2017-2018 Bill 4039: Compulsory Attendance - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly

122nd Session, 2017-2018

H. 4039

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Govan, Gilliard, Thigpen, Mack, Jefferson, Knight, Douglas, Bennett, RobinsonSimpson, Martin, Norrell, Brown, CobbHunter, Dillard, Funderburk, Herbkersman, King, B.Newton, Ridgeway and Thayer

Document Path: l:\council\bills\bh\7105wab17.docx

Companion/Similar bill(s): 3350

Introduced in the House on March 22, 2017

Currently residing in the House Committee on Education and Public Works

Summary: Compulsory attendance

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

3/22/2017HouseIntroduced and read first time (House Journalpage79)

3/22/2017HouseReferred to Committee on Education and Public Works (House Journalpage79)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/22/2017

ABILL

TO AMEND SECTION 596510, AS AMENDED, 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.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION1.Section 596510(A) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 163 of 2012, is further amended to read:

“(A)A parent or guardian shall require his or her child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools’ Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or churchrelated school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education from the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeentheighteenth birthday or graduates from high school. A parent or guardian whose child is not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for theirhis or her child or ward not to attend kindergarten. For this purpose, the parent or guardian shall sign a written document making the election with the governing body of the school district in which the parent or guardian resides. The form of this written document must be prescribed by regulation of the Department of Education. Upon the written election being executed, that child is not required to attend kindergarten.”

SECTION2.This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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