South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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H. 3353

STATUS INFORMATION

Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Bradley, Herbkersman, Daning, Erickson, Long, Bowers, Newton, Wells, Corley, Hodges, R.L. Brown, George, Johnson and Robinson-Simpson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\18473ab15.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3380

Introduced in the House on January 20, 2015
Introduced in the Senate on April 28, 2015
Last Amended on April 23, 2015
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Education

Summary: General educational development camps

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/20/2015  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 17)
   1/20/2015  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 17)
   1/21/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Daning
   1/27/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Erickson, Long, 
                        Bowers, Newton
   3/17/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Wells, Corley
   3/19/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hodges
   4/14/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: R.L.Brown
   4/15/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: George, Johnson
   4/22/2015  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and 
                        Public Works (House Journal-page 3)
   4/23/2015  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Robinson-Simpson
   4/23/2015  House   Amended (House Journal-page 29)
   4/23/2015  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 29)
   4/23/2015  House   Roll call Yeas-103  Nays-2 (House Journal-page 31)
   4/23/2015  House   Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day (House Journal-page 32)
   4/27/2015  House   Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 2)
   4/28/2015  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
   4/28/2015  Senate  Referred to Committee on Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 9)
   5/27/2015  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 34)
   4/26/2016  Senate  Recommitted to Committee on Education 
                        (Senate Journal-page 5)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/20/2015
4/22/2015
4/23/2015
5/27/2015

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

COMMITTEE REPORT

May 27, 2015

H. 3353

Introduced by Reps. Bradley, Herbkersman, Daning, Erickson, Long, Bowers, Newton, Wells, Corley, Hodges, R.L. Brown, George, Johnson and Robinson-Simpson

S. Printed 5/27/15--S.

Read the first time April 28, 2015.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

To whom was referred a Joint Resolution (H. 3353) to establish beginning with the 2015-2016 school year a two-year pilot program in five specific counties to facilitate the use of General Educational Development, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

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

JOHN E. COURSON for Committee.

            

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

Fiscal Impact Summary

The impact of the bill as amended is a minimal impact to the general fund which can be absorbed and no impact to federal funds and other funds. Local expenditures will increase for the school district Adult Education Centers that participate in the pilot program. Eleven school districts responded with a total expenditure impact of $238,438.

Explanation of Fiscal Impact

State Expenditure

Explanation of Amendment (April 23, 2015) - by House of Representatives

The amendment to the bill places responsibility of establishing the GED Camp Pilot Program with the State Department of Education instead of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.

The State Department of Education. This bill will have no expenditure impact to the general fund, federal funds and other funds for the State Department of Education. The expenditure impact will be on the local school districts that are identified as participants in the pilot program. Eleven adult education programs responded with estimates ranging from $1,000 to $70,000, for a total of $238,438. Anticipated expenditures include recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteer teachers, administration of federally required diagnostic tests, instructional materials, and registration and testing fees.

The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.     The department indicates there will be a minimal expenditure impact on the general fund which can be absorbed and no expenditure impact on federal funds or other funds.

Explanation of the bill filed on January 20, 2015

House Bill 3353 provides that the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education (TEC) shall establish a two year pilot program in five specific counties to facilitate the use of General Educational Development Camps to help people obtain a General Educational Development certificate (GED).

Section 1(B) states that the program must focus on the use of volunteers to provide tutorial assistance for community members who are seeking to obtain their GED. However, TEC indicates there may be a minimal expenditure impact on the general fund for the administration and oversight of the program.

Frank A. Rainwater, Executive Director

Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office

            

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO ESTABLISH BEGINNING WITH THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR A TWO-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM IN FIVE SPECIFIC COUNTIES TO FACILITATE THE USE OF GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAMPS TO HELP PEOPLE OBTAIN THEIR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES, TO PROVIDE PROGRAM ELEMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE THE STATE BOARD FOR TECHNICAL AND COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION SHALL ESTABLISH AND OVERSEE THE PROGRAM.

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that an educated citizenry is essential to providing a workforce attractive to business and industry, which is crucial to the economic vitality of this State; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that circumstances sometimes prevent individuals from completing their high school studies in the traditional manner, and that efforts to help these individuals earn a General Educational Development (GED) certificate benefit these individuals and the State; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds that the Hilton Head GED Camp has enjoyed tremendous success in helping people in Beaufort County earn GED certificates by using volunteers to provide intense GED training for nominal costs; and

Whereas, the General Assembly finds the success of the Hilton Head GED Camp encouraging, and replication of the program statewide merits further consideration that may best be achieved through a pilot study of the program in various areas of the State. Now, therefore,

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

SECTION    1.    (A)(1)    Effective beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the State Department of Education shall establish a two-year pilot program to be known as the General Educational Development (GED) Camp Pilot Program, which must emulate existing volunteer programs in the State to develop, implement, support, and monitor GED Camps that provide a volunteer-based system to assist people who do not have a high school diploma earn their GED certificates and advance to higher education, the military, an occupation, and so forth.

(2)    To ensure that the program concentrates on areas served by technical colleges, the GED Camp program must be implemented in each of the service markets of the technical college system.

(B)    The GED Camp program should focus on the use of volunteers to provide tutorial assistance for community members without a high school diploma who seek to obtain a GED certificate using a concentrated "boot camp" model lasting approximately six to eight consecutive weeks during which students must:

(1)    undergo direct instruction by teacher volunteers and test for vocational interests;

(2)    participate in college and career readiness workshops related to interviewing skills, resume building, enrollment, and education financing; and

(3)    receive direct and indirect mentoring.

(C)    Based on the outcomes achieved by the GED Camp program, the State Department of Education shall make recommendations regarding statewide expansion of the program to the General Assembly before July 1, 2017. In keeping with federal and state requirements for tracking adult education, GED Camp programs shall report outcomes to the State Department of Education. For the duration of the two-year pilot, programs using the GED Camp program model shall report these outcomes annually to the State Department of Education by June fifteenth for the previously completed school year. The State Department of Education may prescribe additional outcome measures to be tracked by the GED Camp programs. The State Department of Education shall in turn report the program outcomes annually to the Senate Education Committee and the House Education and Public Works Committee by December first for the previously completed school year.

(D)    The State Department of Education shall create policies to implement the provisions of this joint resolution. Recognizing that great flexibility in the implementation of the GED Camp Pilot Program is critical to is success, the department is directed to assist volunteers in the implementation of the provisions of this joint resolution.

SECTION    2.    This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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