South Carolina General Assembly
115th Session, 2003-2004

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Bill 375

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Indicates New Matter


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

AMENDED

February 19, 2003

S. 375

Introduced by Senators Martin, Leatherman, Peeler, Drummond, Giese, Setzler, Land, Holland, Moore, Short, Hutto, Hayes, Waldrep, Knotts, Ritchie, Verdin, Pinckney, J. Verne Smith, McConnell, Courson, Thomas, Gregory, Mescher, Ryberg, Alexander, Fair, Ravenel, Branton, Grooms, Richardson, Hawkins and Kuhn

S. Printed 2/19/03--S.

Read the first time February 18, 2003.

            

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES:

$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON FEDERAL & OTHER FUND EXPENDITURES IS:

$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)

EXPLANATION OF IMPACT:

Enactment of this Joint Resolution would have no impact on the General Fund of the State or on Federal and/or Other funds.

Approved By:

Don Addy

Office of State Budget

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO PROVIDE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF THIS STATE MAY FURLOUGH DISTRICT PERSONNEL TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO AVOID A YEAR-END DEFICIT AND A REDUCTION IN FORCE AND TO PROVIDE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A FURLOUGH PURSUANT TO THIS PROVISION; AND TO PROVIDE THAT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002-2003, ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS OF THIS STATE MAY TRANSFER REVENUE BETWEEN PROGRAMS TO ANY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM WITH THE SAME FUNDING SOURCE AND ANY UNOBLIGATED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION    1.    Notwithstanding any other provision of law and for the 2002-2003 fiscal year only, if state funds appropriated for a school district in this State are less than state funds appropriated for that school district in the preceding fiscal year, or if the General Assembly or the Budget and Control Board implements a midyear across-the-board budget reduction, school districts may institute employee furlough programs pursuant to the requirements of this act. Before any employees may be furloughed pursuant to this act, the chairman of the governing body of the school district must certify that all fund flexibility provided by the General Assembly has been utilized by the district and that the furlough is necessary to avoid a year-end deficit and a reduction in force. The certification must include a detailed report by the superintendent of the specific action taken by the district to avoid a year-end deficit. The certification and report must be in writing and delivered to the State Superintendent of Education and a copy must be forwarded to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The school district may furlough school district administrative staff and school level employees. A furlough of district level administrative staff may not exceed ten days. A furlough of direct instructional classroom and support staff may not exceed five days and is to be implemented only after it is determined that a furlough of five days at the district administrative staff level only would be insufficient to avoid a year-end deficit and a reduction in force. Direct instructional classroom and support staff may be placed on furlough only after a five-day furlough of the district level administrative staff has been implemented. The district shall take all reasonable action necessary to provide furlough days on in-service days and shall only provide for furlough days on instructional days if absolutely necessary. All school districts are exempt from the defined minimum plan in Section 59-1-420 to the extent absolutely necessary to carry out this provision.

During any furlough, affected employees shall be entitled to participate in the same benefits as otherwise available to them except for receiving their salaries. As to those benefits that require employer and employee contributions, including, but not limited to, contributions to the South Carolina Retirement System or the optional retirement program, the district will be responsible for making both employer and employee contributions if coverage would otherwise be interrupted; and as to those benefits which require only employee contributions, the employee remains solely responsible for making those contributions. Placement of an employee on furlough under this provision does not constitute a grievance or appeal under any employee grievance procedure. The district may allocate the employee's reduction in pay over the balance of the fiscal year for payroll purposes regardless of the pay period within which the furlough occurs.

This act shall not abrogate the terms of any contract between any school district and its employees.

SECTION    2.    For fiscal year 2002-2003, all school districts and special schools of this State may transfer revenue between programs to any instructional program with the same funding source and may make expenditures for direct classroom instructional programs and essential operating costs from any state source without regard to fund type with the exception of school building bond funds.

SECTION    3.    This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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