S 0061  General Bill, By Malloy
 A BILL TO AMEND ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 25, TITLE 59 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO
 TEACHERS, BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-35, TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY PAY
 LUMP-SUM BONUSES TO AID IN RETAINING TEACHERS WHO EXCEL IN PROVIDING QUALITY
 INSTRUCTION, LEADERSHIP, OR BOTH, TO REQUIRE THAT BONUSES MUST BE APPROVED BY
 THE SCHOOL BOARD, TO CAP BONUSES AT NOT MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT OF A
 TEACHER'S BASE SALARY, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES IS NOT A
 PART OF AN EMPLOYEE'S BASE SALARY AND IS NOT EARNABLE COMPENSATION FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RESPECTIVE RETIREMENT
 SYSTEMS.

   12/09/20  Senate Prefiled
   12/09/20  Senate Referred to Committee on Education
   01/12/21  Senate Introduced and read first time
                     (Senate Journal-page 153)
   01/12/21  Senate Referred to Committee on Education
                     (Senate Journal-page 153)

TO AMEND ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 25, TITLE 59 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO TEACHERS, BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-35, TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY PAY LUMP-SUM BONUSES TO AID IN RETAINING TEACHERS WHO EXCEL IN PROVIDING QUALITY INSTRUCTION, LEADERSHIP, OR BOTH, TO REQUIRE THAT BONUSES MUST BE APPROVED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, TO CAP BONUSES AT NOT MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENT OF A TEACHER'S BASE SALARY, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES IS NOT A PART OF AN EMPLOYEE'S BASE SALARY AND IS NOT EARNABLE COMPENSATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE RESPECTIVE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 59-25-35.    Beginning with teacher renewal contracts signed for the 2021-2022 school year, a school district may spend state, federal, or other sources of revenue to provide annual lump sum bonuses as an incentive to retain teachers who, in the estimation of the district, excel in providing quality instruction, leadership, or both. A bonus is intended to serve as an incentive for a teacher to renew his annual contract and must be conditioned upon the teacher's signing a renewal contract. The employee bonus amount shall be approved by the school board and may not exceed twenty percent of the teacher's salary in effect on the date of signing. Payment of the bonus is not a part of the employee's base salary and is not earnable compensation for the purposes of employee and employer contributions to the respective retirement systems."

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