S 78 — Work Experience Credit for Educators
Last action — Act No. 29
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed House
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 11, 2024. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Henry McMaster (Republican) on May 12, 2025.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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4 sponsors
4 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
Summary
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-60 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL AWARD YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CREDIT FOR CERTAIN RELEVANT NON-TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO CERTIFICATES OF EDUCATORS WHO SATISFY CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE SUCH EXPERIENCE CREDIT MAY BE AWARDED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADVANCEMENT ON THE TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE, TO PROVIDE OTHER EXISTING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS REMAIN UNCHANGED BY THIS ACT; AND TO PROVIDE DIRECTIVES TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT. - RATIFIED TITLE
Bill Text
What changed in the latest version
4 added · 69 removedPlain-language change summary
The recent amendments to Bill S 78 make significant changes to how prior work experience is considered for initial teaching certificates in South Carolina. The revised bill now specifically allows the State Department of Education to award years of experience for non-teaching jobs that are relevant to the content area of the certificate. This change is important because it aims to broaden the pool of qualified candidates for teaching positions, recognizing the value of diverse professional backgrounds in education.
2025-2026 Bill 78 Text of Previous Version (Feb.(Dec.
12,11, 2025)2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 78Indicates 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 59-25-60 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE MAY BE AWARDED ON AN INITIAL TEACHING CERTIFICATE IF THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS IN OR RELATED TO THE CONTENT FIELD OF THE CERTIFICATE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT EXISTING CERTIFICATE HOLDERS MAY RECEIVE CREDIT FOR PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE.
78 Introduced by Senators Hembree, Young 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.
78) to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-25-60 so as to provide that an individual's prior work experience may be awarded on an initial teaching, 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 59-25-60(A), (B), (C), and (D) and inserting:
(A) When reviewing an application by an individual for an educator certificate, the State Department of Education shall award years of experience on the educator certificate for non-teaching occupational experience in, or related to, the content field of the certificate for which the individual qualifies.
One year of experience credit may be awarded for every two years of full-time relevant work occupational experience completed by the individual.
Years of experience shall be awarded solely for the purpose of advancement on the teacher salary schedule.
Except for individuals seeking work-based certification, educator experience credit and relevant occupational experience eligible for educator experience credit must have been earned after the conferral of a bachelor's degree from a college or university meeting State Board of Education accreditation requirements.
To be eligible for years of experience on the educator certificate, the individual must complete and submit a verification of relevant work occupational experience form developed by the State Department of Education with the application for an educator certificate.
(B) Individuals who entered the teaching profession prior to July 1, 2025, with non-teaching occupational experience in, or related to, the content field of their teaching certificate may complete and submit the verification of relevant work occupational experience form to the State Department of Education to have additional years of experience added to their certificate for the purposes of advancing on the teacher salary schedule.
If additional years of experience are awarded, the eligible individual is entitled to have their pay adjusted for the current school year, from the effective date of the adjustment, to reflect the new experience step on the employing district's salary schedule.
However, the individual is not entitled to retroactive pay for the increased years of experience during prior years of teaching or for any purpose other than advancement on the teacher salary schedule.
(C) Nothing in this section alters any existing requirements for receiving an educator certificate.
Individuals with the work occupational experience identified in subsection (A) must still meet all other existing requirements in order to receive an educator certificate.
(D) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as allowing additional years of experience to be awarded for purposes other than advancement on the teacher salary schedule.
Years of experience awarded pursuant to this section for relevant work occupational experience are not considered service credit for the purposes of the state retirement or state health plans administered by PEBA.
Amend the bill further, by striking SECTION 2 and inserting:
SECTION 2. The State Department of Education shall develop guidelines for purposes of implementation of this act and make available the work non-teaching occupational experience verification form described in this act no later than ninety one hundred eighty days after the approval by the Governor.
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 59-25-60 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE MAY BE AWARDED ON AN INITIAL TEACHING CERTIFICATE IF THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE IS IN OR RELATED TO THE CONTENT FIELD OF THE CERTIFICATE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT EXISTING CERTIFICATE HOLDERS MAY RECEIVE CREDIT FOR PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on FebruaryDecember 12,11, 20252024 at 07:4904:44 PM
Action History
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Act No. 29
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Effective date 05/12/25
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Signed By Governor
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Ratified R 47
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Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
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Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
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Roll call Yeas-116 Nays-0
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Read second time
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Amended
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Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works
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Scrivener's error corrected
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Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
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Introduced and read first time
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Read third time and sent to House
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Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-0
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Read second time
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Committee Amendment Adopted
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Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education
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Referred to Committee on Education
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Introduced and read first time
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Referred to Committee on Education
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Prefiled
Sponsors
- Senator Greg Hembree · Primary
- Jr. Senator Tom Young · Primary
- Senator Jeff Zell · Primary
- Senator Tameika Isaac Devine · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →4 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 166 not signed on
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (166)
166 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 166 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 111 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Republican | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 115 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| % of votes cast | 94% | 0% | 0% | 6% |
How each member voted (122)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 41 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 41 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| % of votes cast | 91% | 0% | 0% | 9% |
How each member voted (45)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does S 78 do?
- AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-25-60 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL AWARD YEARS OF EXPERIENCE CREDIT FOR CERTAIN RELEVANT NON-TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO CERTIFICATES OF EDUCATORS WHO SATISFY CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE SUCH EXPERIENCE CREDIT MAY BE AWARDED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADVANCEMENT ON THE TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE, TO PROVIDE OTHER EXISTING CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS REMAIN UNCHANGED BY THIS ACT; AND TO PROVIDE DIRECTIVES TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT. - RATIFIED TITLE
- Who sponsors S 78?
- S 78 is sponsored by Senator Greg Hembree, Senator Tom Young, Jr., Senator Jeff Zell, and Senator Tameika Isaac Devine.
- What is the current status of S 78?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 11, 2024. Enacted.
- Where can I track S 78?
- Track S 78 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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