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A28, R46, S77
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Hembree, Grooms and Zell
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3200
Document Path: SEDU-0001KG25.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the House on February 25, 2025
Last Amended on May 6, 2025
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: May 12, 2025, Signed
Summary: Streaming of School Board Meetings
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 12/11/2024 | Senate | Prefiled |
| 12/11/2024 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Education |
| 1/14/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 62) |
| 1/14/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Education |
| 2/12/2025 | Senate | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education (Senate Journal-page 5) |
| 2/19/2025 | Senate | Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 2/19/2025 | Senate | Amended (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 2/19/2025 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 2/19/2025 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 2/20/2025 | Senate | Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 2/25/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 23) |
| 2/25/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 23) |
| 5/1/2025 | House | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 127) |
| 5/6/2025 | House | Amended (House Journal-page 37) |
| 5/6/2025 | House | Requests for debate-Rep(s). Hayes, Wooten (House Journal-page 37) |
| 5/6/2025 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 37) |
| 5/6/2025 | House | Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 38) |
| 5/7/2025 | House | Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 9) |
| 5/7/2025 | Senate | Concurred in House amendment and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 15) |
| 5/8/2025 | Ratified R 46 | |
| 5/12/2025 | Signed By Governor | |
| 5/19/2025 | Effective date 05/12/25 | |
| 5/19/2025 | Act No. 28 |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/11/2024
02/12/2025
02/19/2025
05/01/2025
05/06/2025
NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
(A28, R46, S77)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-85 SO AS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC ACCESS TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS BY REQUIRING SCHOOL BOARDS TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT PROVIDE LIVESTREAM OR ALTERNATE ELECTRONIC MEANS TRANSMISSION OF SUCH MEETINGS, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; AND TO REQUIRE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2026.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
School board meeting livestream mandate, policies, funding
SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-19-85. (A) Each public school governing body, including the governing bodies of charter schools and special schools, must make reasonable efforts to ensure the entirety of all meetings subject to the provisions of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act are open and accessible to the public and also available by means of live video and audio electronic access, hereafter referred to as livestream access, except during a lawful executive session.
(B) If a governing body cannot provide such livestream access to the public despite making reasonable efforts to restore livestream access during the meeting, it must make a clear audio and video recording of the meeting in its entirety available on its website as soon as practicable and in no more than seven days after the meeting.
(C) The State Board of Education shall adopt, and revise as necessary, a model livestream meeting policy suitable for governing bodies of public schools, including charter and special schools, to comply with provisions in this section. The policy must include, at a minimum:
(1) resources, recommendations, and best practices facilitating requirements for all portions of livestreamed meetings to be visible and audible in real time and subsequently posted on applicable websites no more than two business days of the meeting;
(2) suggested approaches for developing and implementing ability and expanding or improving existing livestream capacity;
(3) publicizing availability of livestreamed meetings;
(4) allowances for executive sessions;
(5) penalties for policy violations or noncompliance not to exceed one percent of state funds to the district, charter school, or special school, with escalating tiers based on frequency, duration, and severity; and
(6) the process for allowing a governing body with evidence of limited or no broadband access to request approval from the State Board of Education for up to an additional twelve months to comply with provisions in this section.
(D)(1) Each public school governing body, including the governing bodies of charter schools and special schools, shall adopt a local policy applicable to its meetings within three months after adoption of the model policy by the State Board of Education. A local policy must include, at a minimum, the State Board of Education model policy.
(2) If the State Board of Education adopts a revision to the model policy, then the public school governing body shall adopt and incorporate the revision into its local policy within three months after the adoption of the revision by the State Board of Education.
(3) A public school governing body only may adopt or revise its local policy at a regularly scheduled meeting, which must be successfully livestreamed.
(4) A public school governing body may not adopt or follow a livestream policy that prevents or impedes in-person participation by the public.
(5) Within thirty days after adoption of a local policy or revision to the policy, a public school governing body shall submit a copy of the policy or revision to the State Superintendent of Education for State Board of Education approval.
(E) Funding by the State will be provided to those school districts without streaming capabilities as of the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Implementation deadline
SECTION 2. The provisions of this act must be implemented by January 1, 2026.
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 8th day of May, 2025.
Approved the 12th day of May, 2025.
This web page was last updated on May 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM