A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-1-505 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A STIPEND AND PER DIEM FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND TO CREATE A COMMISSION TO REDISTRICT THE BOUNDARIES FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 1-11-720, RELATING TO ENTITIES WHOSE EMPLOYEES AND RETIREES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR STATE HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS, SO AS TO INCLUDE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

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

SECTION 1.  Article 5, Chapter 1, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

    Section 59-1-505.  (A) All school board members in this State shall receive a minimum stipend of five hundred dollars for each month in which they convene and an additional fifty dollar per diem.

    (B)(1) Beginning January 1, 2025, an independent commission composed of two members of the majority party in the General Assembly and two members of the largest minority party in the General Assembly, appointed by a consensus of the superintendent and deputy superintendent, shall convene once each decade to redistrict the boundaries for school board members.

       (2) The districts must be, to the extent possible, of equal population and as compact in territory as possible. To the extent practicable, proposed districts must reflect existing boundaries of counties and other existing political subdivisions, natural geographic barriers, and artificial barriers.

       (3) The commission must be compensated, outside of insurance, in the same manner as school board members.

SECTION 2.  Section 1-11-720(A) of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

(32) a school board member.

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

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