South Carolina General Assembly
114th Session, 2001-2002

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Bill 4818


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4818
Ratification Number:              361
Act Number:                       284
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  20020227
Primary Sponsor:                  Stille
All Sponsors:                     Stille
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\gjk\21037sd02.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     20020509
Governor's Action:                S
Date of Governor's Action:        20020528
Subject:                          Nonpublic Post-Secondary Institution 
                                  License Act, provisions regarding


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
------  20020613  Act No. A284
------  20020528  Signed by Governor
------  20020522  Ratified R361
Senate  20020509  Read third time, enrolled for
                  ratification
Senate  20020508  Read second time
Senate  20020507  Committee report: Favorable            04 SED
Senate  20020328  Introduced, read first time,           04 SED
                  referred to Committee
House   20020328  Read third time, sent to Senate
House   20020326  Read second time, unanimous
                  consent for third reading on 
                  Thursday, 20020328
House   20020321  Committee report: Favorable            21 HEPW
House   20020227  Introduced, read first time,           21 HEPW
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill
Revised on March 21, 2002 - Word format
Revised on May 7, 2002 - Word format

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A284, R361, H4818)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN REGARD TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA NONPUBLIC POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTION LICENSE ACT, SO AS TO ADD CERTAIN DEFINITIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-30, RELATING TO EXCLUSIONS FROM THE DEFINITION OF "NONPUBLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION", SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES, COURSES, OR INSTITUTIONS THAT COME WITHIN THIS EXCLUSION; TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-50, RELATING TO LICENSE REQUIREMENTS FOR NONPUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT LICENSES MAY BE GRANTED TO NONDEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTIONS FOR LESS THAN TWELVE MONTHS; TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-60, RELATING TO USE OF THE TERM "COLLEGE" OR "UNIVERSITY" IN A NAME, SO AS TO REVISE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THESE TERMS MAY AND MAY NOT BE USED; TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-70, RELATING TO FEES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR FURTHER SITUATIONS WHEN PENALTIES MAY BE IMPOSED; TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-100, RELATING TO ENROLLMENT CONTRACTS AND OTHER AGREEMENTS BEING VOID WITHOUT A LICENSE, SO AS TO CORRECT A GRAMMATICAL REFERENCE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-58-110, RELATING TO DENIAL, REVOCATION, OR SUSPENSION OF LICENSES, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR WHEN THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION MAY PROCEED WITH A DENIAL OR REVOCATION AND TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSION TO ALSO IMPOSE PROBATION AND DELAY A NEW CLASS TERM.

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

Definitions added

SECTION 1. Section 59-58-20 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended by adding:

"(17) 'Operating or soliciting' means having actual presence within the State and includes for the purposes of application of this chapter:

(a) an instructional site within South Carolina whether owned, leased, rented, or provided without charge;

(b) instruction whether theoretical or clinical within or originating from South Carolina utilizing teachers, trainers, counselors, advisors, sponsors, or mentors;

(c) an agent, recruiter, in-state liaison personnel, institution, or business that solicits for enrollment or credits or for the award of an educational credential; and

(d) advertising, promotional material, or public solicitation in any form that targets South Carolina residents through distribution or advertising in the State.

(18) 'Religious or theological training' is the awarding of nonacademic degrees, diplomas, or certificates with a specific theological, biblical, divinity, or other religious designation."

Exclusions modified

SECTION 2. Section 59-58-30 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"Section 59-58-30. The definition of 'nonpublic educational institution' does not include:

(1) any degree-granting school, institute, college, junior college, university, or entity chartered by the Secretary of State before 1953;

(2) institutions that:

(a) are independent or church-related,

(b) are two or four-year degree granting,

(c) have their primary emphasis on liberal arts,

(d) are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,

(e) are nonprofit, and

(f) have their primary place of business in South Carolina.

