Current Status Bill Number:4933 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:House Introduced Date:19980401 Primary Sponsor:Townsend All Sponsors:Townsend, Byrd and Cromer Drafted Document Number:gjk\21418sd.98 Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Education Committee 04 SED Date of Last Amendment:19980422 Subject:Foreign nationals may be employed in school districts as teachers of native language; Curriculum
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate 19980428 Introduced, read first time, 04 SED
referred to Committee
House 19980423 Read third time, sent to Senate
House 19980422 Amended, read second time
House 19980416 Request for debate by Representative Simrill
Kennedy
Knotts
Klauber
Kirsh
Sandifer
Neilson
Littlejohn
Lanford
Loftis
McMahand
Stuart
Walker
J. Brown
Byrd
Inabinett
Hinson
Govan
Townsend
Mack
House 19980415 Debate adjourned until
Thursday, 19980416
House 19980408 Committee report: Favorable with 21 HEPW
amendment
House 19980401 Introduced, read first time, 21 HEPW
referred to Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
AMENDED
April 22, 1998
H. 4933
S. Printed 4/22/98--H.
Read the first time April 1, 1998.
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-126 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS AUTHORIZED TO GRANT A WAIVER TO CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHICH SHALL PERMIT THEM TO EMPLOY FOREIGN NATIONALS TO TEACH THEIR NATIVE OR ACQUIRED LANGUAGE IN THE SCHOOLS OF THE DISTRICT UNDER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-25-126. If a school district is not able to employ a sufficient number of foreign language teachers for its elementary or secondary foreign language programs, the State Board of Education is authorized to grant a waiver to that school district which shall permit it to employ foreign nationals to teach their native or acquired language in the schools of the district for a period not exceeding three years. No public funds, including school activity funds, may be used to travel to foreign countries to recruit foreign nationals to teach their native or acquired language in a district. These teachers must be proficient in the English language prior to employment.
These foreign nationals so employed must have appropriate work clearances from the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service to enter and work in the United States and must meet all requirements for South Carolina teacher certification prior to employment except that they are not required to be United States citizens or meet the requirements of Section 59-25-120 with regard to the United States Constitution.
The State Department of Education shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of this section.
Before a position may be filled pursuant to this section, the school district must advertise the position and otherwise document attempts to fill the position with a noncertified but otherwise qualified foreign language teacher who is an American citizen."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.