Legislators introduced about 90 new bills in the Senate and House over the last week. Below is a list of bills that may be of special interest, particularly several education reform bills introduced in the House:
IN THE SENATE (26 new bills)
Safe harbor. S. 1022 (Hutto) seeks to amend state law to add the “Safe Harbor for Exploited Minors Act” to provide protection for minor victims of human trafficking, with several provisions.
Telemedicine. S. 1035 (Cleary) seeks to facilitate the use of telemedicine, with several provisions.
First Steps. S. 1038 (Fair) seeks to reauthorize the state’s First Steps to School Readiness program for five years. H. 4774 is similar.
Strengthening families. S. 1041 (Shealy) seeks approval of a measure to allow legal custodians to delegate caregiving authority for children, with several provisions.
IN THE HOUSE (65 new bills)
Guns. H. 4729 (Limehouse) calls for no public funds to be spent implementing, regulating or enforcing any federal law or order that regulates gun ownership or possession, with other provisions.
Toll. H. 4731 (Ridgeway) seeks a toll on Interstate 95 at Lake Marion to generate revenues for the state.
Abortion. H. 4759 (Hicks) seeks the “Unborn Infants DIgnity Act” that focuses on fetal deaths with many provisions.
Gender. H. 4761 (Hayes) would allow schools to determine the gender of a student wanting to play high school sports based on birth certificates and wouldn’t let boys be on girls’ teams and vice versus, with several provisions.
DOT reform. DH. 4764 (Lucas) would repeal state law to allow a governor to appoint a secretary of transportation, with many provisions.
Shoeless Joe. H. 4768 (Limehouse) seeks to urge the commissioner of Major League Baseball to reinstate Shoeless Joe Jackson to provide for possible induction into the national Baseball Hall of Fame.
State of the Judiciary. H. 4772 (Delleney) calls for the annual State of the Judiciary to be delivered Feb. 17, 2016.
School facilities. H. 4776 (Allison) seeks a law to establish an Education Facility Authority to work with school districts to provide facilities, with several provisions including bonding authority.
School finances. H. 4777 (White) would require the state Department of Education to “develop and adopt a statewide program for identifying fiscal practices and budgetary conditions” that could hurt public schools, with many provisions.
Office of Transformation. H. 4779 (Allison) seeks the formation of such an office at the state Department of Education, with explanatory provisions.
Education review. H. 4780 (Allison) seeks a new committee to review existing state education laws and report obsolete ones to the General Assembly. It also would require the department to develop a system for services and help for school districts on a regional basis and require the department to monitor underperforming districts, with several provisions.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!