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND TO PROVIDE TIME LIMITS WITHIN WHICH JUDICIAL CHALLENGES TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF SUCH AN APPOINTED SUPERINTENDENT MAY BE BROUGHT, ALL TO TAKE EFFECT UPON THE APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF A CERTAIN RELATED AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND TO BECOME APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION, AND TO PROVIDE REVISED ACADEMIC AND EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT WHICH IMMEDIATELY TAKE EFFECT UPON APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR; TO AMEND SECTION 1-30-10, RELATING TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT, SO AS TO MAKE A CONFORMING CHANGE WITH RESPECT TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TO TAKE EFFECT UPON THE APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF A CERTAIN RELATED AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND TO BECOME APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION; TO AMEND SECTION 1-1-1210, RELATING TO THE SALARIES OF SPECIFIC STATE OFFICERS, SO AS TO MAKE A CONFORMING CHANGE BY REMOVING THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, TO TAKE EFFECT UPON THE APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF A CERTAIN RELATED AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND TO BECOME APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PERSON ELECTED STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION IN THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION SHALL SERVE THE REMAINDER OF HIS TERM, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF HIS SUCCESSOR IF HE VACATES THE OFFICE BEFORE THE END OF THIS TERM, BOTH TO TAKE EFFECT UPON THE APPROVAL AND RATIFICATION OF A CERTAIN RELATED AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND TO BECOME APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 59-3-20 RELATING TO VACANCIES IN THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION.

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

Appointment, tenure, compensation, qualifications, judicial challenges

SECTION    1.    Section 59-3-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-3-10.    (A)    The State Superintendent of Education must be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The superintendent shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and must receive such compensation as may be established under the provision of Section 8-11-160. A vacancy in the office of superintendent must be filled as provided in Section 1-30-10(B)(1)(iv) and in Section 1-3-210, as applicable.

(B)    The Superintendent of Education must possess:

(1)    the minimum of a master's degree and substantive and broad-based experience in the field of public education including, but not limited to, service as a classroom teacher, principal, other school or school district administrator, school district superintendent, or other education policy making body at either the state or local level or any combination of them; or

(2)    the minimum of a master's degree and substantive and broad-based experience in operational and financial management in any field of expertise including, but not limited to, finance, economics, accounting, law, or business.

(C)    Any judicial action challenging the qualifications of a candidate or appointee, as appropriate, must be brought in circuit court within thirty days of the close of candidate filing or appointment for Superintendent of Education."

State Department of Education governing authority, conforming change

SECTION    2.    Section 1-30-10(B)(1) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(1)    The governing authority of each department shall be:

(i)        a director or a secretary, who must be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, subject to removal from office by the Governor pursuant to provisions of Section 1-3-240(B); or

(ii)    a board to be appointed and constituted in a manner provided for by law; or

(iii)    in the case of the Department of Agriculture, the State Commissioner of Agriculture elected to office under the Constitution of this State; or

(iv)    in the case of the Department of Education, the State Superintendent of Education appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, serving at the pleasure of the Governor; or

(v)    in the case of the Department of Transportation, a seven member commission constituted in a manner provided by law, and a Secretary of Transportation appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor."

State officers' salaries, conforming change

SECTION    3.    Section 1-1-1210 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 1-1-1210.    The annual salaries of the state officers listed below are:

Governor                                        $98,000   

Lieutenant Governor                    43,000   

Secretary of State                        85,000   

State Treasurer                            85,000   

Attorney General                        85,000   

Comptroller General                    85,000   

Adjutant General                        85,000   

Commissioner of Agriculture        85,000   

These salaries must be increased by two percent on July 1, 1991, and on July first of each succeeding year through July 1, 1994.

A state officer whose salary is provided in this section may not receive compensation for ex officio service on any state board, committee, or commission."

Superintendent elected in 2018, vacancies

SECTION    4.    The person elected State Superintendent of Education in the 2018 General Election shall serve out his term; however, if the person vacates that office before the term expires in January 2023, any successors must: (1) be appointed as provided in Section 1-30-10(B)(1)(iv); and (2) must satisfy the experience requirements of Section 59-3-10(B).

Repeal

SECTION    5.    Section 59-3-20 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION    6.    The provisions of Section 59-3-10(B), as contained in SECTION 1, take effect upon approval by the Governor. The remaining provisions of this act take effect upon approval and ratification of an amendment to Section 7, Article VI of the South Carolina Constitution, 1895, providing for the appointment of the State Superintendent of Education by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and are applicable beginning with the 2018 General Election.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2018.

Approved the 15th day of May, 2018.

__________


This web page was last updated on June 22, 2018 at 11:28 AM