South Carolina General Assembly
120th Session, 2013-2014

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A275, R319, H3905

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Loftis, H.A. Crawford, Brannon, Daning, Crosby, Munnerlyn, J.R. Smith, Burns, Dillard, V.S. Moss, Pope, Powers Norrell, Ridgeway, Rivers, Simrill, Toole, Wood, W.J. McLeod and Cobb-Hunter
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19960ab13.docx

Introduced in the House on April 9, 2013
Introduced in the Senate on April 15, 2014
Last Amended on June 4, 2014
Passed by the General Assembly on June 5, 2014
Governor's Action: June 9, 2014, Signed

Summary: Back to Basics in Education Act of 2013

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4/9/2013  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 52)
    4/9/2013  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 52)
   3/19/2014  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: W.J.McLeod
    4/1/2014  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Cobb-Hunter
    4/2/2014  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and 
                        Public Works (House Journal-page 108)
   4/10/2014  House   Requests for debate-Rep(s). Anthony, KR Crawford, 
                        Clyburn, Hayes, Vick, Merrill, Tallon, Gilliard, 
                        Robinson-Simpson (House Journal-page 42)
   4/10/2014  House   Requests for debate removed-Rep(s). Anthony, KR 
                        Crawford, Tallon, Robinson-Simpson, Hayes, Clyburn, 
                        Merrill (House Journal-page 105)
   4/10/2014  House   Amended (House Journal-page 105)
   4/10/2014  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 105)
   4/10/2014  House   Roll call Yeas-92  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 107)
   4/10/2014  House   Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day (House Journal-page 108)
   4/11/2014  House   Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 3)
   4/15/2014  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 11)
   4/15/2014  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 11)
   5/29/2014  Senate  Committee report: Majority favorable with amend., 
                        minority unfavorable Education (Senate Journal-page 43)
    6/4/2014  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 27)
    6/4/2014  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 27)
    6/4/2014  Senate  Roll call Ayes-40  Nays-1 (Senate Journal-page 27)
    6/5/2014  Senate  Read third time and returned to House with amendments 
                        (Senate Journal-page 24)
    6/5/2014  House   Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled 
                        (House Journal-page 116)
    6/5/2014  House   Roll call Yeas-92  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 116)
    6/9/2014          Ratified R 319
    6/9/2014          Signed By Governor
   6/13/2014          Effective date See Act for Effective Date
   6/26/2014          Act No. 275

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/9/2013
4/2/2014
4/10/2014
5/29/2014
6/4/2014


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

(A275, R319, H3905)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "BACK TO BASICS IN EDUCATION ACT OF 2014" BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-15 SO AS TO REQUIRE CURSIVE WRITING AND MEMORIZATION OF MULTIPLICATION TABLES AS SUBJECTS OF INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO REQUIRE STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCE IN EACH SUBJECT BEFORE COMPLETION OF THE FIFTH GRADE, TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL ASSIST THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IDENTIFYING THE MOST APPROPRIATE MEANS FOR INTEGRATING THIS REQUIREMENT INTO THEIR EXISTING CURRICULUMS AND RECOMMEND CURSIVE WRITING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR INCLUSION ON THE APPROVED STATE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION LIST, AND TO MAKE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT APPLICABLE BEGINNING WITH THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR.

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

Back to Basics Education Act of 2014

SECTION    1.    This act must be known and may be cited as the "Back to Basics in Education Act of 2014".

Teaching cursive writing and multiplication tables required, Department of Education obligations

SECTION    2.    Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-29-15.    (A)    In addition to the requirements that writing and arithmetic be subjects of instruction in each school district pursuant to Section 59-29-10, each school district shall:

(1)    provide instruction in cursive writing to ensure that students can create readable documents through legible cursive handwriting by the end of fifth grade; and

(2)    require students to memorize multiplication tables to ensure that students can effectively multiply numbers by the end of fifth grade.

(B)    The State Department of Education shall assist the school districts in identifying the most appropriate means for integrating this requirement into their existing curriculums. Additionally, the department, using procedures followed for other textbook adoptions, shall review and recommend cursive writing instructional materials for inclusion on the approved state textbook adoption list. Schools may select these materials in the same manner that other textbooks are selected from the list."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    The provisions of this section take effect upon approval by the Governor, and are applicable beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year.

Ratified the 9th day of June, 2014.

Approved the 9th day of June, 2014.

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This web page was last updated on August 8, 2014 at 9:44 AM