Senate advances bill requiring school boards to livestream meetings, adds funding carve-out for districts without capability

The South Carolina Senate on the floor advanced Senate Bill 77, a measure that would require school districts to livestream meetings subject to the state Freedom of Information Act or post recordings within seven days if livestreaming is not possible.

The bill’s committee amendment changed an earlier two-business-day deadline to seven days and set the law’s effective date for Jan. 1, 2026. The amendment also clarified the requirement applies to meetings already subject to FOIA and recognized extra time may be needed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements.

Senator Mori, speaking for the Education Committee, said the measure is intended “to catch those last group” of districts that do not yet livestream meetings and stressed the bill allows practical, low-cost options. “You could literally take an iPhone and put it on a tripod and live, you know, Facebook live stream the meeting,” Mori said, adding that the statute does not require high-end systems and that local districts could choose higher-quality setups at their discretion.

Senators questioned implementation and funding. Senator Walker (Richland) asked whether the Legislature had a plan to fund districts that lack the technology. Mori replied that the bill does not mandate a particular quality standard and that low-cost options are widely available. Later, Senator Martin offered — then withdrew and refiled in amended form — a proposal to permit lottery funds to be used for equipment; that original amendment was withdrawn. Martin then offered an amendment (sponsored by Martin and Jackson) that directs state support only for districts that, as of the bill’s effective date, do not have livestreaming in place. That amendment was adopted.

Senator Morey (floor discussion) said the state Board of Education will develop a model policy districts can use and that districts would have time to implement the requirement, allowing school systems to plan and budget for any costs. Senators repeatedly emphasized the bill’s intent was transparency rather than a technical mandate on broadcast quality.

The committee report and floor amendments were adopted by the Senate. Under procedural rules the bill was given second reading with the appropriate vote to be applied under Senate rules, and the measure will proceed toward further consideration on the calendar.

Ending: The bill's proponents described it as a transparency measure aimed at increasing public access to school governance. The Senate made a point of providing a funding path for districts that do not already have livestreaming in place; next steps include further floor consideration and final votes to advance the bill into law.