H*4430(Rat #0385, Act #0324 of 1996)  General Bill, By D.A. Wright, Askins, 
H. Brown, T. Brown, B.D. Cain, Dantzler, Easterday, J.G. Felder, Gamble, 
R.J. Herdklotz, M. Hines, Inabinett, Klauber, Koon, Law, L.H. Limbaugh, Lloyd, 
Mason, Quinn, Rice, Richardson, Riser, Sandifer, Simrill, Spearman, 
E.C. Stoddard, Stuart, D.C. Waldrop, Witherspoon and S.S. Wofford
 A Bill to amend Article 4, Chapter 63, Title 59, Code of Laws of South
 Carolina, 1976, relating to the School Crime Report Act, so as to provide that
 the State Department of Education shall forward all information concerning
 school-related crime to the Attorney General which shall be used by him in the
 supervision of the prosecution of school crime; to provide that local law
 enforcement officials are required to contact the Attorney General's "School
 Safety Phone Line" when certain crimes occur; to provide that the Attorney
 General shall monitor all reported school crimes and may represent the local
 school district when such cases are appealed to an appellate court.-amended
 title

   01/11/96  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-4
   01/11/96  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-4
   03/20/96  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-9
   03/27/96  House  Objection by Rep. Scott, Canty, Cave, S. Whipper,
                     Neal, Howard & Lloyd HJ-43
   04/17/96  House  Amended HJ-72
   04/17/96  House  Read second time HJ-74
   04/17/96  House  Roll call Yeas-83  Nays-11 HJ-74
   04/18/96  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Cave HJ-39
   04/18/96  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-42
   04/23/96  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-22
   04/23/96  Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-22
   04/25/96  Senate Recalled from Committee on Education SJ-2
   04/29/96  Senate Read second time SJ-32
   05/02/96  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-17
   05/14/96         Ratified R 385
   05/20/96         Signed By Governor
   05/20/96         Effective date 05/20/96
   05/31/96         Copies available
   05/31/96         Act No. 324

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 4, CHAPTER 63, TITLE 59, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE SCHOOL CRIME REPORT ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL FORWARD ALL INFORMATION CONCERNING SCHOOL-RELATED CRIME TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHICH SHALL BE USED BY HIM IN THE SUPERVISION OF THE PROSECUTION OF SCHOOL CRIME; TO PROVIDE THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S "SCHOOL SAFETY PHONE LINE" WHEN CERTAIN CRIMES OCCUR; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL MONITOR ALL REPORTED SCHOOL CRIMES AND MAY REPRESENT THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN SUCH CASES ARE APPEALED TO AN APPELLATE COURT.

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

School Crime Report Act revised with regard to the Attorney General

SECTION 1. Article 4, Chapter 63 of Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

Section 59-63-310. This article may be cited as the `School Crime Report Act'.

Section 59-63-320. By December 31, 1990, the State Department of Education, after consultation with the State Law Enforcement Division, shall develop a standard school crime reporting form which must be used by all school districts in the State. The form must define what constitutes criminal activity required to be reported and must include, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) types and frequency of criminal incident;

(2) crimes against the person, including:

(a) description of crime;

(b) age and sex of offender and whether the offender is a student. If the offender is a student, whether he attended the school where the crime occurred or a different school, and whether he was under school suspension or expulsion at the time of the offense;

(c) age and sex of the victim and whether the victim is a student. If the victim is a student, whether he attended the school where the crime occurred or a different school. If the victim is not a student, whether he was employed at the school and, if so, in what capacity;

(d) where, at what time, and under what circumstances the incident occurred;

(e) the cost of the crime to the school and to the victim;

(f) what action was taken by the school administration;

(3) crimes against property, including:

(a) description of the crime;

(b) where, at what time, and under what circumstances the crime occurred;

(c) the cost of the crime to the school and to the victim;

(d) what action was taken by the school administration.

Section 59-63-330. On forms prepared and supplied by the State Department of Education, each school district in the State shall report school-related crime quarterly to the State Department of Education. The department shall compile the information received from the districts and annually, not later than January thirty-first of the year following the districts' final quarterly reports of the school year, make a report to the General Assembly on the findings. In addition, the State Department of Education shall, upon receipt, forward all information concerning school-related crime to the Attorney General's Office. This information shall be used by the Attorney General in the supervision of the prosecution of school crime.

Section 59-63-340. The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations necessary to enforce the provisions of this article.

Section 59-63-350. Local law enforcement officials are required to contact the Attorney General's `school safety phone line' when any felony, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, crime involving a weapon, or drug offense is committed on school property or at a school-sanctioned or school-sponsored activity or any crime reported pursuant to Section 59-24-60.

Section 59-63-360. The Attorney General shall monitor all reported school crimes. The Attorney General or his designee may represent the local school district when the case is appealed to an appellate court."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 20th day of May, 1996.