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R201, H4738

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Erickson and McGinnis
Document Path: LC-0501WAB26.docx

Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2026
Last Amended on March 26, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: May 18, 2026, Signed

Summary: Commission on Higher Education

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date	Body	Action Description with journal page number
12/16/2025	House	Prefiled
12/16/2025	House	Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
1/13/2026	House	Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 72)
1/13/2026	House	Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 72)
3/25/2026	House	Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 6)
3/26/2026	House	Amended (House Journal-page 58)
3/26/2026	House	Read second time (House Journal-page 58)
3/26/2026	House	Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 62)
3/26/2026	House	Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day (House Journal-page 63)
3/27/2026	House	Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 4)
3/31/2026	Senate	Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 12)
3/31/2026	Senate	Referred to Committee on Education (Senate Journal-page 12)
4/21/2026	Senate	Committee report: Favorable Education (Senate Journal-page 11)
4/29/2026	Senate	Read second time (Senate Journal-page 91)
4/29/2026	Senate	Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 91)
4/30/2026	Senate	Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 39)
5/14/2026		Ratified R 201
5/18/2026		Signed By Governor

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/17/2025
03/25/2026
03/26/2026
04/21/2026

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(R201, H4738)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-26-20, RELATING TO CERTAIN DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATOR TRAINING, SO AS TO ELIMINATE THE GOVERNOR'S TEACHING SCHOLARSHIP LOAN PROGRAM; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-26-35, RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATOR PREPARATION REPORT CARD, SO AS TO REVISE DUTIES OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-53-40, RELATING TO COLLEGE PARALLEL COURSES AND ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS, SO AS TO REMOVE RELATED BUDGETARY REVIEW REQUIREMENTS OF THE COMMISSION; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-104-40, RELATING TO THE CONVERSION FROM THE QUARTER CALENDAR SYSTEM TO THE SEMESTER CALENDAR SYSTEM BY THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION SYSTEM, SO AS TO REMOVE OBSOLETE PROVISIONS; BY AMENDING 59-143-10, RELATING TO THE ALLOCATION OF CERTAIN FUNDS FROM THE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION ENDOWMENT, SO AS TO REMOVE SPECIFIC TIMES FOR RELEASING THE FUNDS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-143-30, RELATING TO THE ALLOCATION FORMULA FOR CERTAIN FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS TO STUDENTS ATTENDING INDEPENDENT COLLEGES, SO AS TO REVISE THE FORMULA; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-150-355, RELATING TO EDUCATION LOTTERY APPROPRIATIONS AND USES, SO AS TO REMOVE OBSOLETE PROVISIONS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; BY AMENDING SECTION 8-17-380, RELATING TO THE GRIEVANCE AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCEDURE FOR ACADEMIC EMPLOYEES, SO AS TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO THE COMMISSION; BY REPEALING CHAPTER 51 OF TITLE 11 RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH UNIVERSITY INFRASTRUCTURE ACT; BY REPEALING SECTION 39-9-230 RELATING TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE METRIC SYSTEM BY THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE WITH ASSISTANCE BY AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-54-20 RELATING TO THE STATE OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-101-340 RELATING TO ALLOCATION OF FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR A CERTAIN INVESTMENT INITIATIVE; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-101-360 RELATING TO CERTAIN REVENUE FROM TAX ON CATALOG SALES CREDITABLE TO MAIL ORDER SALES TAX FUND; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-103-50 RELATING TO THE ADVISORY COUNCIL OF PRIVATE COLLEGE PRESIDENTS; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-103-120 RELATING TO THE ACCREDITATION AND CHARTERING OF CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGES; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-103-162 RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-210 RELATING TO THE COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-230 RELATING TO THE ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS PROGRAM; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-410 RELATING TO THE RESEARCH INVESTMENT FUND; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-420 RELATING TO CRITERIA FOR RESEARCH INVESTMENT FUND USES; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-430 RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS FOR THE RESEARCH INVESTMENT FUND TO BE MADE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-104-440 RELATING TO THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FROM THE RESEARCH INVESTMENT FUND; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-105-60 RELATING TO THE MODEL SEXUAL ASSAULT POLICY CREATED BY THE CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT INFORMATION ACT; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-111-75 RELATING TO THE COLLEGE LOAN PROGRAM FOR NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-121-15 RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITADEL TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE INSTITUTION; BY REPEALING SECTION 59-127-75 RELATING TO THE FELTON-LABORATORY SCHOOL AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 59-150-380 RELATING TO THE EDUCATION LOTTERY TEACHING SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS.