(3) institutions offering courses of instruction only at the kindergarten through high school level;

(4) institutions whose sole purpose is religious or theological training;

(5) institutions offering noncredit bearing courses exclusively for avocational purposes, as determined by the commissioner;

(6) institutions directly supported, entirely or partly, by the State of South Carolina;

(7) aviation institutions or instructors that offer flight training with the statement or implication that their primary objective is to train persons for personal or recreational purposes and not for gainful employment;

(8) courses or programs regulated and licensed or approved under an occupational licensing law of the State of South Carolina;

(9) noncredit bearing courses or programs sponsored by employers solely for the training of their employees if:

(a) the training is conducted by an employee of the sponsoring employer or if the sponsoring employer contracts with a provider to conduct the training;

(b) the sponsoring employer bears the expense of providing the training by paying the training provider directly, and this provision does not mean paying the employee after the employee pays; and

(c) the sponsoring employer allows employees to attend the training on company time if the training takes place during regular work hours.

(10) noncredit bearing courses or programs that do not prepare or qualify individuals for employment in any occupation or trade sponsored by recognized trade, business, or professional organizations solely for the instruction of their members;

(11) institutions that offer only noncredit bearing intensive review courses such as those designed to prepare students for certified public accountancy tests, law school aptitude tests, bar examinations, medical college admissions tests, and other license preparation tests;

(12) out-of-state institutions that formally collaborate with public South Carolina institutions in offering distance education coursework in this State and where the South Carolina institution offers the degree;

(13) institutions that offer programs and courses on federal military installations."

Licenses for less than twelve months

SECTION 3. Section 59-58-50(F) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"(F) Licenses for nondegree-granting institutions shall normally be granted for twelve months, renewable annually from date of issue, or other date in excess of twelve months set by the commission to stagger the renewal dates of all institutions. The commission may issue licenses to nondegree-granting institutions for less than twelve months as circumstances justify. Licenses and renewal of licenses for degree-granting institutions may be granted for periods not to exceed five years. Renewal is contingent upon filing appropriate applications for renewal with the commissioner. The institution and its courses or programs, facilities, faculty, and all other operations must meet the requirements for an original license at the effective date of the renewal."

Use of term "college" or "university"

SECTION 4. Section 59-58-60 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"Section 59-58-60. No individual, school, board, association, corporation, business, institution, or other entity may use the term 'college' or 'university' or use any other name, title, literature, catalogs, pamphlets, or descriptive matter which implies that it is an institution of higher learning or that it may grant educational credentials or credit or academic or professional degrees, except as follows:

(A) An institution the commission licenses may use the term 'college' in its name only if it offers at least one program leading to an associate or higher degree.

(B) An institution may use the term 'university' in its name if the institution is:

(1) operating and licensed in South Carolina and using the term 'university' in its name before the effective date of this chapter, or

(2) an out-of-state institution that is chartered or licensed in its home state using the term 'university' in its name.

Any other institution must petition the commission for approval to use the term 'university' in its name."

Penalties

SECTION 5. Section 59-58-70 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"Section 59-58-70. The commission may set reasonable fees for administration of this chapter including, but not limited to, licenses, agent permits, renewals, penalties for late renewals, penalties for failure to provide information as required, penalties for repeat violations, consultants, complaint investigations, and supplementary applications for amendments of the license."

Technical change

SECTION 6. Section 59-58-100 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"Section 59-58-100. All enrollment agreements, contracts, and promissory notes or other evidence of indebtedness entered into by nonpublic educational institutions with students or prospective students are void unless the institution holds a valid license, and the agent enrolling the student holds a valid permit as required by this chapter."

License denial, revocation, probation, and delay

SECTION 7. Section 59-58-110 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 497 of 1992, is amended to read:

"Section 59-58-110. (A) Before a final proceeding to deny, revoke, or suspend a license or permit, the commission shall give to the person to be affected by the decision notice of facts and conduct which warrant the intended action and an opportunity to show compliance with the minimum requirements for a license or permit. If the commission determines that the violations are habitual, wilful, and therefore likely to reoccur, the commission may proceed with denial or revocation though the institution complies or agrees to comply with the standards for licensure.

(B) In any final agency proceeding to deny a license or permit to any person properly applying for one, or to revoke or suspend the license or permit of any licensee or permit holder, the commission shall give the person to be affected by the intended action notice an opportunity for a hearing as provided in the Administrative Procedures Act.

(C) The commission may give the institution a period of probation if in its judgment any unsatisfactory condition can reasonably be corrected within such time. The commission may also require that an institution delay a new class term."

Time effective

SECTION 8. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 22nd day of May, 2002.

Approved the 28th day of May, 2002.

__________


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