LEGISLATIVE TRACKING
With the help and direction of Palmetto Family, SCHEA will monitor all bills introduced in both the South Carolina House and the Senate throughout this legislative session. Please check back often as we will attempt to keep this page current.
If a bill requires action on the part of homeschoolers, SCHEA will send an alert to its membership.
H3031 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-63-100, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS AND OTHERS, SO AS TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS MUST BE HOMESCHOOLED FOR A FULL ACADEMIC YEAR BEFORE THEY MAY PARTICIPATE IN SUCH INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES; AND TO MAKE THESE PROVISIONS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2021.
SCHEA’s Stance: 👍
This bill would remove the requirement that homeschooling athletes must be homeschooled for a full academic year before they are allowed to participate in interscholastic activities. We believe this bill will be helpful to homeschoolers and our stance is in support of it.
H3164 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-105 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL MAKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTING AND CERTAIN OTHER TESTING AVAILABLE TO HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS RESIDING IN THE DISTRICT IF THE TESTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICTS, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED DUTIES OF SCHOOL BOARDS AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
SCHEA’S Stance: 👍
This bill would require school districts to make various tests available to homeschooling students on the same basis as public school students, unlike they are required to do now. These tests include AP Exams, Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), ACT/SAT, Pre-ACT tests, and college and career readiness assessments. Our stance is in support of this bill so homeschoolers will be able to access these tests when they are available in their district, and at the same fee rates applied to public schoolers.
H3470 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-59-215 SO AS TO MAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT STUDENTS IN GRADES TEN THROUGH TWELVE MUST SATISFY TO TAKE DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES, TO MAKE LOTTERY TUITION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO SUCH STUDENTS FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT CREDITS, AND TO PROVIDE THIS ASSISTANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE STUDENTS TO TAKE ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF DUAL ENROLLMENT CREDITS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 59-104-20, RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO INCLUDE TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES AMONG INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING WHOSE STUDENTS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS.
H3588 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CRITERIA FOR LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO STRENGTHEN ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FOUNDATIONS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SEEKING LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS BY REQUIRING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF CERTAIN ENGLISH AND MATHEMATICS OR COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSEWORK DURING THEIR SENIOR YEARS, AND TO EXCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE 2022-2023 SENIOR CLASS FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS.
H3355 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-104-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CRITERIA FOR PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY, SO AS TO REMOVE MINIMUM STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES FROM SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA; TO AMEND SECTION 59-149-50, RELATING TO CRITERIA FOR LIFE SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY, SO AS TO REMOVE MINIMUM STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES FROM SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA; AND TO MAKE THESE PROVISIONS APPLICABLE JULY 1, 2022.
H3017 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-104-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY FOR PALMETTO FELLOWS SCHOLARSHIPS, SO AS TO INCLUDE TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES AMONG INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING WHOSE STUDENTS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS.
H3023 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-10, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT IN SCHOOLS, SO AS TO INCREASE FROM SEVENTEEN TO EIGHTEEN THE AGE OF THE CHILD AT WHICH A PARENT OR GUARDIAN NO LONGER HAS RESPONSIBILITY TO CAUSE THE CHILD TO ATTEND SCHOOL.
H3080 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-18-310, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO STATEWIDE ASSESSMENTS TO MEASURE STUDENT LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT EACH TWELFTH GRADE STUDENT SHALL TAKE CERTAIN STANDARDIZED COLLEGE READINESS AND JOBS SKILLS ASSESSMENTS AND ACHIEVE A MINIMUM SCORE ON ONE SUCH ASSESSMENT TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND TO MAKE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT APPLICABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADUATING AFTER JANUARY 1, 2022.
H3102 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ABOLISH THE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION ON JULY 1, 2021, AND DEVOLVE THEIR DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND FUNCTIONS UPON THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION HEREAFTER CREATED; BY ADDING CHAPTER 75 TO TITLE 59 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP, ORGANIZATION, AND FUNCTIONS INCLUDING BEING THE LEAD AGENCY TO COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 76, TITLE 59 RELATING TO THE INITIATIVES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING; AND BY ADDING CHAPTER 76 TO TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A SEAMLESS SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO INCLUDE EVERY LEVEL OF EDUCATION FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION THROUGH GRADUATE STUDIES KNOWN AS THE "P-20 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR PRESCHOOL THROUGH AGE 20".
H 3925 was signed by the Governor on Friday, April 16, 2021. This bill summary calls it a “Homeschool student interscholastic participation waiver.” It waives the one year rule, but only for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. It also waives the rule that students must take four academic courses to participate in interscholastic activities. There was a bill that would have removed this completely, but it did not move as fast as this one.
H 3017 seems close to passing (as of 4/21/21). It has passed the House and passed a roll call vote with the Senate. This bill would allow students to use the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship at a 2-year college for 4 semesters. They could then transfer to a 4-year college and receive 4 additional semesters. That’s great news that students will no longer need to decline this scholarship if they want to attend a 2-year college!
CONTACT US
Email: homeschool@palmettofamily.org
Phone: (803) 733-5600