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

Governor's Teaching Scholarship Loan Program eliminated

SECTION 1.    Section 59-26-20(n) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(n) Reserved.

South Carolina Educator Preparation Report Card

SECTION 2.    Section 59-26-35(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(A) The State Department of Education, with the assistance of the Commission on Higher Education, State Board of Education, the Center for Research on Teacher Education (SC-TEACHER), and the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, shall form a commission to conduct a detailed assessment of the current data infrastructure, develop metrics, determine weightings, construct a unified data upload system, and construct public and private facing data reports including, but not limited to, annually publishing before November first an online report card known as the "South Carolina Educator Preparation Report Card." The report card must be made available on the State Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education's websites. The commission shall develop a format that each educator preparation program must use on its website that shows all required information regarding its respective program. The report card shall evaluate the ability of educator preparation programs, including alternative programs, to prepare new teachers for success in South Carolina's classrooms, as well as describe the school and district contexts in which completers work. The report card must include data on a variety of measures to provide an overall picture of how well each educator preparation program prepares effective educators and meets state goals including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) number of undergraduate and graduate completers;

(2) placement and one, three, and five year retention rates by districts and regions of the State;

(3) performance-based assessments of candidates;

(4) ability of program to recruit a strong, diverse cohort of candidates and prepare them to teach in the content areas of greatest need;

(5) quality of clinical experiences, including access to qualified and trained mentors, time in the field, and opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in the clinical setting;

(6) effectiveness of individuals who completed a provider's program and are employed in a public school classroom. The information must be differentiated by provider and, where applicable, across content areas; and

(7) graduate and employer satisfaction.

College parallel courses and associate degree programs, CHE budgetary review eliminated

SECTION 3.    Section 59-53-40 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 59-53-40.    (A) The board and local area commissions shall ensure effective coordination with the public schools, other state agencies, literary councils, and private and nonprofit training organizations to maximize opportunities to best meet local education and training needs. The board shall maintain effective coordination with the Commission on Higher Education and other educational boards and state agencies.

(B) All college parallel courses or associate degree programs are subject to the approval or termination by the Commission on Higher Education.

Conversions from quarter calendar system to semester calendar system

SECTION 4.    Section 59-104-40 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 59-104-40.    The State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, in consultation with the commission, shall limit the offering of courses designed for college transfer in those technical colleges that do not have approved college transfer programs. The offering of "college parallel" general education courses in institutions not authorized to award the associate in arts or associate in science degree is limited to those necessary to support approved nontransfer programs. The commission, after consultation with the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and with public senior colleges and universities, shall establish rules and procedures by which this limitation must be regulated. The commission shall establish procedures concerning courses acceptable for transfer as provided in Section 59-103-45(1).

Children's Education Endowment fund release dates eliminated

SECTION 5.    Section 59-143-10(C) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(C) Funds made available for Need-based Grants and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships through the Higher Education Scholarship Grants allocation must be no more than the prior year's earned revenue. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any unspent balance in the Higher Education Scholarship Grants allocation of the Children's Education Endowment Fund, including interest and low-level radioactive waste tax revenue from previous years' collections, may be made available for Need-based Grants and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships.

Scholarship grants to students attending independent colleges, allocation formula revised

SECTION 6.    Section 59-143-30 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 59-143-30.    (1) Of the funds made available for higher education scholarship grants from the higher education scholarship grant allocation under Section 59-143-10 for any year, one-half shall be allocated for Need-based Grants and one-half shall be allocated for Palmetto Fellows Scholarships.

(2) Of the total funds made available for higher education scholarship grants from the higher education scholarship grant allocation under Section 59-143-10 for any year, a percentage thereof must be allocated for students attending independent institutions of higher learning in this State. This percentage shall be equivalent to the percentage of the independent colleges' share of the total South Carolina resident undergraduate full-time (FTE) enrollment of all public and independent institutions of higher learning in this State based on the previous year's data as determined by the Commission on Higher Education and the South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission. This percentage shall be drawn from the funds allocated under item (1) for Need-based Grants.

