2025-2026 Bill 77 Text of Previous Version (Feb.(Dec.

12,11, 2025)2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 77Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.

Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.) Indicates  Matter  Stricken  Indicates  New  Matter    Committee  ReportA Februarybill 12,  2025TO  AMEND S.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 ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF SUCH MEETINGS AND TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION;

77   Introduced by Senators Hembree, Grooms and Zell   S.

Printed 2/12/25--S.

Read the first time January 14, 2025   ________   The committee on Senate Education To whom was referred a Bill (S.

77) 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, etc., respectfully Report:

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

      Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-19-85(A) and (B) and inserting:

    (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 the regularly scheduled or special called all meetings subject to the provisions of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act of its full governing body 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 two business seven days after the meeting.

Amend the bill further, by striking SECTION 2 and inserting:

SECTION 2.  The provisions of this act must be implemented by July 1, 2025January 1, 2026.

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

  GREG HEMBREE for Committee.

  _______                 A bill   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 ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF SUCH MEETINGS AND TO PROVIDE RELATED REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION;

----XX---- This web page was last updated on FebruaryDecember 12,11, 20252024 at 07:4304:43 PM