South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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A203, R212, S149

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, Rose, McConnell, Ryberg, Fair, Massey, Leventis, Bryant, Davis, Shoopman, Grooms and Hayes
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\18225bh11.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 171, 4585

Introduced in the Senate on January 11, 2011
Introduced in the House on May 1, 2012
Last Amended on May 30, 2012
Passed by the General Assembly on May 31, 2012
Governor's Action: June 7, 2012, Signed

Summary: Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/1/2010  Senate  Prefiled
   12/1/2010  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education
   1/11/2011  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 73)
   1/11/2011  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 73)
   4/11/2012  Senate  Committee report: Majority favorable, minority 
                        unfavorable Education (Senate Journal-page 8)
   4/12/2012  Senate  Minority Report Removed (Senate Journal-page 38)
   4/26/2012  Senate  Amended (Senate Journal-page 11)
   4/26/2012  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 11)
   4/26/2012  Senate  Roll call Ayes-36  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 11)
   4/26/2012  Senate  Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day (Senate Journal-page 11)
   4/27/2012  Senate  Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 1)
    5/1/2012  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 5)
    5/1/2012  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 5)
   5/23/2012  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and 
                        Public Works (House Journal-page 10)
   5/30/2012  House   Requests for debate-Rep(s). RL Brown, Weeks, Gilliard, 
                        Agnew, Henderson, Dilliard, GM Smith, Bedingfield, DC 
                        Moss, Hixon, Taylor, Hosey, Hiott, JR Smith, King, 
                        Johnson, Sabb, Herbkersman, Brantley, Erickson, 
                        Forrester, Crawford, Pinson, Patrick, Atwater, Toole 
                        (House Journal-page 40)
   5/30/2012  House   Amended (House Journal-page 198)
   5/30/2012  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 198)
   5/30/2012  House   Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 200)
   5/31/2012  House   Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments 
                        (House Journal-page 90)
   5/31/2012  Senate  Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
   5/31/2012  Senate  Roll call Ayes-38  Nays-0
    6/5/2012          Ratified R 212
    6/7/2012          Signed By Governor
   6/18/2012          Effective date 06/07/12
   6/19/2012          Act No. 203

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/1/2010
4/11/2012
4/26/2012
5/23/2012
5/30/2012


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

(A203, R212, S149)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "EQUAL ACCESS TO INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES ACT" BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-100 SO AS TO PERMIT HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS AND GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THE STUDENTS RESIDE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS, AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES.

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

Act citation

SECTION    1.    This act may be cited as the "Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act".

Participation in interscholastic activities of public school district by home school, charter school, and Governor's school students

SECTION    2.    Article 1, Chapter 63, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-63-100.    (A)    As used in this section:

(1)    'Charter school student' is a child enrolled in a charter school established pursuant to Chapter 40, Title 59.

(2)    'Governor's school student' is a child enrolled at a Governor's school established pursuant to this title.

(3)    'Home school student' is a child taught in accordance with Section 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47 and has been taught in accordance with one of these sections for a full academic year prior to participating in an interscholastic activity pursuant to this section.

(4)    'Interscholastic activities' includes, but is not limited to, athletics, music, speech, and other extracurricular activities.

(B)    Individual Governor's school students and home school students may not be denied by a school district the opportunity to participate in interscholastic activities if the:

(1)    student meets all school district eligibility requirements with the exception of the:

(a)    school district's school or class attendance requirements; and

(b)    class and enrollment requirements of the associations administering the interscholastic activities;

(2)    student's teacher, in the case of a Governor's school student, certifies by submitting an affidavit to the school district that the student fully complies with the law and any attendance, class, or enrollment requirements for a Governor's school. In addition, a charter school student's teacher, in the same manner required by this subsection for a Governor's school student, also must certify by affidavit to the student's school district that the student fully complies with the law and any attendance, class, or enrollment requirements for a charter school in order for the student to participate in interscholastic activities in the manner permitted by Chapter 40 of this title;

(3)    student participating in interscholastic activities:

(a)    resides within the attendance boundaries of the school for which the student participates; or

(b)    in the case of a Governor's school student, resides or attends a Governor's school within the attendance boundaries of the school for which the student participates; and

(4)    student notifies the superintendent of the school district in writing of his intent to participate in the interscholastic activity as a representative of the school before the beginning date of the season for the activity in which he wishes to participate.

(C)    A public school student who has been unable to maintain academic eligibility is ineligible to participate in interscholastic activities as a charter school student, Governor's school student, or home school student for the following semester. To establish eligibility for subsequent school years, the student's teacher shall certify by submitting an affidavit to the school district that the student meets the relevant policies of the school at which the student wishes to participate.

(D)    A Governor's school student or home school student is required to fulfill the same responsibilities and standards of behavior and performance, including related practice requirements, of other students participating in the interscholastic activities of the team or squad and is required to meet the same standards for acceptance on the team or squad.

(E)    A Governor's school may not be denied by a school district the opportunity to have a team representing the school participate in interscholastic activities if the team meets the same eligibility requirements of other teams. An individual Governor's school student may not participate in an interscholastic activity of a public school district if the school that the student is enrolled in has a team or squad participating in that interscholastic activity.

(F)    A school district may not contract with a private entity that supervises interscholastic activities if the private entity prohibits the participation of charter school students, Governor's school students, or home school students in interscholastic activities."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 5th day of June, 2012.

Approved the 7th day of June, 2012.

__________


This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 9:57 A.M.