---
type: "Bill"
title: "School Board Ethics"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 19, TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CODE OF ETHICS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-45, RELATING TO MANDATORY TRAINING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEES, SO AS TO REVISE THE TRAINING CONTENT REQUIREMENTS, APPLICABILITY, AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 70"
citation: "South Carolina S 70 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hembree"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 25
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-12-11"
last_action: "2026-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/19168f19-2c7e-420c-977d-0bd0f7a41148"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=70&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "645497d3a29e805d95c0d7cec3587d5ab000b655dfc30a0a7d026fb24ee0677e"
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 S 70 (2025-2026) — School Board Ethics

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 19, TITLE 59 SO AS TO PROVIDE A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CODE OF ETHICS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 59-19-45, RELATING TO MANDATORY TRAINING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEES, SO AS TO REVISE THE TRAINING CONTENT REQUIREMENTS, APPLICABILITY, AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS. - RATIFIED TITLE

## Version chain

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

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/70.htm)
2. **02/11/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260211.htm)
3. **02/17/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260217.htm)
4. **02/24/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260224.htm)
5. **05/07/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260507.htm)
6. **05/08/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260508.htm)
7. **05/13/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260513.htm)
8. **05/14/2026** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20260514.htm)
9. **12/11/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/70_20241211.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **39–2** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **109–4** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Hembree — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-12-11** Prefiled `filing`
- **2024-12-11** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-14** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-01-14** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-11** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-17** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-18** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-24** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-02-24** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-24** Roll call Ayes-39 Nays-2
- **2026-02-26** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-02-26** Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works `referral-committee`
- **2026-05-07** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education and Public Works `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-05-08** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-05-12** Debate adjourned
- **2026-05-13** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-05-13** Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-4
- **2026-05-14** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-05-14** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2026-05-14** Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
- **2026-05-15** Ratified R 221
- **2026-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-05** Effective date See Act for Effective Date
- **2026-06-02** Act No. 191

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/19168f19-2c7e-420c-977d-0bd0f7a41148`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).