H 3415 General Bill, By Townsend, Allison, Bailey, Barrett, H. Brown, J. Brown, 
Cato, Cooper, Easterday, Govan, Hamilton, Harrell, Harrison, Haskins, Hinson, 
Inabinett, B.L. Jordan, Kirsh, Klauber, Law, Leach, Limehouse, Littlejohn, 
Lloyd, Maddox, Martin, McKay, W. McLeod, McMahand, J.H. Neal, Neilson, Parks, 
Riser, Rodgers, Sandifer, Sharpe, D. Smith, J. Smith, Stille, Stuart, Trotter, 
Walker, Webb, Wilder, Wilkins, Woodrum and Young-Brickell

Similar(S 572)
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-100 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE
 OF UNIFORM HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED TO RECEIVED A
 DIPLOMA, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE NINTH GRADE CLASS OF SCHOOL
 YEAR 1997-98 AND THEREAFTER, THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED FOR A DIPLOMA IS
 TWENTY-FOUR, RATHER THAN TWENTY, TO SPECIFY WHAT THESE FOUR ADDITIONAL UNITS
 MUST CONSIST OF, AND TO REVISE THE MANNER IN WHICH OTHER UNITS MAY BE APPLIED
 TOWARD THESE REQUIREMENTS.

   02/06/97  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-25
   02/06/97  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-25
   04/10/97  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-53
   04/16/97  House  Amended HJ-36
   04/16/97  House  Read second time HJ-37
   04/17/97  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-26
   04/22/97  Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference SJ-13
   04/24/97  Senate Read second time SJ-32
   04/24/97  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-32
   01/27/98  Senate Committed to Committee on Education SJ-347

INTRODUCED

April 22, 1997

H. 3415

Introduced by Reps. Townsend, Rodgers, H. Brown, Parks, Wilder, Neal, Limehouse, Govan, Lloyd, Sharpe, Neilson, Allison, Bailey, Jordan, McLeod, Law, Walker, Littlejohn, Trotter, Leach, Inabinett, Stille, Martin, Harrison, Stuart, Young-Brickell, Hinson, Easterday, Cato, Wilkins, Hamilton, Harrell, D. Smith, J. Brown, Kirsh, J. Smith, Klauber, Webb, Woodrum, McMahand, Sandifer, Maddox, McKay, Haskins, Cooper, Barrett and Riser

S. Printed 4/22/97--S.

Read the first time April 22, 1997.

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 59-39-100 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF UNIFORM HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE A DIPLOMA, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT, BEGINNING WITH THE NINTH GRADE CLASS OF SCHOOL YEAR 1997-98 AND THEREAFTER, THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED FOR A DIPLOMA IS TWENTY-FOUR, RATHER THAN TWENTY, TO SPECIFY WHAT THESE FOUR ADDITIONAL UNITS MUST CONSIST OF, AND TO REVISE THE MANNER IN WHICH OTHER UNITS MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD THESE REQUIREMENTS.

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

SECTION 1. Section 59-39-100 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-39-100. Diplomas issued to graduates of accredited high schools within this State must be uniform in every respect and particularly as to color, size, lettering, and marking. The number of units required for a state high school diploma is twenty units as prescribed by the State Board of Education. Beginning in the 1986-87 academic year, a minimum of 3 three units must be earned in mathematics and a minimum of 2 two units must be earned in science.

One unit in computer science, if approved by the State Department of Education for this purpose, may be counted toward the mathematics requirement.

Students who earn one unit in science and six or more units in a specific occupational service area will meet the science requirements for a state high school diploma. Vocational programs operating on a 3-2-1 structure may count prevocational education as one of the six required units.

Beginning with the ninth grade class of school year 1997-98 and thereafter, the number of units required for a high school diploma is twenty-four units as prescribed by the State Board of Education by regulation, with one additional unit required in mathematics, science, and computer science. For students in a college preparatory track as defined by the state board, one additional unit must be earned in a foreign language, and for students in a track designed to enter the work force as defined by the state board, one additional vocational unit must be earned. Beginning with the ninth grade class of school year 1997-98, if a student counts one unit of computer science toward his mathematics requirement as permitted above, one additional unit of computer science must be earned."

SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-39-105. For the purposes of calculating program membership, a high school pupil shall maintain membership in a minimum of two hundred fifty minutes of daily instruction or its equivalent for an annual accumulation of forty-five thousand minutes. A high school for purposes of this section is defined as a school offering grades nine through twelve."

SECTION 3. Section 59-26-70 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-26-70. The State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education, in order to offer students more instructional time in a particular basic skill, may allow adjustments in the amount of instructional time required in each of the subjects in the State's defined minimum program. No commission or agency of the State shall require any public high school in this State to require foreign language as a prerequisite to receiving a regular high school diploma."

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.