---
type: "Bill"
title: "Noncertified Teacher Pilot Program"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-18-1115 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A FIVE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO PERMIT PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HIRE NONCERTIFIED TEACHERS IN A RATIO UP TO TEN PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE TEACHING STAFF OF THE DISTRICT, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED PARTICIPATION AND IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 23-3-90 SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE AGENCY REQUESTS OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS. - RATIFIED TITLE"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 79"
citation: "South Carolina S 79 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hembree", "Zell"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-12-11"
last_action: "2025-05-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/26049dfe-0fac-47b6-8054-732fda3dc5c3"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=79&session=126&summary=B"
source_hash: "dfb0356a8ef8e5e21e0f6691587abad2a4dad4b9de6e53fd8f5713e034a7b976"
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 79 (2025-2026) — Noncertified Teacher Pilot Program

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 59-18-1115 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A FIVE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO PERMIT PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HIRE NONCERTIFIED TEACHERS IN A RATIO UP TO TEN PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE TEACHING STAFF OF THE DISTRICT, AND TO PROVIDE RELATED PARTICIPATION AND IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS; AND BY ADDING SECTION 23-3-90 SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE AGENCY REQUESTS OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS. - 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/79.htm)
2. **02/26/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20250226.htm)
3. **02/26/2025-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20250226a.htm)
4. **03/04/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20250304.htm)
5. **05/01/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20250501.htm)
6. **05/06/2025** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20250506.htm)
7. **12/11/2024** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/prever/79_20241211.htm)

## Votes

- 2nd Reading — **42–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **112–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Hembree — primary (person)
- Zell — 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`
- **2025-02-26** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-04** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2025-03-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-03-04** Roll call Ayes-42 Nays-0
- **2025-03-05** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-03-06** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-06** Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works `referral-committee`
- **2025-05-01** Committee report: Favorable Education and Public Works `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-06** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-06** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2025-05-06** Roll call Yeas-112 Nays-0
- **2025-05-07** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2025-05-07** Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
- **2025-05-08** Ratified R 48
- **2025-05-12** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-19** Effective date See Act for Effective Date
- **2025-05-19** Act No. 30

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/26049dfe-0fac-47b6-8054-732fda3dc5c3`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).