(3) The allocation each year to students at the South Carolina independent colleges under item (2) shall be used to provide tuition grants under Chapter 113. The funds allocated for South Carolina Tuition Grants to South Carolina independent colleges students under this subsection shall be included in the annual appropriation to the Commission on Higher Education and transferred annually into the budget of the South Carolina Tuition Grants Commission in the amount prescribed in item (2).

(4) Independent colleges for purposes of this subsection means those institutions eligible to participate in the South Carolina Tuition Grants Program as defined by Section 59-113-50.

(5) Public institutions shall receive the remaining allocation each year of the funds made available for higher education scholarship grants under Section 59-143-10.

(6) The maximum amount of funding provided for awards to students attending South Carolina independent colleges from the Children's Education Endowment Fund for South Carolina Tuition Grants shall not exceed the percentage funding calculation described under item (2).

Education lottery appropriations and uses, obsolete provisions eliminated

SECTION 7.    Section 59-150-355 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 59-150-355.    (A) There is appropriated from the Education Lottery Account for the following education purposes and programs and funds for these programs and purposes shall be transferred by the Executive Budget Office as directed below. These appropriations must be used to supplement and not supplant existing funds for education. Distributions from the Education Lottery Account must be made on a quarterly basis by the last day of January, April, July, and October of each year, beginning in July 2002 if the account has accrued more than $35,000,000 in net proceeds by that date. The Executive Budget Office is directed to prepare the subsequent Lottery Expenditure Account detail budget to reflect the appropriations of the Education Lottery Account as provided in the annual appropriations act.

(B)The Commission on Higher Education is authorized to temporarily transfer funds between appropriated line items and between recurring and nonrecurring funds in order to ensure the timely receipt of scholarships and tuition assistance.

(C) Annual net lottery proceeds and investment earnings in excess of the certified net lottery proceeds and investment earnings are appropriated and must be used and must be carried forward to ensure that all LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, and HOPE Scholarships created or supplemented by the General Assembly are fully funded annually. If the lottery revenue received is less than the amounts appropriated, the projects and programs receiving appropriations for any such year must have their appropriations reduced on a pro rata basis, except that a reduction must not be applied to the funding of LIFE, Palmetto Fellows, and HOPE Scholarships.

Grievance and performance appraisal procedures for academic employees, CHE removed

SECTION 8.    Section 8-17-380 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 8-17-380.    With respect to the teaching and research faculty, professional librarians, academic administrators, and all other persons holding faculty appointments at any post-secondary educational institutions described in item (10) of Section 8-17-370, each such institution, subject to the approval of the Director of the Department of Administration or its designee shall establish in writing:

(a) A performance appraisal procedure which shall assure:

(1) annual review and evaluation of such employees;

(2) written findings;

(3) review of evaluations with each covered employee;

(4) retention of performance appraisals and written comments of such employee, if any, in a permanent file with right of full disclosure to the employee.

(b) A grievance procedure which shall at an appropriate stage provide a hearing for such employees before an individual or committee designated for such purposes, at which the employee shall have the right to representation by counsel and the opportunity to present evidence in his behalf. Any such procedure shall include the right of the employee to appeal the post-hearing decision to the governing board of the institution, or a committee designated by the board for this purpose, such appeal to be limited to the record of the hearing. Discrimination in compensation, promotion, and work assignment shall be subjects for consideration by such grievance procedure. Dismissal of tenured or other permanent employees and dismissal prior to the end of an employment contract term shall be only for cause, and shall be subject for consideration by such grievance procedure. The granting or the failure to grant tenured status to such employees or nonrenewal of employment contracts at the end of the contract term shall not be subjects for consideration by such grievance procedure.

The grievance and performance appraisal procedure provided for herein shall be submitted to the Department of Administration or its designee for approval within six months after the establishment of any new institution.

Repeals

SECTION 9.    Chapter 51, Title 11, and Sections 39-9-230, 59-54-20, 59-101-340, 59-101-360, 59-103-50, 59-103-120, 59-103-162, 59-104-210, 59-104-230, 59-104-410, 59-104-420, 59-104-430, 59-104-440, 59-105-60, 59-111-75, 59-121-15, 59-127-75, and 59-150-380 of the S.C. Code are repealed.

Time effective

SECTION 10.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 18th day of May, 2026. -- S.

This web page was last updated on May 27, 2026 at 11:22 AM