---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 33, TITLE 59 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR A STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM SCHOOLING MODEL WHICH MUST INCLUDE A UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY WHO MAY BE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFICULTIES; TO PROVIDE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE THE UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR, SUBJECT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY FUNDING; TO PROVIDE SCREENING MAY BE REQUESTED BY PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL CONVENE SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS TO ANALYZE DATA FROM SCREENINGS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE PARENTS OF SUCH AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH NOTICE OF SCREENING FINDINGS AND RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH CERTAIN INTERVENTIONS AND TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND STUDENT PROGRESS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND RESOURCES CONCERNING THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM AND RELATED IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION METHODS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP AND REPORT FINDINGS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM; TO CREATE THE LEARNING DISORDERS TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN MATTERS RELATING TO READING DISORDERS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS OF THE TASK FORCE, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 33, TITLE 59 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR A STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM SCHOOLING MODEL WHICH MUST INCLUDE A UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY WHO MAY BE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFICULTIES; TO PROVIDE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE THE UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR, SUBJECT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY FUNDING; TO PROVIDE SCREENING MAY BE REQUESTED BY PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL CONVENE SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS TO ANALYZE DATA FROM SCREENINGS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE PARENTS OF SUCH AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH NOTICE OF SCREENING FINDINGS AND RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH CERTAIN INTERVENTIONS AND TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND STUDENT PROGRESS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND RESOURCES CONCERNING THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM AND RELATED IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION METHODS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP AND REPORT FINDINGS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM; TO CREATE THE LEARNING DISORDERS TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN MATTERS RELATING TO READING DISORDERS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS OF THE TASK FORCE, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "H 4434"
citation: "South Carolina H 4434 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Clary", "Cogswell", "Cole", "Collins", "Elliott", "Felder", "Govan", "Henderson-Myers", "King", "Ott", "Pope", "Taylor", "Thayer"]
version_count: 10
action_count: 47
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2017-12-13"
last_action: "2018-05-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f211fa81-42ec-4d9d-93f7-ee02159ce58e"
source_url: "http://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4434&session=122&summary=B"
source_hash: "f6212ad1b01eea2735316696ca0a9063897296483ec9c8a16e21f6a614fb9561"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 4434 (2017-2018) — AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 33, TITLE 59 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR A STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM SCHOOLING MODEL WHICH MUST INCLUDE A UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY WHO MAY BE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIFFICULTIES; TO PROVIDE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL USE THE UNIVERSAL SCREENING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS BEGINNING WITH THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR, SUBJECT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY FUNDING; TO PROVIDE SCREENING MAY BE REQUESTED BY PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND CERTAIN SCHOOL PERSONNEL; TO PROVIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHALL CONVENE SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS TO ANALYZE DATA FROM SCREENINGS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE PARENTS OF SUCH AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH NOTICE OF SCREENING FINDINGS AND RELATED SUPPORT INFORMATION; TO REQUIRE DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE AT-RISK STUDENTS WITH CERTAIN INTERVENTIONS AND TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND STUDENT PROGRESS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND RESOURCES CONCERNING THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM AND RELATED IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION METHODS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP AND REPORT FINDINGS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE MULTI-TIERED SUPPORT SYSTEM; TO CREATE THE LEARNING DISORDERS TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN MATTERS RELATING TO READING DISORDERS; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION AND MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS OF THE TASK FORCE, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/13/2017** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20171213.htm)
2. **2/15/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180215.htm)
3. **2/20/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180220.htm)
4. **2/21/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180221.htm)
5. **2/22/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180222.htm)
6. **3/15/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180315.htm)
7. **3/16/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180316.htm)
8. **4/17/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180417.htm)
9. **4/18/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180418.htm)
10. **5/8/2018** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/prever/4434_20180508.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- to adopt the free conference report — **42–0** (pass) · upper
- Grant Free Conference Powers — **102–0** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **0–109** (fail) · lower
- to grant free conference powers — **42–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **106–2** (pass) · lower
- Adopt Free Conference Report — **101–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Clary — primary (person)
- Cogswell — primary (person)
- Cole — primary (person)
- Collins — primary (person)
- Elliott — primary (person)
- Felder — primary (person)
- Govan — primary (person)
- Henderson-Myers — primary (person)
- King — primary (person)
- Ott — primary (person)
- Pope — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Thayer — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-12-13** Prefiled `filing`
- **2017-12-13** Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-09** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2018-01-09** Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-11** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Felder
- **2018-02-06** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Pope
- **2018-02-07** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Taylor
- **2018-02-13** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Ott
- **2018-02-15** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-02-20** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-02-20** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Thayer
- **2018-02-21** Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan, Cole, King
- **2018-02-21** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2018-02-21** Requests for debate-Rep(s). Loftis, Hill, Magnuson
- **2018-02-21** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-02-21** Roll call Yeas-106 Nays-2
- **2018-02-22** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-02-22** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2018-02-22** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
- **2018-02-22** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-03-15** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-03-16** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-04-17** Committee Amendment Amended and Adopted `amendment-passage, amendment-amendment`
- **2018-04-17** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2018-04-17** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2018-04-17** Roll call Ayes-38 Nays-0
- **2018-04-18** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2018-04-24** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-05-01** Non-concurrence in Senate amendment
- **2018-05-01** Roll call Yeas-0 Nays-109
- **2018-05-02** Senate insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Sheheen, Martin, Hembree
- **2018-05-03** Conference committee appointed Felder, Clary, Brown
- **2018-05-08** Free conference powers granted
- **2018-05-08** Free conference committee appointed Felder, Clary, Brown
- **2018-05-08** Roll call Yeas-102 Nays-0
- **2018-05-08** Free conference report adopted
- **2018-05-08** Roll call Yeas-101 Nays-0
- **2018-05-08** Free conference powers granted
- **2018-05-08** Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
- **2018-05-08** Free conference committee appointed Sheheen, Martin, Hembree
- **2018-05-08** Free conference report adopted
- **2018-05-08** Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
- **2018-05-09** Ordered enrolled for ratification
- **2018-05-14** Ratified R 251
- **2018-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2018-05-25** Effective date 05/18/18
- **2018-05-31** Act No. 213

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f211fa81-42ec-4d9d-93f7-ee02159ce58e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).