South Carolina General Assembly
110th Session, 1993-1994

Bill 127

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                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               Senate
Bill Number:                    127
Primary Sponsor:                Rose
Type of Legislation:            GB
Subject:                        Textbooks, provisions for
                                adoption of
Residing Body:                  House
Computer Document Number:       DKA/4054AL.93
Introduced Date:                19930112    
Date of Last Amendment:         19930331    
Last History Body:              House
Last History Date:              19940505    
Last History Type:              Objection by Representative
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Rose
Type of Legislation:            General Bill
History


Bill  Body    Date          Action Description              CMN  Leg Involved
____  ______  ____________  ______________________________  ___  ____________

127   House   19940505      Objection by Representative          Scott
                            Rogers
                            Cobb_Hunter
                            Whipper
                            Inabinett
                            White
                            Williams
                            Neal
                            J. Brown
127   House   19940421      Committee Report: Favorable     21
127   House   19930401      Introduced, read first time,    21
                            referred to Committee
127   Senate  19930331      Amended, read third time,
                            sent to House
127   Senate  19930330      Amended, read second time,
                            ordered to third reading with
                            notice of general amendments
127   Senate  19930325      Committee Report: Favorable     04
                            with amendment
127   Senate  19930112      Introduced, read first time,    04
                            referred to Committee
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

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COMMITTEE REPORT

April 21, 1994

S. 127

Introduced by SENATOR Rose

S. Printed 4/21/94--H.

Read the first time April 1, 1993.

THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND PUBLIC WORKS

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 127), to amend Section 59-31-40, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to adoption of new textbooks, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

OLIN R. PHILLIPS, for Committee.

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 59-31-40, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ADOPTION OF NEW TEXTBOOKS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION NOT TO ADOPT A TEXTBOOK WHICH CONTAINS SUBSTANTIVE ERRORS; TO AMEND SECTION 59-31-510, RELATING TO CONTRACTS WITH PUBLISHERS FOR RENTAL OR PURCHASE OF BOOKS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE CONTRACT CONTAINS A PROVISION REQUIRING BOOKS TO BE FREE OF SUBSTANTIVE ERRORS; TO AMEND SECTION 59-31-600, RELATING TO STANDARDS FOR ADOPTION OF TEXTBOOKS, SO AS TO REQUIRE ONE LAYPERSON AND THAT A MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE EXPERTISE IN AREA UNDER CONSIDERATION AND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CRITERIA TO RATE TEXTBOOKS; AND TO AMEND THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING SECTION 59-31-700 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND HEARINGS BEFORE TEXTBOOKS ARE ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Textbook Excellence Act".

SECTION 2. Section 59-31-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-31-40. The meetings of the State Board of Education in any year at which an adoption is made shall must be public. New textbooks adopted by the State Board of Education in any year shall must not be used in the free public schools of this State until the next school session begins. The State Board of Education may not approve for adoption a textbook or other instructional material which contains any clear substantive error."

SECTION 3. Section 59-31-510 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-31-510. The State Board of Education may negotiate and execute contracts with the publishers of schoolbooks whereby publishers and vendors of school textbooks that allow the State will to rent from the publishers or buy outright the books to be used in the public schools, with discretion in the State Board of Education to make rental contracts or purchase contracts as it may be to the best advantage of the State. Any A contract made with a publisher of textbooks may be made so as to divide the payment to the publisher for rental or purchase over a period of three years, but nothing herein shall it must not be construed to prevent the State Board of Education from purchasing or renting additional books as the necessity shall or may arise necessary. If the State Board of Education should decide decides to purchase outright the books to be used in the schools of this State, they shall must be purchased at the lowest possible prices and, so far as existing contracts for State-adopted state-adopted books will permit, pursuant to competitive bidding.

Each contract between the State Board of Education and a publisher or vendor of any school textbook or other instructional material must require that all textbooks or other instructional material rented or purchased by the State be free of any clear, substantive factual or grammatical error and that the State Board of Education will require reasonable remedies if an error is found."

SECTION 4. Section 59-31-600 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-31-600. When the State Board of Education determines that a textbook or instructional material adoptions are adoption is needed in a specific field, the board shall direct evaluating and rating committees to assess the textbooks textbook or instructional material for the presentation of instructional materials which develop development of higher-order thinking skills and problem solving. Each evaluation and rating committee must have at least one layperson and the board is encouraged to have as many laypeople on the committee as is appropriate. A majority of the membership of the committee must have expertise in the areas under consideration. In addition to monitoring the accuracy of facts and grammar, the committee shall include in its rating and evaluating criteria, where applicable, satisfaction of state mandates for graduation criteria, and support for the benefits of the American economic and political system. The results of each evaluating and rating committee's assessment must be included in its written report to the State Board of Education. Where otherwise satisfactory, the evaluating and rating committee shall recommend and the State Board of Education shall adopt textbooks and other instructional materials which develop higher-order thinking skills."

SECTION 5. Chapter 31, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-31-700. Before final adoption, the state board shall make all textbook and instructional material available for public inspection for not less than thirty days at display centers geographically dispersed throughout the State as designated by the State Superintendent of Education.

The state board shall hold a public hearing before adopting any textbook or instructional material for use in the schools of this State."

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.