(A) There is created the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council. The council is comprised of the following members representing the geographic regions of the State and must be representative of the ethnic, gender, rural, and urban diversity of the State:
(1) State Superintendent of Education or his designee;
(2) Executive Director of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce or his designee;
(3) Executive Director of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education or his designee;
(4) Secretary of the Department of Commerce or his designee;
(5) Executive Director of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce or his designee;
(6) Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance or his designee;
(7) Executive Director of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education or his designee;
(8) Executive Director of the Office of First Steps to School Readiness or his designee;
(9) the following members who must be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education:
(a) a school district superintendent;
(b) a principal;
(c) a school guidance counselor;
(d) a teacher; and
(e) the director of a career and technology center;
(10) the following members who must be appointed by the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education:
(a) the president or provost of a research university;
(b) the president or provost of a four-year college or university; and
(c) the president of a technical college;
(11) ten representatives of business appointed by the Governor, at least one of whom must represent small business, and one whom must represent the health care industry. Of the representatives appointed by the Governor, five must be recommended by statewide organizations representing business and industry. The chair is to be selected by the Governor from one of his appointees;
(12) Chairman of the Education Oversight Committee or his designee;
(13) a member from the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
(14) a member from the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate.
Initial appointments must be made by October 1, 2017, at which time the Governor shall call the first meeting. Appointments made by the Superintendent of Education and the Governor are to ensure that the demographics and diversity of this State are represented.
Appointed members of the council shall serve for terms of four years each and until their successors are appointed and qualify. Vacancies on the council in appointed positions must be filled by appointment in the same manner of original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Any member of the council who is a public official with a term of office provided by law, including the State Superintendent of Education and members of the General Assembly, shall serve on the council for a term coterminous with his or her term of office as a public official. Designees of a public official shall serve at the pleasure of the designating public official.
Members of the council who are not public officials but who hold a specified position of employment shall serve on the council for as long as that person holds the specified position. Designees of a person who holds a specified position of employment shall serve at the pleasure of that person.
Members of the council are not deemed to hold an office of honor or profit in this State as the functions of council only involve providing advice, review, recommendations, or reports to other officials, boards, or departments.
(B) The council shall:
(1) advise the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce to ensure the components of this chapter are implemented with fidelity;
(2) review accountability and performance measures for implementation of this chapter;
(3) report annually by December first to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Department of Commerce, the State Board of Education, and other appropriate governing boards on the progress, results, and compliance with the provisions of this chapter to specifically include progress toward career pathways and its ability to provide a better prepared workforce and student success in postsecondary education;
(4) make recommendations to the Department of Education and Department of Commerce for the development and implementation of a communication and marketing plan to promote statewide awareness of the provisions of this chapter;
(5) provide input to the Department of Commerce, State Board of Education, and other appropriate governing boards for the promulgation of regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter including, but not limited to, enforcement procedures, which may include monitoring and auditing functions, and addressing consequences for noncompliance; and
(6) the coordinating council shall be staffed by personnel from the State Department of Education and the Department of Commerce.
(C) The provisions of this section expire five years after its effective date unless the General Assembly by law extends its provisions.
HISTORY: 2017 Act No. 35 (H.3220), Section 1, eff May 10, 2017; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 69, eff January 31, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 1, Section 69, in (A)(14), substituted "President of the Senate" for "President Pro Tempore".