South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

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Bill 1311

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

COMMITTEE REPORT

April 23, 2008

S. 1311

Introduced by Senators Leatherman, Anderson, Alexander, Bryant, Campbell, Campsen, Ceips, Cleary, Courson, Cromer, Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Gregory, Grooms, Hawkins, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Knotts, Land, Leventis, Lourie, Malloy, Martin, Massey, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, O'Dell, Patterson, Peeler, Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Ritchie, Ryberg, Scott, Setzler, Sheheen, Short, Thomas, Vaughn, Verdin and Williams

S. Printed 4/23/08--S.

Read the first time April 17, 2008.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

To whom was referred a Joint Resolution (S. 1311) to establish the Public Education Funding Effectiveness and Fairness Panel, to provide for the panel's membership, powers, duties, and responsibilities, to provide that the panel must conduct a, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

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

Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, page 1, by striking lines 28 through 37 and inserting:

/        (1)    one member each appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Senate Education Committee Chairman,

(2)    one member each appointed by the Speaker of the House, the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, the House Majority Leader, the House Minority Leader, and the House Education and Public Works Committee Chairman,

(3)    two members appointed by the Governor, and            /

Amend the joint resolution further, as and if amended, page 3, by striking lines 7 and 8 and inserting:

/        An amendment that seeks to add, delete, or substantively change the legislation    /

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

HUGH K. LEATHERMAN, SR. for Committee.

            

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO ESTABLISH THE PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING EFFECTIVENESS AND FAIRNESS PANEL, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PANEL'S MEMBERSHIP, POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PANEL MUST CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE STATE FUNDS PUBLIC SCHOOLING AND SUBMIT A REPORT OF ITS RECOMMENDED CHANGES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION RESULTING FROM THE PANEL'S RECOMMENDATIONS.

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

SECTION    1.    (A)    There is created the Public Education Funding Effectiveness and Fairness Panel to be comprised of eleven members appointed as follows:

(1)    one member each appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate Minority Leader,

(2)    one member each appointed by the Speaker of the House, the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, the House Majority Leader, and the House Minority Leader,

(3)    two members appointed by the Governor, one must be an elected member of a state, county, or municipal governing body and one must be an elected member of a school district governing body, both to serve ex officio, and

(4)    the State Superintendent of Education, or his designee, to serve ex officio.

Members of the General Assembly may not be appointed to the panel.

(B)(1)    The panel must meet as soon as practicable after appointment and organize itself by electing one of its members as chairman and such other officers as the panel may consider necessary. Thereafter, the panel must meet as necessary to fulfill the duties required by this act at the call of the chairman or by a majority of the members. A quorum consists of six members.

(2)    The panel shall study and propose to the General Assembly changes regarding the distribution of education funds to the public school districts of this State. The panel's study must be a detailed, comprehensive, and careful evaluation of the effectiveness and fairness of public school funding. The panel shall recommend changes to the current funding system to ensure a stable and consistent funding distribution mechanism across the districts of the State that is insulated to the extent possible from the vagaries of population, property value, and other volatile variables and provides a secure and consistent amount of funds to the district. The panel shall develop criteria for assessing the effectiveness of current funding and report the criteria to the General Assembly within six months of the effective date of this act.

(3)    The panel shall prepare a report of its recommendations, including proposed legislation, and submit the report to the General Assembly by January 1, 2010. Upon submission of the report required by this subsection, the panel shall terminate.

(C)    The panel may:

(1)    hold public hearings and receive testimony from any witness who may assist the panel in the performance of its duties,

(2)    utilize the services of any state agency or political subdivision, and upon request, any state agency or political subdivision shall cooperate fully with the panel and provide the panel with any information the panel deems necessary, and

(3)    adopt rules of procedure the panel considers appropriate.

(D)    The panel may enter into contracts to provide expert analysis and assistance and to conduct any study the panel determines is necessary from funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose.

(E)    A member serves without compensation, but is allowed the usual per diem and mileage as provided by law for members of boards, commissions, and committees while on official business to be paid by the member's appointing entity. Clerical and professional staff for the panel must be provided by the staffs of the appointing authorities.

(F)    Any legislation proposed by the panel may be introduced in substantially similar form in either or both houses by one or more of the appointing authorities listed in subsection (A)(1) and (2). An amendment is germane to legislation proposed by the panel only if the amendment seeks to make a technical change necessary to effectuate the purpose of the particular provision to be amended. An amendment that seeks to add, delete, or substantively change a tax or other revenue raising measure included in legislation proposed by the panel may only be adopted or concurred in by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting in each respective house.

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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