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Committee reports several transportation and K‑12 bills; votes at a glance
Summary
The Education and Public Works Committee reported multiple bills favorably on transportation and K‑12 education items, adopted amendments on STEM and computer science bills, and deferred debate on an electric vehicle weight bill.
The Education and Public Works Committee advanced several bills on transportation and K‑12 education Tuesday, recording roll‑call votes on multiple measures and adopting several technical amendments.
Votes at a glance
- H 3801 (procurement exemptions for planning repairs to bridges, highways, roads, and right‑of‑way improvements): reported favorably by roll call, 15–0 with three absent.
- H 3768 (amending Act 36 of 2019 to change a sunset provision related to highway system construction): reported favorably, 15–0 with three absent.
- H 3944 (maximum weights for electric battery‑powered vehicles): committee agreed to adjourn debate to allow staff to clarify questions; motion to adjourn debate passed unanimously.
K‑12 and education bills
- H 3201 (South Carolina Computer Science Education Initiative Act): reported favorably, 10–5 with three not voting. The bill would codify the state’s computer science initiative into statute; members said it aligns current Department of Education standards with statutory language.
- H 3603 (consolidation/cleanup of two STEM entities and expansion of STEM access language): committee adopted an amendment to merge two existing STEM entities and add gender‑inclusive language by a vote of 13–1 with one abstention; the amended bill was later reported favorably as amended, 12–2 with one abstention and three absent.
- H 3578 (cursive instruction): the committee adopted a subcommittee amendment changing the required starting grade from second to third grade; the amendment and the bill were reported favorably as amended, 15–0 with three absent.
- H 3831 (Smart Heart Act — automated external defibrillator program in public schools): the committee adopted a small amendment changing the administrative oversight to a different state fiscal authority and then reported the bill favorably as amended, 15–0 with three absent.
Committee members said many of the education bills were intended as statutory cleanups to match programs the Department of Education is already running and to provide statutory clarity for STEM and computer science initiatives. Representative Rivers, sponsor of the cursive bill, said cursive instruction supports reading historical documents and certain cognitive development benefits. For H 3944, lawmakers asked for additional technical information about vehicle weights and penalties before continuing debate.
The committee will reconvene at a later date to finish remaining business that was not reached before the meeting was adjourned to the call of the chair.
