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Bill 4250

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4250
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  19990603
Primary Sponsor:                  Knotts
All Sponsors:                     Knotts, Battle, Beck, Cato, Dantzler, 
                                  Davenport, Inabinett, Law, Leach, 
                                  Meacham-Richardson, Sandifer, Simrill, Taylor 
                                  and Young-Brickell
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\psd\7418sd99.doc
Companion Bill Number:            868
Residing Body:                    House
Current Committee:                Judiciary Committee 25 HJ
Subject:                          School districts, resources officers; 
                                  Safety in Schools Act of 1999, Law Enforcement


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   19990603  Introduced, read first time,           25 HJ
                  referred to Committee


                             Versions of This Bill

TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA SAFETY IN SCHOOLS ACT OF 1999", INCLUDING PROVISIONS TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-17-135 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR EACH MIDDLE, JUNIOR, AND HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS STATE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH THESE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS SHALL BE EMPLOYED, TRAINED, AND ASSIGNED, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, BEGINNING WITH FISCAL YEAR 2000-2001, SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN FUNDING FOR THESE OFFICERS.

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

SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "South Carolina Safety in Schools Act of 1999".

SECTION 2. The General Assembly finds that a safe and secure school environment is one of the prerequisites to students learning at their full potential. In South Carolina, over nine thousand five school crimes were committed during the 1997-98 school year, an increase of over twenty-one percent. In addition, during the 1997-98 school year, serious crimes increased in our schools by more than twelve percent. A school resource officer can help deal with these problems by being present and in uniform on school campuses to monitor student behavior and enforce the laws of this State. Such an officer in every middle, junior, and high school of this State will make South Carolina schools safer for students and teachers alike, will provide disciplinary assistance and enforcement to teachers and administrators, and will improve the quality of South Carolina public education by reducing and deterring classroom crime and violence.

SECTION 3. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-17-135. (A) The General Assembly in the annual general appropriations act beginning with fiscal year 2000-2001 shall provide seventy-five percent of the funding required to provide a school resource officer for every middle, junior, and high school in this State. The funding provided shall be complimentary to and integrated with those school resource officers already in place through the utilization of federal funds. The funding provided by the General Assembly for school resource officers shall include funds for salary, equipment, uniforms, and training.

(B) A school resource officer for purposes of this section is defined as a certified law enforcement officer who shall have the same powers and authority as do deputy sheriffs of the county wherein he is assigned. School resource officers shall be employed by the sheriff of their particular county and shall be assigned for administrative and pay purposes to the sheriff's department. However, they shall work at the schools to which they are assigned on a full-time basis in the manner the governing body of the county in conjunction with the applicable school board shall direct.

(C) A county governing body may elect to accept or not accept the state funding provided in subsection (A) for school resource officers for the schools of that county. If a county governing body elects to accept such state funding, these funds may only be used for school resource officers in the manner required by this section and by law.

(D) Nothing herein prevents a school resource officer from working at more than one school in a school district or county and these officers also may be assigned to cover student interscholastic activities occurring after normal school hours."

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

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