S 1404 General Bill, By Setzler
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS TO CAUSE THEIR CHILDREN
 OR WARDS TO ATTEND SCHOOL, SO AS TO REQUIRE SUCH ATTENDANCE UNTIL THE CHILD OR
 WARD REACHES EIGHTEEN RATHER THAN SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR GRADUATES FROM
 HIGH SCHOOL; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-30, RELATING TO EXCEPTIONS TO THE
 ABOVE REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO PERMIT A CHILD WHO HAS REACHED SEVENTEEN RATHER
 THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE TO LEAVE SCHOOL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS FOR WORK
 REASONS AND TO MAKE OTHER CONFORMING AGE CHANGES.

   05/08/06  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-17
   05/08/06  Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-17

TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS TO CAUSE THEIR CHILDREN OR WARDS TO ATTEND SCHOOL, SO AS TO REQUIRE SUCH ATTENDANCE UNTIL THE CHILD OR WARD REACHES EIGHTEEN RATHER THAN SEVENTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-30, RELATING TO EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS, SO AS TO PERMIT A CHILD WHO HAS REACHED SEVENTEEN RATHER THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE TO LEAVE SCHOOL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS FOR WORK REASONS AND TO MAKE OTHER CONFORMING AGE CHANGES.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 59-65-10(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(A)    All parents or guardians shall cause their children or wards to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education or a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools' Association or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education from the school year in which the child or ward is five years of age before September first until the child or ward attains his seventeenth eighteenth birthday or graduates from high school. A parent or guardian whose child or ward is not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child or ward not to attend kindergarten. For this purpose, the parent or guardian shall sign a written document making the election with the governing body of the school district in which the parent or guardian resides. The form of this written document must be prescribed by regulation of the Department of Education. Upon the written election being executed, that child or ward may not be required to attend kindergarten."

SECTION    2.    Section 59-65-30(f) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(f)    A child who has reached the age of sixteen seventeen years and whose further attendance in school, vocational school, or available special classes is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be disruptive to the educational program of the school, unproductive of further learning, or not in the best interest of the child, and who is authorized by the court to enter into suitable gainful employment under the supervision of the court until age seventeen eighteen is attained. However, prior to being exempted from the provisions of this article, the court may first require that the child concerned be examined physically and tested mentally to assist the court to determine whether or not gainful employment would be more suitable for the child than continued attendance in school. The examination and testing must be conducted by the Department of Youth Services or by any local agency which the court determines to be appropriate. The court shall revoke the exemption provided in this item upon a finding that the child fails to continue in his employment until reaching the age of seventeen eighteen years."

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